English

Programme of study

English Language: Students will study skills in Reading and Writing, studying literary and non -literary texts from the 19th Century through to the 21st Century. They will be required to show that they can write for a variety of different audiences and purposes. Students will also be assessed orally through Speaking and Listening, exploring the features of Spoken Language. Students will be required to complete one formal presentation or speech.

English Literature: Students will study Shakespeare, pre-and-post-1914 prose and drama as well as a range of poetry from 1789 to the present day.

How is the course structured & assessed?

In Year 10, students will learn the key skills needed for their English Language and Literature examination. They will look at a range of 19th Century fiction and non-fiction texts and show that they can write with technical accuracy. They will practise creative writing as well as transactional writing. For Literature, students will read, study and respond to the set texts (Macbeth, An Inspector Calls, A Christmas Carol, Poetry Anthology (1789-present).

In Year 11, students will continue to develop their GCSE English Language skills but they will also continue to study and revise their English Literature set texts.

There are two main ways that students’ work is assessed:

a) Externally – Both courses are linear and students sit all external examinations in both GCSE English and GCSE English Literature at the end of Year 11.

b) Internally – English teachers feedback to students on their progress by marking homework, feeding back and offering supportive advice in preparation for mock and external examinations.

Staff also assess and mark Speaking and Listening performance – although an external moderator may visit to check that our standards are of the highest order.

What can these qualifications lead to?

A minimum of a standard pass (Grade 4) in GCSE English is important for all students leaving school hoping to embark on a career in the world of work or 

applying for a place in our Sixth Form. An English GCSE, together with a Maths GCSE, is a crucial qualification for students progressing beyond Year 11. In our Sixth Form, aGrade 5 and above in English and English Literature will enable you to apply to study A level in English Literature and A level English Combined.