English

Here in the English Department, every student is given the opportunity to develop an understanding and appreciation of a wide  range of literature. 

We believe that to be an effective writer, means that students are encouraged to be creative, analytical and freethinking in their language choices.

Equally important to us is to develop a natural pathway from the work we will do here, to the wide variety of exciting jobs that come with the right qualifications in English.

In KS4, we aim to help students understand English as a discipline and therefore understand how literature has developed over time.  We teach our students to recognise that literary texts do not appear in a vacuum: each literary movement or text is built on the foundations of what came before and influences what came after. It is also vital to learn about the way social, cultural and political shifts are mirrored in the literature of that time.  When studying Macbeth, consideration will be given to the events of the Elizabethan and Jacobean Era, and the relationships that Shakespeare had with the upper echelons of society. Following this, students will learn about the ways that people became popular without social media!  

We want to develop an understanding of how the texts we teach came into being and their place within history and culture. Building on knowledge from KS2 and KS3, a Victorian text will be studied.  This will also help to recognise that literature is a force for social change and political commentary, further strengthening the power of great literature.  We will also study a modern text and an Anthology of poetry.  We will visit the theatre where students can lose themselves in the past and truly understand how wonderful literature is!