Skip to content ↓

The English Faculty is dedicated to providing students with a range of learning experiences which equip them to become skilled at using and interpreting our language in both spoken and written forms. Appropriate, high-quality literature provides the stimulus for our work, and our aim is for all students to become critical, independent readers and increasingly sophisticated writers and speakers. 

As a team, we are committed to upholding and delivering our School's Intent, and we are particularly proud of the way we

  • Place value on developing a broad knowledge base in Key Stage 3 to lay the foundations for future success and are unapologetically ambitious for students in all key stages
  • Work with students to develop them into highly literate, articulate and creative writers and speakers
  • Nurture students to realise and unlock their talents and abilities

Key Stage Three

In Key Stage 3, our aims are aligned with those of the National Curriculum.

  • Students follow a carefully considered course designed to inspire their study of English and its forms so that they can become critical, informed, habitual and fluent readers.
  • The curriculum enables students to develop the knowledge and appreciation of English, of great writers and important texts and periods of literary history.
  • Our curriculum enables students to develop the skills and knowledge required to take ownership of the English Language in writing and in speech.
  • We prioritise the development of a strong, rigorous vocabulary as we believe that students with a secure grasp of ambitious vocabulary have the keys to unlock and express the biggest ideas and most challenging concepts.

Our Key Stage 3 curriculum is created by teachers who love English and want to inspire children to love English too. It is a carefully planned curriculum which places the development of knowledge (both disciplinary and procedural knowledge) and vocabulary at the centre so that students have secure foundations on which to build.

Our journey starts in Year 7 with a study of poetry. We focus on a range of poems, including Shakespearean sonnets, to help students appreciate the conventions of poetry – and the subversion of conventions. As Year 7 progresses, students learn about gothic literature and adaptations, and begin taking control of their own voice in writing. In Year 8, students engage with increasingly challenging texts, including Animal Farm and Shakespeare. By the end of Year 9, students will have engaged with a wide range of text types written for different purposes and audiences, a second Shakespeare play, and developed a wide repertoire of vocabulary for use in writing and speech.  

Key Stage Four

Students follow the AQA Specification in both English Language (8700) and English Literature (8702). For full specifications and course content please visit the AQA GCSE Website

Key Stage Five

At ‘A’ Level, students have the choice between two courses:

  • English Literature AQA Specification A (7712) AQA.com
  • 2 x written examinations and one non-examined assessment (coursework) form the content of the A-level syllabus

OR

English Language and Literature Edexcel Specification (9ELO)

  • 2 x written examinations and one non-examined assessment (coursework) form the content of the A-level syllabus.

Enrichment Opportunities

Numerous enrichment opportunities exist for students to develop their appreciation of, and insight into, many different aspects of English Language and Literature. Experiences for students are continually reviewed and selected to enhance learning and at Key Stages Three, Four and Five. Enrichment experiences include:

  • Theatre visits
  • Writing Competitions
  • Reading groups with the library
  • Debate club
  • Classics club
  • Author visits

Head of Faculty - Mrs S Lane