The Key Stage 3 English lessons are designed to enable students in Years 7-9 to develop skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing which they will need to participate in society and employment. Students will learn to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and to communicate confidently and effectively. Through discussion and debate, students develop as readers and writers; they will begin to learn the skills which will be assessed at GCSE level.
The study of Literature lies at the centre of the scheme of work and most Language related teaching will arise from the study of texts. Students will have access to a range of texts from different genres, historical periods and cultures, from classic novels and Shakespeare to contemporary fiction and non-fiction.
Students are encouraged to participate in the many extra-curricular activities that the English Department runs, from creative writing and poetry to participating in public speaking competitions, as well as regular writing competitions. Independent reading, or private reading, is nurtured and built into the curriculum and promoted through the ‘Accelerated Reader’ programme.
Students in Years 10 and 11 follow the AQA GCSE courses in English Language (8700) and English Literature (8702). Students follow an integrated course.
In English lessons, students will learn to read critically and study a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction extracts, all of which is brought to life through lively speaking and listening activities such as: discussions, debates and individual presentations. This speaking work leads into the Spoken Language assessment, which provides students with a separate grade alongside the GCSE English Language grade. Students are taught to write for a range of different audiences and purposes, from creative writing to analytical, essay writing.
Teaching for English Literature is geared around the in-depth study of the set texts for these exam papers. Current texts include ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, examined for Paper 1, and ‘An Inspector Calls’, ‘Power and Conflict Poetry – AQA Anthology’ and ‘Unseen Poetry’ form Paper 2. Students develop their skills of analysis as they explore the texts that they study and the historical backgrounds in which they arose.
Examination
All exams are at the end of Year 11.
Paper 1 – Explorations in creative reading and writing (1 hr 45mins) 50% of GCSE
Section A Reading: Students answer a series of questions, worth progressively more marks, on an extract from a literary fiction text.
Section B Writing: Students produce a piece of creative writing from a choice of two topics (eg write the opening part of a story about a place that is severely affected by the weather).
Paper 2 –Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives (1 hr 45mins) 50% of GCSE
Section A Reading: Students read two linked sources from different time periods and genres in order to consider how each presents a perspective or viewpoint to influence the reader.
Section B Writing: Students produce a written text to a specified audience, purpose and form in which they give their own perspective on the theme that is introduced in Section A.
Non-exam assessment:
Speaking and Listening: The assessment allows students to demonstrate their speaking and listening skills by giving a presentation (on a topic they have chosen, agreed by teacher) in a formal context, responding appropriately to questions and asking questions to elicit clarification. Standard English should be used throughout.
Examination
All exams at the end of Year 11. The course is 'closed book' so students will not be allowed copies of set texts in the examination room.
Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th century novel (1 hr 45mins) 40% of GCSE
Section A Shakespeare: Students answer one question on the Shakespeare play they have studied: first they respond to an extract from the play and then they develop their answer to cover the whole text.
Section B 19th Century Novel: Students answer one question on the text they have studied: first they respond to an extract from the text and then they develop their answer to cover the whole text.
Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry (2 hrs 15mins) 60% of GCSE
Section A Modern texts: Students answer one essay question from a choice of two on modern prose or drama.
Section B Poetry: Students answer one comparative question on one named poem and one other poem from the anthology of poetry they have studied on the theme of either 'Love and Relationships' or 'Power and Conflict'.
Section C Unseen poetry: Students answer one question on an unseen poem and then attempt a comparative question using a second unseen poem.
The A Level in English Literature consists of three externally examined papers and one non-examination assessment component. The qualification requires the study of eight literary texts plus unseen poetry. The course is now linear; all examinations take place at the end of year 13.
In Year 12, the course commences with study of two prose texts thematically linked to ‘Science and Society’ with students studying Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ and Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. Students also complete their study of a drama text, most recently Oscar Wilde’s comedy ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, and study a modern poetry anthology, ‘Poems of the Decade’. The year ends with the introduction of the ‘Non-Examined Assessment’: a coursework essay comparing two texts.
In Year 13, students continue their coursework, undertaking independent study of their chosen texts and completing their essay, with guidance from the teacher. Students also study a second drama text: William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ with a particular focus on the Tragedy genre. Additionally, pupils study a collection of poetry by a named poet or poetry movement (currently the poetry of Philip Larkin) alongside learning skills to approach the unseen poetry exam component.
Extra-curricular opportunities are promoted; most recently students were able to see a performance of Shakespeare’s Othello as an introduction to Shakespeare’s language and the Tragedy genre.
Component 1: Drama texts: study of one Shakespeare play and one other drama from either tragedy or comedy. Study of supporting critical essays for their selected Shakespeare play. External examination.
Component 2: Prose: study of two prose texts from a chosen theme. At least one of the prose texts must be pre-1900. External examination.
Component 3: Poetry: study of poetic form, meaning and language. Students study a selection of post-2000 specified poetry and a specified range of poetry from a literary period or a named poet from within a literary period. External examination.
Component 4: Non-examination assessment: students are required to produce a 2500-3000 word comparative essay on two texts of their choice.
Note: all exams are ‘open book’; clean copies of the texts can be taken into the examination.
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