English
The English Faculty teaches its students the full National Curriculum Programme of Study for English. The attainment targets cover the principal areas of our work in developing students' skills and understanding in:-
Speaking and Listening where students work to develop their powers of listening and speaking effectively in an increasing range of contexts.
Reading Students are challenged to move beyond the skills which allow them to decode text to the point where they achieve confident, fluent understanding, and to develop strategies for the purpose of study.
Writing Students write for a wide range of purposes and audiences in a variety of forms, so that they become equally fluent in both the private and personal and the formal and public modes. They are taught the basic skills of legible hand-writing, accurate spelling and the use of a range of grammatical structures, including punctuation, although these alone do not make competent writers and neither are they acquired before other important aspects of writing.
Speaking and Listening where students work to develop their powers of listening and speaking effectively in an increasing range of contexts.
Reading Students are challenged to move beyond the skills which allow them to decode text to the point where they achieve confident, fluent understanding, and to develop strategies for the purpose of study.
Writing Students write for a wide range of purposes and audiences in a variety of forms, so that they become equally fluent in both the private and personal and the formal and public modes. They are taught the basic skills of legible hand-writing, accurate spelling and the use of a range of grammatical structures, including punctuation, although these alone do not make competent writers and neither are they acquired before other important aspects of writing.
Through the schemes of work we deliver a broad, balanced curriculum to all of our pupils. We ensure continuity and progression is built in to the scheme; maintain consistency within the Faculty; and encourage pace and vigour in the delivery of all lessons. The schemes of work provide some security for teachers and pupils, to ensure a broad entitlement to the full range of activities in English.
The new English Strategy advises all teachers of Key Stage 3 pupils to address specific teaching objectives at word, sentence and text levels in each of the attainment targets. In addition to the core English curriculum, schools make use of centrally produced Literacy Progress Units to address specific weaknesses in pupils who attained Level 3 at KS2.
All pupils follow the AQA GCSE courses in English Language and in English Literature in Years 10 and 11. English Language is assessed on the basis of 60% Terminal Examination, 20% Coursework and 20% oral work while English Literature is assessed on the basis of 70% Terminal Examination and 30% Coursework. The two subjects are assessed separately though there is some common coursework.