Introduction to the English Department
Our Ethos
In the English Department, we believe in enriching our students’ lives and helping them understand the complex, diverse, and evolving world around them. Our curriculum provides insights into various cultures and encourages creativity, self-expression, and personal growth. We inspire students to be curious, exploring how the written word enables effective communication across different environments and contexts. Through English studies, we aim to cultivate global citizens who communicate with empathy. By engaging with a wide range of texts, both classic and contemporary, we hope to instill a love of literature, fostering lifelong readers and critical thinkers.
How We Teach English at The English School
Our English curriculum is based on four key concepts: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. These skills are developed throughout Key Stage 3, growing more complex and challenging as students progress into Key Stage 4 and beyond.
Key Stage 3 – Years 1-3
In Years 1-3, our curriculum introduces students to the richness of English studies, building a strong foundation that seamlessly transitions from Key Stage 2. We focus on essential skills, moving from grammar and text comprehension to deeper analysis and understanding of writer’s purpose. By the end of Key Stage 3, students appreciate the beauty and diversity of English.
Key Stage 4 - IGCSE
In Years 4 and 5, students undertake a two-year course in both English Language and English Literature. At the end of Year 5, students sit for two IGCSE First Language English exams and three English Literature exams.
The IGCSE courses encourage students to:
- Communicate accurately, appropriately, and effectively.
- Understand and respond to what they read and experience.
- Enjoy and appreciate the variety of language.
- Value the importance and relevance of literature.
The English Department views the IGCSE as an engaging, rewarding, and creative course that enables students to participate meaningfully and expressively.
Key Stage 5 - A-Level
The English Department offers A-Level courses in both English Literature and English Language.
English Literature:
Studying English Literature provides personal enrichment, along with skills in evaluation, analysis, and comparison. Beyond reading literature, the subject opens students’ minds to different perspectives and complex ideas. Additionally, the study of English Literature sharpens communication skills, which are invaluable in fields such as Law, Business Management, Diplomacy, Media, and Education.
English Language:
The English Language course aims to deepen students’ interest in and appreciation for the language. Through this course, students explore English in its diverse forms, gaining a critical understanding of how language functions. They are encouraged to pursue independent study as part of their learning.
With English’s global significance, effective communication, analysis, and critical thinking are essential. The skills gained in this course are highly valued by universities and employers alike.
Curriculum
Year 1
In the first form, students are expected to reach a competent level in the four key areas of the curriculum. These include reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Due to the differing backgrounds of our intake of students, the curriculum is divided into natives, near-natives, and non-natives. The non-natives and near-native are allocated 17 periods over the 10-day timetable and the natives are allocated 10 periods.
It is essential that the non-native groups have as much contact with the language as possible. Reading skills are promoted through the development of skills in comprehension, scanning, skimming, vocabulary development, word building and through the varied literature studied. A wide range of writing skills are also acquired; poetry and drama are encouraged, together with group presentations and debate. The intention is to provide as many opportunities as possible for students to use language in creative, positive and challenging ways.
Literature and language skills are also promoted in the native and near-native groups where the technicalities of the language and the literary methods employed by the writers are explored. A wide variety of writing styles are used, so that students can then adapt their own writing to suit purpose and audience. All these skills and competencies are developed through a number of methods including drama, group presentations, debating, as well as a variety of writing tasks, in order for students to apply the skills explored during lessons.
There is also a common core curriculum in order to ensure all students have access to the key skills promoted through our teaching and differentiation is at the center of all we do.
Private reading is an essential part of the development of English, therefore students are encouraged to read independently and to complete the Bronze Reading Record.
Year 2
By the end of Year 2, students will be expected to have reached a good level of fluency in the language. There are 12 periods allocated to this year. For 6 of those periods, over the ten day timetable, native or near native speakers are taught separately from the bulk of Year 2 students, focusing more on further literature, poetry, drama and more advanced discussion, debate, composition and reading.
Students acquire new structures and revise the bulk of what they have studied in Year 1 in terms of grammar and usage; they are encouraged to develop further skills through practice.
Overall students are encouraged to use language in a variety of ways including oral presentations, debate, and drama and to read independently.
Independent reading is also encouraged through the completion of the Silver Reading Certificate.
Year 3
The 3rd form is essentially the pre-IGCSE year. The focus at this stage is for students to be expanding their range of understanding and use of English in numerous ways. The intention is to centre much of the work on advanced language skills and literary appreciation. The groups are taught by form group.
In Year 3, students explore a wide variety of material to help them develop the skills required in the IGCSE First Language English and English Literature courses. In preparation for IGCSE requirements, the course is broken down into a Language component and a Literature component. 10 periods of English are allocated to English.
Through the language texts, students develop their skills in all areas in order to improve fluency and expression in English. They explore different styles of writing e.g. creative, descriptive, narrative, argumentative, discursive, persuasive, informative and practise using these. They will also observe the rules of grammar in the context of writing, and comment on the effects of the language used.
Through the literature texts, students will study and respond to literature and develop literary appreciation, whilst exploring prose and poetry and learn to offer a personal response.
Structures and communicative competence are developed and form the basis for a broader spectrum of language use; students are encouraged to read independently by completing the Gold Reading Certificate.
IGCSE
In Year 4, students will follow a two-year course in English Language and English Literature and at the end of Year 5 will sit two exams in IGCSE First Language English and three exams in English Literature. The CIE IGCSE First Language English and the CIE IGCSE English Literature exams are the equivalent international versions of the GCSE exams that are offered to students in the United Kingdom.
Students will sit two papers for the English Language: Paper 1 (Reading) and Paper 2 (Writing). These make up 100% of their final grade.
Students will sit three papers in English Literature: Component 1 - Prose & Poetry, Component 3 – Drama, Component 4 – Unseen Poetry or Prose. These account for 100% of their final IGCSE mark.
The IGCSE courses encourage students to:
- Communicate accurately, appropriately and effectively
- Understand and respond appropriately to what they read and experience
- Enjoy and appreciate the variety of language
- Appreciate the importance and relevance of literature
The main advantage of IGCSE is its flexibility in that it allows students to show what they are capable of, rather than penalising them for the mistakes they make. In addition, all students will be able to acquire two IGCSE qualifications at the end of their English course in Year 5.
Since it is a two-year programme, work covered in language and literature in both class and homework will be relevant in the final assessment.
The English Department views the IGCSE as a relevant, enjoyable and productive course, to which students are able to contribute effectively and creatively.
A-Level
The English Department offers English Literature and English Language at AS/A Level. The examining board is EDEXCEL.
English Literature:
The study of English Literature is a chance for personal development and enrichment, along with an enhancement of the skills of evaluation, analysis and comparison. Studying English Literature is not just about reading well-written books; it is a subject, which opens students’ minds to understanding the world around them in a wide range of interesting ways. It is about ideas and issues.
At another level, the study of English Literature develops students’ written and oral communication skills. These skills are essential for those who wish to pursue careers, which require professionals to communicate knowledge and understanding persuasively such as Law, Business Management, Diplomacy, the Media and Education.
The Pearson Edexcel Advanced GCE in English Literature consists of three externally examined components and one coursework component. The qualification requires the study of eight literary texts plus unseen poetry.
English Language:
The main aim of English Language is to deepen students’ interest and enjoyment in the use of English. The course provides students with many opportunities to study the English Language in its diverse forms; they will gain a critical understanding of how language works and will be presented with opportunities to study this independently.
Given the status, which English has today as a global language, and the essential need for effective communication analysis and critical thinking: the skills learnt during the course are highly valued by both universities and employers.
The Pearson Edexcel Advanced GCE in English Language consists of three externally examined components and one coursework component.
the total qualification) and Coursework: Crafting Language (20% of the total qualification).
