“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” - Sydney J. Harris
Curriculum Intent
When a teacher opens a pupil up to a learning experience that is exciting and mysterious, it can encourage them to explore it. A teacher can do this by showing a pupil the window to their education. The view may differ from pupil to pupil, but the teacher’s role is to show them that there are worlds that exist beyond the classroom – and that their lives can be expanded and enriched by what they learn. By demonstrating this, teachers can instil in learners a desire to pursue their education as an essential tool for achieving their ambitions.
The curriculum in English aims to:
- Teach a broad and balanced curriculum that develops the whole child, instilling the Catholic virtues and Jesuit value through the pupil's school life, preparing our children for the outside world.
- Develop a love for reading and writing through prioritising literacy, offering a vibrant library, fostering enthusiasm through the adding of a personal book to the pupil equipment list and engaging pupils in exciting texts.
- Build the cultural capital of our pupils, increasing their sophistication and confidence in both knowledge and vocabulary through complex and advanced literature.
KS3 Curriculum
At Key Stage 3, our English curriculum is designed to inspire a love of literature and language while developing essential skills for the future. Through engaging texts and themes, students will build their analytical, creative, and critical thinking skills, guided by our five golden threads:
- Language Analysis: Understanding how writers use language to create meaning and effect.
- Structural Analysis: Exploring how the structure of a text contributes to its overall impact.
- Crafting Writing: Developing the ability to write creatively and persuasively across a range of genres.
- Texts in Context: Analysing texts in their historical, social, and literary contexts to gain a deeper understanding.
- Comparisons and Links: Drawing connections between texts and themes to enhance analytical thinking.
Common Themes
Throughout KS3, students will explore universal themes such as:
- Identity
- Power
- Conflict
- Relationships
- Responsibility
These themes provide a lens through which students engage with literature, encouraging them to make meaningful connections between the texts they study and the world around them.
Year 7
- Out of This World: Mythology -Students delve into ancient myths, exploring how they reflect human nature and the foundations of storytelling. Pupils will study the text The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millweed Hargrave to discover how mythology has an impact on modern literature.
- Viewpoints and Voices - Through a variety of culture poetry and fiction extracts, students explore different perspectives and develop their own voice in writing.
- Good vs Evil: The Tempest - Shakespeare’s play introduces students to themes of power, betrayal, and redemption, with a focus on character analysis and performance.
Year 8
- War and Peace: Much Ado About Nothing - Shakespeare’s comedic take on love, deception, and conflict serves as a springboard for exploring themes of relationships and societal expectations.
- Order and Chaos: Structuring Writing - A focus on developing narrative and descriptive writing skills through the exploration of how writers create tension and atmosphere. Students will also study the art of rhetoric and structuring effective arguments.
- Power to the People: Animal Farm - Orwell’s political allegory is used to explore themes of power, rebellion, and justice, with an emphasis on comparing historical contexts.
Year 9
- The Darkness Within: Gothic Literature - Students delve into the gothic tradition, exploring how writers create horror and suspense, while examining themes of fear, identity, and the unknown.
- To Die For: Romeo and Juliet - Shakespeare’s tragic love story invites analysis of relationships, conflict, and fate, while students explore its relevance today.
- Communicating Conflict - Through a range of modern and historical fiction texts and poetry, students examine how writers communicate themes of war, peace, and human resilience.
Our KS3 English curriculum is designed to build a solid foundation for further study while igniting curiosity, creativity, and critical engagement with texts.
KS4 Curriculum
We are committed to providing our students with a comprehensive and engaging curriculum for GCSE English, following the AQA exam board. Our KS4 English programme aims to develop students' critical thinking, analytical skills, and appreciation for literature and language.
English Language (AQA)
The GCSE English Language course emphasises the development of effective communication skills, both in writing and spoken forms. Students will explore a range of texts, enhancing their ability to interpret and evaluate information. Key components include:
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Reading: Analysing literary and non-literary texts to understand how language and structure create meaning.
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Writing: Producing creative and transactional writing for different purposes and audiences.
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Spoken Language: Engaging in discussions and presentations to develop oracy skills.
English Literature (AQA)
The GCSE English Literature course enables students to explore a variety of significant texts, fostering a love for reading and critical analysis. Our literature curriculum includes:
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Shakespeare's Macbeth: Diving into themes of ambition, power, and moral complexity through the lens of one of Shakespeare's most renowned tragedies.
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Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol: Analysing this classic novella's social commentary on morality and redemption, emphasising its relevance to contemporary issues.
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J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls: Exploring themes of responsibility and social justice in this thought-provoking play that critiques social inequalities.
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Power and Conflict Poetry: Studying an anthology that examines various perspectives on power struggles and human experiences through diverse poetic voices.
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Unseen Poetry: Developing skills to interpret and analyse unfamiliar poems, equipping students with the ability to engage with poetry in innovative ways.
Through these texts and themes, we aim to nurture students' analytical skills, enhance their understanding of literary contexts, and inspire a lifelong appreciation for literature.
Progression Routes
Many of the students who enjoyed studying GCSE English Language and Literature have gone on to study A Level English Langauge or Literature. But, as the subject contains lots of skills that are transferrable any course would welcome pupils with a good qualification in the subject.
Future Careers
Future careers include teaching, media, advertising, sales, social work and law. In fact, most employers would welcome a candidate with an English Language background and all the transferrable skills that person would bring with them.