English

Students’ Learning Journey in English, Year 7 through to Year 11, equips them with a range of skills in reading, writing and communication. However, what we endeavour to provide our students with – above anything else – is a love of literature and a bank of invaluable skills to use beyond their time with us.

At Key Stage 3, in Years 7 and 8, students cover a range of different content such as novel studies, poetry, Shakespeare, short stories and non-fiction texts, as well as focusing on adapting their form of writing in different contexts. Due to the more rigorous and challenging GCSE curriculum, the expectation on students is higher than it ever has been, and our KS3 Learning Journey in English allows them to develop a breadth of knowledge in literature, as many of our schemes of work – Shakespearean Villains and Theatre Through the Ages, as an example – look at authorial intent, genre and the influence that context has on a writer, which creates a foundation of knowledge that can be applied when studying our literature texts at KS4. We encourage our students to be inquisitive, critical thinkers, and to ask questions about literature and the world around them, so that they understand why it is so important to us.

At Key Stage 4, students begin Year 9 as a foundation for GCSE study, where they are taught the necessary skills ready for GCSE, without the explicit focus on exams. Students are introduced to ‘A Christmas Carol’ for the first time, but we continue to look at a broad range of literature that expands students’ knowledge of particular eras in history. Students develop their understanding of a writer’s use of language, structure and form, as well as how to alter their writing for different audiences and purposes. In Years 10 and 11, students are prepared for the expectations of GCSE exams under the new reformed GCSEs, which include 4 terminal exams across both English Language and Literature.

At St. George, we follow the AQA GCSE English Language and Literature specification. For English Language, this includes Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing, and Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives. For English Literature, the components studied include Shakespeare (Macbeth), a 19th Century novel (A Christmas Carol), a modern text (An Inspector Calls) and a range of poetry from the Power and Conflict Poetry Cluster.

If you would like to hear more about the courses we offer, or how your child can take their love of reading further, then please contact Mr Rogers (Head of English) via email (crogers@stgcc.co.uk) or through the school reception.