English Curriculum Department
|Curriculum Lead:||Mrs. C. Lane|
|Second in the Curriculum Area:||Mrs. S. Regan|
|Staff:||Mrs. L. Anglim|
|Mrs. L. Holt|
|Mrs. C. Littlewood|
|Dr. R. Saunders|
|Mrs. N. Smith-Hughes|
|Mrs. S. Walton|
|Mrs. H. Winter|
Vision: To encourage all students to be passionate and proactive in their learning and to support them in becoming responsible, confident and successful citizens of the future.
The English department at Bishop Rawstorne is extremely successful, with GCSE results consistently much higher than national averages. With a dedicated and enthusiastic team of subject specialists, students are supported and encouraged to achieve their potential through an innovative and creative curriculum and the consistent delivery of high standards of teaching.
We endeavour to equip all of our students with the skills that they will need to be successful in the ever-changing world of the 21st Century. By delivering engaging and challenging lessons, we hope to inspire, motivate and prepare our students for the demands of not only further study of English literature and language, but also the rigorous demands of other curriculum areas and life beyond school.
We aim to:
- Promote engagement with challenging fiction and non-fiction texts which encourages students to read and explore their world and stimulate their imagination
- Study writers from across the 19th-21st centuries and cover a range of genres
- Develop creative and analytical writing skills so that students can express themselves precisely, accurately, confidently and in detail
- Prepare students for potential further study in GCSE English literature, language and drama, through the study of writers such as Orwell, Duffy, Shakespeare, Dickens and Russell
- Develop confident and articulate speakers, able to communicate and collaborate in a range of contexts
- Deliver schemes of work that incorporate a range of reading, writing and drama, using fiction and non-fiction to encourage a breadth of cultural knowledge and understanding
Assessment is via regular checking of students’ books, verbal feedback and discussions, as well as a number of more formally set and assessed tasks throughout the year. Each student will be provided with targets for development. Assessment folders, action trackers and assessment cover sheets are used for self, peer and teacher assessment and allow for accurate target setting and monitoring of progress. Emphasis is placed on feedback and targets for progression rather than grades or numbers.
English at Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3, students receive three lessons a week and are encouraged to develop their skills in the three main areas of the curriculum: reading, writing and speaking and listening. Throughout Key Stage 3, students develop into creative, reflective and independent learners through a range of different learning and teaching strategies which will in turn fully prepare them for the demands of GCSE.
During Key Stage 3 students have access to a wide range of literature, including texts by many famous authors from Charles Dickens to Patrick Ness. Furthermore, Year 7 and 8 students study plays by Shakespeare, in addition to a range of poetry from different eras. students are also given the opportunity to develop their writing skills by studying different styles of writing including a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. In addition, we place a high emphasis on technical accuracy and students are regularly taught strategies to develop their spelling, punctuation, grammar and proofreading skills They are also given the opportunity to enhance their communication and creative skills through speaking and listening and drama-based activities.
Throughout Key Stage 3, students are closely monitored with an assessment taking place each half term. This allows accurate judgements to be made about each individual’s strengths and areas in which they may need more support.
English at Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4, students are taught for five hours a week and follow the EDUQAS syllabus in GCSE English language and English literature. Undoubtedly, English is one of the most important subjects students will undertake and can open the door to a range of careers and opportunities in life.
In English language students are assessed by linear examinations and will sit English language at the end of Year 11. Throughout the GCSE course, progress will be monitored by continual assessment and students will the opportunity to develop their writing skills further; writing short narratives and transactional texts, like letters, speeches and newspaper articles. In addition to this, they are challenged by a range of texts, both fiction and non-fiction, testing their reading skills through a range of comprehension questions. Furthermore, in GCSE English language, students are assessed in their spoken language skills, completing a formal presentation at the end of Year 10.
The English literature examination is also a linear exam but some students will sit the two papers at the end of Year 10. During the literature course, students study texts (plays, poetry and prose) from a variety of different eras, ranging from Shakespeare, Dickens, Russell to a range of poets from different cultures and times.
If you want to find out more about the courses at GCSE visit www.eduqas.co.uk
British Values’ Coverage
The selection of texts studied addresses a number of important social and historical issues that are still relevant today. We strive to tackle these issues in an open and inclusive way, where every student feels safe and secure in developing and expressing their beliefs. The texts we study, covering a range of literature from key British writers from Elizabethan England to contemporary writers, often deal with areas of British Values. A variety of fiction and non-fiction texts cover themes such as diversity, inclusion, equality.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Coverage
Cultural themes underpin the study of English literature as genres and texts are compared and contrasted, discussed and evaluated. For example, each year group studies a number of texts with a clear focus on SMSC. For example, in year 7 we explore the issue of colonialism through Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ and also consider the issue of diversity and inclusion with Armin Gelder’s, ‘The Island’. In year 8 we study a choice of three Shakespeare texts with focuses on equality and morality. In year 9, students study Willy Russell’s play, ‘Blood Brothers’ or Delaney’s, ‘A Taste of Honey’ where a wide range of cultural and contextual issues are considered. Furthermore, at GCSE we study a variety of forms. There is a focus on poetry from a wide range of cultures, allowing students to celebrate diversity and the contribution of a variety of global communities in modern Britain. Additionally, students engage with the issues of social responsibility in their study of non-fiction sources and texts such as Dickens’, ‘A Christmas Carol.’ GCSE students also study Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘Othello’ or ‘Macbeth’ focusing in part, on issues such as violence, sexual equality and patriarchal societies.