English
Welcome to the English Department
"After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world." - Philip Pullman
Head of Department:
Mr Molloy
e-mail: rmolloy.310@parkhighstanmore.org.uk
Introduction
Our vision is for a diverse, creative, and ambitious English curriculum underpinned by the philosophy that ‘English Opens Doors’: not only to future opportunities, but to new worlds and perspectives, and to coherent, articulate, and imaginative self-expression.
The English curriculum exposes students to a breadth of literature, written by and representing people of diverse backgrounds, circumstances, and experiences. Through the power and the magic of words and stories, these texts encourage students to look beyond the limits of their own worlds, deepening their understanding of the richness of the human experience, fostering compassion for and understanding of others.
As a department, we recognise the imperative that our students see themselves – and their identities – in the curriculum. Through this, our students learn that they have the right to inhabit literary and narrative space, that their stories are powerful and important, that their voices are worth sharing. We intend, therefore, that the English curriculum not only engenders compassion for others, but it also champions creative self-expression.
Our aspiration is that our students are thoughtful, critical readers who can engage sensitively and empathetically with the perspectives of others while able to express themselves clearly and confidently in speech and in writing, thus enabling them to become responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.
Key Stage 3
Language & Literature
We have an exciting KS3 curriculum which immerses our students in the joy of storytelling and empowers them to understand the world and their place in it. In Years 7, 8, and 9, we embed the fundamental knowledge and skills that serve as a foundation for Key Stage 4 and beyond. Students are taught to write for a wide range of purposes and audiences, reading and writing fiction and non-fiction, analysing texts from canonical authors such as William Shakespeare and contemporary writers such as Renee Watson and Manjeet Mann. Students enjoy weekly reading lessons – in the classroom and in the library – to encourage reading for pleasure, while we offer regular speaking and listening opportunities from low-stakes, in-class discussion to formal speeches delivered to a large audience.
Year 7
Year 7 begins with ʻMyths and Folk Talesʼ, a unit which encourages students to engage creatively and analytically with some of the foundational narratives of Western civilisation. Students move on to a poetry unit, learning about the form, engaging with key poetic terms and concepts, and reading a diverse range of poems on the themes of childhood and growing up. A term is then devoted to William Shakespeare’s great discourse on justice and mercy, ‘The Merchant of Venice’. The year ends with a dual focus – the study of a modern novel, Renee Watson’s beautiful journey into family history, ‘Some Places More Than Others’ – and the Ignite project which challenges every student in the year group to write, learn, and perform their own speech.
Autumn | Spring | Summer |
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Myths and Folk tales An Introduction to Poetry |
‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare |
Modern novel: ‘Some Places More Than Others’ by Renee Watson Ignite Speech Project |
KS3 Assessment:
Students complete a range of formative and summative assessments over the course of the academic year; these inform the two progress checks in the school’s assessment calendar. These assessments test the knowledge and skills taught as part of the curriculum and encourage students to revisit and revise key terms and concepts.
Year 8
Year 8 begins with the study of one of the most celebrated and influential works of English literature, Charles Dickensʼ classic tale of redemption and compassion, ʻA Christmas Carolʼ. In the spring term students practise personal and empathetic writing inspired by a selection of extracts from extraordinary true stories by authors such as Solomon Northup, Malcolm X, and Maya Angelou as well as studying a variety of poems by, amongst others, Imtiaz Dharker, Raymond Antrobus, and Natalie Diaz. The year concludes with Lorraine Hansberryʼs ʻA Raisin in the Sunʼ, a classic drama about an African-American family's hopes and dreams in 1950s Chicago and the first play written by an African-American woman to be produced on Broadway. Students are also given another opportunity to write, learn, and perform their own speech in the summer term.
Autumn | Spring | Summer |
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‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens |
Extraordinary True Stories Voices from Across the Globe: Poetry Unit |
Modern Play: ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ by Lorraine Hansberry Ignite Speech Project |
KS3 Assessment:
Students complete a range of formative and summative assessments over the course of the academic year; these inform the two progress checks in the school’s assessment calendar. These assessments test the knowledge and skills taught as part of the curriculum and encourage students to revisit and revise key terms and concepts.
Year 9
Year 9 begins with the study of Manjeet Mann’s award-winning contemporary verse novel, ‘The Crossing’. Students move on to the study of poetry, focusing on a selection of modern and traditional sonnets and dramatic monologues, before tackling William Shakespeareʼs ʻOthelloʼ, a tragedy about race, deception and jealousy. Following this, students develop their creative writing practice alongside the study of a range of acclaimed short stories, before finishing Key Stage 3 with a non-fiction unit entitled ‘Sensational Victorians’. This unit primes students for the demands of non-fiction study at Key Stage 4 while providing them with the opportunity to produce their own pieces of sensational writing.
Autumn | Spring | Summer |
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‘The Crossing’ by Manjeet Mann Poetry: Sonnets and Dramatic Monologues |
‘Othello’ by William Shakespeare |
Modern Short Stories and Creative Writing Sensational Victorians |
KS3 Assessment:
Students complete a range of formative and summative assessments over the course of the academic year; these inform the two progress checks in the school’s assessment calendar. These assessments test the knowledge and skills taught as part of the curriculum and encourage students to revisit and revise key terms and concepts.
Key Stage 4
Students consolidate, refine, and develop the knowledge and skills that they established in Key Stage 3, reading, writing, and speaking with greater independence and a more critical and compassionate eye. In Year 10, students are introduced to the core texts of the Literature syllabus, while practising creative writing, responding to a range of short literary texts, and delivering a speech on a topic of their choice. Year 11 sees the completion of the Literature course and revision of the core texts interleaved with transactional writing and non-fiction reading.
Year 10
Autumn | Spring | Summer |
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‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare AQA Poetry Anthology Preparation for Eduqas English Language Component 1 |
19th-century novel – ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ by RL Stevenson or ‘Sign of Four’ by Arthur Conan Doyle Preparation for Eduqas English Language Component 1 |
AQA Poetry Anthology Spoken Language preparation ‘An Inspector Calls’ by JB Priestley Preparation for Eduqas Component 2 |
KS4 Assessment:
Students take two GCSEs in English – Language and Literature. Both courses are assessed through terminal examination. Practice examinations for both courses are completed in the Summer Term of Year 10, while students complete a range of formative and summative assessments throughout the year.
Examination Board:
Useful Reading Material:
‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare
Macbeth: York Notes for GCSE (9-1)
‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B. Priestley
An Inspector Calls: York Notes for GCSE (9-1)
‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ by Robert Louis Stevenson
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: York Notes for GCSE (9-1)
‘Sign of Four’ by Arthur Conan Doyle
Sign of Four: York Notes for GCSE (9-1)
AQA Power and Conflict Anthology (printed by the exam board and provided by the school)
New GCSE English Literature AQA Poetry Guide: Power & Conflict Anthology - for the Grade 9-1 Course Paperback
Year 11
Students take two GCSEs in English – Language and Literature. Both courses are assessed through terminal examination. Practice examinations for both courses are completed in the Autumn Term of Year 11, while students complete a range of formative and summative assessments throughout the year.
Autumn | Spring | Summer |
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AQA Poetry Anthology ‘An Inspector Calls’ Revision Preparation for Eduqas Component 2 |
‘Macbeth’ Revision 19th-century Novel Revision Preparation for Eduqas Component 1 and Component 2 Unseen Poetry Revision of all topics |
Revision of all topics |
GCSE English Language
Component 1: 20th Century Literature Reading and Creative Prose writing
1 hour 45 mins Exam (40%)
Component 2: 19th and 21st Century Non-Fiction Reading and Transactional/Persuasive Writing
2-hour Exam (60%)
Component 3: Spoken Language Non-exam Assessment (Unweighted)
GCSE English Literature
Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel
1 hour 45 mins Exam (40%)
Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry
2 hour 15 mins Exam (60%)
Examination Board:
Course Specification:
Eduqas C700QSL English Language
AQA 8702 English Literature
Qualification obtained:
GCSE English Language
GCSE English Literature
Useful Reading Material:
‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B. Priestley
An Inspector Calls: York Notes for GCSE (9-1)
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (The Penguin English Library) by Robert Louis Stevenson
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: York Notes for GCSE (9-1)
AQA Power and Conflict Anthology (printed by the exam board and provided by the school)
New GCSE English Literature AQA Poetry Guide: Power & Conflict Anthology - for the Grade 9-1 Course Paperback
Additional Information
Useful Websites
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