Our English Staff
The English Department consists of nine members of staff who teach English, GCSE English Language, GCSE English Literature, AS English Language and English Literature, A-Level English Language, A-Level English Literature, GCSE Media, AS Media and A-Level Media Studies. The outstanding staff have a proven record of success and strong results. The 2013 – 2014 Year 11 students gained 73.4% A* to C in GCSE English Language which are the department and the academy’s best ever results.
Our lessons are designed to develop, challenge and assess student’s development in reading, writing, speaking and listening. We aim to inspire students following a broad, cohesive, satisfying and worthwhile curriculum.
We develop students to become critical readers of fiction and non-fiction prose, poetry and drama. Students will experience a wide range of different times, cultures, viewpoints, attitudes and situations as found in literary texts as well as exploring the importance of context.
The Subjects
Key Stage 3:
Years 7 & 8 are taught in mixed ability tutor groups. Students cover a wide range of materials which enable them to develop their reading, writing and speaking and listening. There are clear and coherent links to Media Studies made throughout. The skills needed for exam success are introduced and run through all the units of work.
Key Stage 4:
Years 9, 10 & 11 are taught in setted classes with a keen focus on thorough GCSE preparation. We cover the AQA specification with students covering a range of materials in addition to extensive and proven exam grounding. For Media Studies, the students follow the WJEC specification. All students from the current Year 10 onwards must sit GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature.
Key Stage 5:
Specialised, small groups are taught AS and A-Level English Language and English Literature and Media Studies. There are highly personalised courses with the opportunities for students to follow their own interests.
Units of work in Years 7, 8 and 9 are organised into termly themes.
Year 7:
The themes for Year 7 are Children’s Literature, The Power Of Words and The Fantastical. Students study a range of texts including short stories, plays, speeches and films. Students study a variety of types of writing including short stories, essays, reviews and poetry.
Year 8:
The themes for Year 8 are Different Times and Different Places, Dystopian Worlds and Crime Fiction. Students study a range of texts including novels, poetry and plays. Students study a variety of writing including essays, scripts and descriptions.
Year 9:
Students in this year group begin to prepare for their GCSEs in English Language and English Literature. Students focus on a smaller number of texts that they explore in greater detail such as A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, a wide range of poetry from different times, places and societies to develop their analysis of poetry in exam conditions and An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestley.
Year 10:
The coverage for this year includes looking at a wide range of different poetry and a wide range of fiction and non – fiction texts from the 19th and 20th centuries. There is an emphasis in this year on the skills needed for successful exam work. In Media Studies, students explore key terminology and study units on film and newspapers. The Controlled Assessment involves the production of a magazine front cover and contents page.
Year 11:
The coverage for this year includes Studying Spoken Language, which is about how and why people adapt their language, narrative and descriptive writing. This year continues to focus fully on the skills needed for successful exam work. For Media Studies, the focus is on the completion of the Controlled Assessment unit and preparation for the end of course examination.
Teaching and Learning
Both English and Media lend themselves to an active approach which the teachers encourage through imaginative delivery of stimulating materials. Students have a range of opportunities to develop an extensive range of transferrable skills which enable them to be fully prepared for life.
