English
Head of English
The English department strives to make the study of English and English Literature a thought-provoking experience. At all stages, students are encouraged to explore and engage with literature from a wide range of sources and to respond creatively. There are opportunities for creative writing in lunchtime clubs, theatre trips, visits from touring theatre companies, workshops with renowned authors and we take part in the Budleigh Literary festival every year. We hope to enable students to develop a lasting passion for the subject as well as the functional skills for adult life. We believe that it is essential that every student is allowed to develop as an independent thinker who can confidently work on finding their own voice and express their views effectively.
The schemes of work have been tailored to achieve these ends. We are committed to mixed ability teaching and use a variety of active strategies that ensure all students are able to thrive and succeed. High engagement and high challenge in a supportive environment are what you can expect from English lessons at The King’s School.
The schemes of work have been tailored to achieve these ends. We are committed to mixed ability teaching and use a variety of active strategies that ensure all students are able to thrive and succeed. High engagement and high challenge in a supportive environment are what you can expect from English lessons at The King’s School.
KS3
The King’s School gives the opportunity for all students to study a range of topics in a mixed ability setting. We offer a varied range of texts; aiming to develop skills of both analytical reading of poetry prose and drama as well as developing skills for writing fiction and non-fiction. In Years 7 and 8 students will have one reading lesson where they may use the library and read their own books, every two weeks.
Students are formally assessed in each half-term. After each assessment, students will be given the opportunity to respond to their performance and progress in relation to their targets. They will then be encouraged to work towards attaining their individual targets and supported where necessary.
Year 7 Write On: In Year 7 every student will have one 'Write On' lesson a week. The focus of this lesson is writing and there is a clear focus on accelerating literacy levels.
KS4
The exam board we use for English Language and English Literature is AQA. All students have the opportunity to sit GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature at the end of Year 11 although we also offer an entry level qualification to a small number of students. Our aim is for students to develop a critical voice and an ability to be both creative whilst understanding the ways language can shape and influence.
Throughout their two-year course they will be assessed with ‘mini-mocks’ in class after topics are completed in order to monitor progress. The course will:
- Develop pupils’ ability to communicate their ideas, knowledge, feelings and points of view orally and in the written form.
- Develop pupils’ ability to understand literary texts.
- Develop pupils’ ability to communicate an informed response and to speak and write effectively and accurately.
What content is covered?
English Language:
Paper 1: Explorations in creative reading and writing
- Section A Reading: one literature fiction text
- Section B Writing: description or narrative writing
Paper 2: Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives
- Section A Reading: one non-fiction text and one literary non-fiction text
- Section B Writing: writing to present a viewpoint
Non-examination assessment: Spoken Language. Students will be awarded a Distinction, Merit or Pass grade. This is based on one spoken piece in which they are assessed for:
- Presenting
- Responding to questions and feedback
- Use of standard English
English Literature:
Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel
- Section A Shakespeare: students will answer one question on their play of choice. They will be required to write in detail about an extract from the play and then to write about the play as a whole.
- Section B The 19th-century novel: students will answer one question on their novel of choice. They will be required to write in detail about an extract from the novel and then to write about the novel as a whole.
Paper 2: Modern text, poetry and unseen poetry
- Section A Modern texts: students will answer one essay question from a choice of two on their studied modern prose or drama text.
- Section B Poetry: students will answer one comparative question on one named poem printed on the paper and one other poem from their chosen anthology cluster.
- Section C Unseen poetry: Students will answer one question on one unseen poem and one question comparing this poem with a second unseen poem.
KS5
The English department offers:
A Level English Language (Exam board AQA)
English Literature (Exam board AQA)
Media Studies (Exam board WJEC)
A Level English Language: This course will encourage students to develop their interest in and enjoyment of critical reading, data analysis, evaluation, the ability to develop and sustain arguments, creative writing and research based investigation writing, all of which are invaluable for suture employment or study.
| Unit 1 |
Unit 2 |
Unit 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Language, the Individual and Society: |
Language Diversity and Change: |
Language Investigation and |
Method of Assessment
- Unit 1: Exam (2hrs 30m) (40%)
- Unit 2: Exam (2hrs 30m) (40%)
- Unit 3: NEA (20%)
A Level English Literature: This course will encourage students to explore the relationships that exist between texts and the contexts they are written in. Students will be encouraged to develop their interest in and enjoyment of literature and literacy studies as they read widely and independently.
| Unit 1 |
Unit 2 |
Unit 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Love through the Ages. Three texts; Prose |
Texts in shared Contexts, |
Independent Critical Study |
Method of Assessment
- Unit 1: Exam (3hrs) (40%)
- Unit 2: Exam (2hrs 30m) (40%)
- Unit 3: NEA (20%)
A Level Media Studies: This course will encourage students to use critical thinking and express their opinions on social media and current affairs. It will allow them to consider larger issues - such as representation of marginalised groups and issues of power in the media. It will also allow students to develop practical cross media skills, digital image manipulation, filming and photoshoots, lighting, editing and cutting skills.
Method of Assessment
- Unit 1: Exam (2hrs 30m) (24%)
- Unit 2: NEA (16%)
- Unit 3: Exam (2hrs 30m) (36%)
- Unit 4: NEA (24%)
Parental support
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