About the Department
We aim to teach a wide range of skills in line with the National Curriculum, whilst offering a stimulating framework which captures the enthusiasm and enjoyment of English for students of all abilities. Our key goal is to support all students in achieving their potential. As a core subject at the heart of many other academic disciplines; we recognise the importance of literacy skills which allow students to communicate with others, both at school and in their everyday lives and therefore strive to promote a love of reading, writing, speaking and listening throughout our curriculum.
We have fantastic and experienced English teachers ready to share their extensive knowledge with you and welcome you to the wonderful world of Language and Literature.
What will your child learn in year seven?
Through the course of the year 7 curriculum pupils should discover a sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them. Through the study of novels such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, the play Our Day Out and Poetry from other Cultures; students should gain an understanding of the consequences of important historical events and the impact of those events in society today; use a range of social skills in different contexts. Finally, students should gain an understanding and appreciation of different cultures as well as embrace their own British values.
We believe strongly in the importance of reading, both for enjoyment and to aid academic success. Independent reading is encouraged at all Key Stages and in Key Stage 3 all English lessons often begin with ten minutes private reading to allow students to enjoy reading their own texts and improve their vocabulary.
How can learning progress throughout the classroom?
We understand and appreciate just how crucial English is for aiding an understanding of each and every subject your son studies at our school. We want students to recognise this importance and become confident critical readers of fiction and non-fiction, poetry and prose as well as understand the impact language can have on an audience. English is so much more than just reading books and essay preparation, we want our students to learn to communicate their ideas effectively in their writing and speech- skills, something that is essential for future success. Beyond your child's timetabled lessons with us, we offer many extracurricular activities such as:
-Reading Buddies (year 7 paired with year 10/11 to enhance reading and comprehension abilities)
-KS2 catch up club (to close any gaps between ks2 and ks3 recognised in the first term of year 7)
We are committed to offering students a variety of extra-curricular activities and consider this a strength of the Department; students will have the opportunity to take part in creative writing clubs, newsletter writing, external poetry competitions and many more extracurricular activities that will support learning beyond the classroom.
What ambassador opportunities are available to your child?
The KS3 curriculum is designed to prepare students for the rigour of the GCSE examinations and to support them in developing the skills and resilience needed for all exam qualifications. As a result, each unit of study is designed to help foster a love for the subject in the students, introducing them to a variety of texts that explore a wide range of topics designed to build on the student’s cultural knowledge. All units culminate in an exam style assessment which assesses how students have progressed, how they respond in exam conditions and how they meet the exam criteria. The Key Stage 3 (and Year 9) curriculum is designed so students can engage, succeed and enjoy the subject of English.
There are opportunities to become an English ambassador. The role of an English ambassador is vital. They will have the responsibility of:
-Open evenings
-Parents’ evenings
-Supporting younger students with their reading abilities
-Supporting/assisting the department with creative input to displays, revision and resource materials, social networking platforms for the dept. and feedback/ suggestions for improvement for all.
