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English

Welcome to the English Department

The Department

The English department is lively and successful. We use a range of teaching styles, including drama, to suit all abilities and aim for the highest possible exam results.

The Teaching

Students are taught in mixed ability groups during years 7 and 8.

There is loose setting in year 9 in preparation for SATS exams.

In years 10 and 11, setting is based upon a combination of ability, attitude and effort. Many students will take both English and English Literature to GSCE but a small number will take English only if we feel they will struggle to produce the work required for English Literature.

This year, as a trial, sixty of the highest achieving and most conscientious students will take both GCSE in year 10 and, if successful, will study for an AS level in year 11. They began their coursework after the SATS exams in year 9 and, so far, are doing very well.

Key Stage 3

In years 7 to 9, we follow the national curriculum, ensuring that all students cover prose, poetry and drama. They have the opportunity to work as individuals, in pairs or in groups. The three ‘strands’ in English, reading, writing, speaking and listening are all addressed. In year 9 we work towards the SATS exam, which involves study of a Shakespeare play, currently ‘The Tempest’.

Key Stage 4

In years 10 and 11, students follow the AQA syllabus for both English and English Literature. The course requirements for these are as follows

Exam Requirements

AQA COURSEWORK LITERATURE (30%)

Pre-1914 Drama *1

Pre-1914 Prose *2

Post-1914 Drama

*1 Can also be used for English coursework if a Shakespeare play

*2 Can also be used for English coursework if taken from the following

list of authors: Austen, C&E Bronte, Bunyan, Wilkie Collins, Conrad,

Defoe, Dickens, Conan Doyle, George Eliot, Fielding, Gaskell, Hardy,

James, M Shelley, RL Stevenson, Swift, Trollope, Wells.

There are 3 marks available for spelling, punctuation & grammar.

AQA EXAM LITERATURE (70%) 1 ¾ hours

Section A: Post-1914 prose (from list below) (30%)

Section B: Pre & post-1914 poetry (40%)

( from AQA anthology – either Heaney and Clarke or Duffy and Armitage

+ Pre-1914 bank of poems)

Prose Set Texts

To Kill A Mockingbird

Of Mice and Men

Lord of the Flies

A Kestrel for a Knave

The Catcher in the Rye

I’m the King of the Castle

Green Days by the River

Heroes

Short Stories from anthology (back of poetry anthology)

NO ANNOTATIONS ALLOWED

AQA COURSEWORK ENGLISH (40%)

Speaking & listening (20%) 1 extended individual contribution

1 group interaction

1 drama based

Reading & Writing (20%)

*Response to Shakespeare

*Prose study

Media study (analyse, review, comment)

Original writing

ONE MUST BE HANDWRITTEN

Either the Shakespeare or the Prose study should show awareness of social/historical/cultural contexts and literary traditions.

*One of these can be an oral response and both can combine with Literature coursework BUT the Prose study must be taken from the prescribed list of Pre-1914 writers if being used for joint entry.

English only entry may be from prescribed list or may be a ‘worthy’ Post-1914 author.

AQA EXAM ENGLISH (60%)

PAPER 1 (1 ¾ hours)

Section A: Response to unseen non-fiction or media texts. Questions on

fact/opinion and how material is presented.

Section B: Writing to argue, persuade or advise. One task from 3 or 4. This

may be a letter, leaflet, advice sheet, speech, report, web page or

article)

PAPER 2 (1 ½ hours)

Section A: Reading from poems from different cultures (in anthology). One task

from 2.

Section B: Writing to inform, explain or describe. (personal and/or descriptive