English
Text
Philosophy
The English Department’s vision of ‘independence, resilience and curiosity’ is at the heart of everything we do.
We offer our students a varied, rich and challenging curriculum which prepares them for the academic rigour of their examinations, but also equips them with the skills they will need for life beyond secondary school. Throughout their 5-year journey with us, our students are encouraged to explore and articulate their own opinions and ask questions of themselves and others, using language and literature as springboards to gain knowledge and insight that will support them throughout their lives. We want students to share our love of Language and Literature, and to develop their own critical voice so that they too can appreciate the power of the written word both in the texts they read and the writing they produce.
Our aim is to work alongside students to help them to become confident readers and writers who are able to successfully articulate their thoughts and ideas in a range of contexts and navigate the modern world with its evolving literacy demands. Above all, we want to develop students who have a desire and passion to extend their knowledge, becoming lifelong learners in the process.
With a wealth of experience and knowledge amongst our dedicated teachers, students flourish into thoughtful, expressive and tolerant young people who are proud of their learning and the outcomes they achieve.
Please visit our English googlesite for a flavour of our curriculum: English Wildern Googlesite
Expanders
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KS3
In KS3 students follow the National Curriculum and study a range of challenging texts, including contemporary and classic literature. In Year 7, students will study Francis Hardinge’s novella ‘Island of Mysteries’, William Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ and a range of poetry from across time and enjoy plenty of opportunities to express themselves through our creative writing unit.
In Year 8, students will study William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’, be introduced to themes of rebellion and romanticism through our Romantic and contemporary poetry unit, as well as study The Gothic through Susan Hill’s ‘The Woman in Black’. Throughout KS3, our units will be complemented by a range of non-fiction texts that develop and expand student understanding of the texts they are studying.
Across KS3, students will learn to write effectively for different purposes and audiences, including: writing to describe, narrate, explain, instruct and to respond to information. Students will also begin to practice their analytical writing in preparation for the more extended essay writing they will be expected to do in KS4. Students will also learn to speak and listen in a wide variety of contexts, including the delivery of individual presentations and paired and group discussions.
In Year 7 and Year 8, students have one library lesson per fortnight, during which time students can direct their own independent reading, as well as participating in group reading activities through our short story and Let’s Think! reading lessons.
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KS4
In KS4 students are working towards securing two GCSEs - one in English and Language and one in English Literature, through the AQA exam board.
Students will complete their studies of their GCSE English Literature set texts which are: ‘Dr Jekyll and Hyde’ OR ‘A Christmas Carol’, ‘An Inspector Calls’ and ‘Macbeth,’ as well as the AQA Power and Conflict anthology. Alongside these core texts, students are exposed to a range of unseen 19th Century fiction, poetry and modern non-fiction texts, which will prepare them for both their English Literature and English Language GCSEs. Across Years 9- 11, students will develop their understanding of how extended exam responses are structured, as well as how to craft effective responses under timed conditions. Students will be instructed on how to manipulate and craft their writing with a particular audience and purpose in mind, and will be guided to reflect on, edit and re-draft their work in order to strive for accuracy and to support their understanding in how to meet the demands of the GCSE mark schemes.
Alongside their reading and writing skills, students will develop their speaking and listening skills through the completion of the AQA Spoken Language assessment in Year 9. Students will explore a range of persuasive letters, articles and speeches to prepare them for creating and delivering a speech of their own on a topic of their choosing.
Trips and Co-Curricular Opportunities
The English department offers students a range of opportunities to further extend their learning and enjoyment of the subject. Some of these include:
- KS3/KS4 Reading Club
- Reading Ambassadors
- A range of theatre trips, including to Shakespeare’s Globe and the Mayflower
- Visits from touring theatre company ‘Box Clever’
- Author visits in conjunction with the LRC
- World Book Day celebrations and activities
- Various national competitions throughout the year with opportunities for students to have their work published
- Opportunities for national and international travel to places of literary significance
- The Vox - Student Newspaper
- Subscription to ‘The Day’ to support and complement our schemes of work
- A comprehensive Googlesite with our lessons and resources to support independent student work