English

While acknowledging the importance of GCSE examination success, the English Department seeks to foster a spirit of curiosity, creativity and excitement during the Middle School years. We aim to instil in pupils a love of reading and personal pride in their own writing, as well as the patient confidence to evolve their opinions in class discussion. 

Fourth Form (Year 9)

Year 9 sees pupils consolidate the knowledge they already have and begin to expand their repertoire, both in terms of their reading and writing skills.  They study a range of novels, plays and poetry - contemporary classics as well as older, canonised texts as well -  learning how to construct arguments and analyse non-fiction, crucial components of the GCSE course.  As well as routine summative and formative assessment, in the summer pupils sit an internal examination which gives them the chance to show off their skills.

Fifth Form (Year 10 & 11)

Both English Language and English Literature are compulsory subjects at GCSE and begin in Year 10. Although the course has modular elements, the pupils are taught by the same teacher for two years; we believe that in this way they benefit from the advantages of continuity which a linear course affords but also have plenty of opportunity for re-takes. We follow the Edexcel GCSE course, which offers a breadth of study skills and literary texts for pupils to enjoy. Pupils are taught for five timetabled lessons per week in both years and will end the course with two GCSEs.

Textbooks used:

• Edexcel English Language Student Workbook (Extend)
• Edexcel Poetry Anthology
• A 19^th novel from the Literary Heritage (choice of texts)
• A 20^th century novel (choice of texts)
• A modern play (choice of texts)
• A Shakespeare play (choice of texts)

 Overview of course content:

• Year 10:
  Pupils begin by sharpening their reading and writing skills, focusing on non-fiction and media texts ahead of a controlled assessment done in class time in December. They will also begin studying a text from the literary heritage, such as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde or Great Expectations. In Lent they study a 20^th century novel and sharpen their literary and media analysis skills ahead of external examinations in the summer on the two novels and on reading non-fiction and writing.
• Year 11:
  Pupils study a Shakespeare play and a contemporary one in Michaelmas, considering a range of interpretations of each text, and then sit a mock controlled assessment at the end of Michaelmas. In Lent, there is the opportunity to re-sit the exams of the previous June, and thereafter they will focus on the poetry anthology, studying 15 related poems, and upon responding to unseen poetry (or, in old money,  practical criticism). They will also begin the spoken language unit ahead of the controlled assessment about it in the summer. Then, in the summer term, they will sit both this and their controlled assessment tasks in Shakespeare and contemporary drama as well as the external examination on poetry.

Throughout the course pupils' speaking and listening skills will be assessed in a range of disciplines and a formal mark recorded; the best marks for each discipline will then be submitted and go towards their overall mark.

Controlled Assessment Details

Controlled assessment will take place in class time and will entail pupils working by hand unless there are mitigating circumstances which call for a PC.  There are myriad points at which both mock CAs and CAs fit into the schedule, depending on pupil success and ambition. 

General Information in summary

Edexcel GCSE English Language
Edexcel GCSE English Literature

Pupils are assessed through CAs across both years, with re-sit opportunities. They sit externally assessed examinations in the L5th and U5th, 40% of which must be sat at the end of U5th. Those exams sat at the end of L5th can be re-taken in the U5th; sittings occur in January and in June.