Mrs L. Taylor
Mrs L. Taylor
Mrs R. Wallace
Teacher of English
Area Leader: English
Mrs V. Cane
Teacher of English
Area Leader: English
Mr H. Picken
Teacher of English
Deputy Headteacher
Mrs C. Roberts
Teacher of English
Head of New Arrivals
Mr J. Unwin
Teacher of English
Head of Year
Miss K. Richards-Evans
Teacher of English
Miss A. Maynard
Teacher of English
Ms D. Stramenkovic
Teacher of English
Within the department we have a variety of passionate and dedicated practitioners who offer a range of experience and skills.
We teach a lively and varied curriculum and provide many exciting enrichment opportunities. We seek to inspire, engage and ensure our students have an excellent understanding of the world around them.
Students are grouped by ability to ensure that the most able are fully stretched and those who need intervention and support have their needs met. We are particularly skilled with students who do not have English as a first language, making special provision for them and welcoming the variety of language experiences this provides for all students.
We offer qualifications in GCSE English Language and English Literature and the vast majority of our students will achieve these two English qualifications.
We believe that good literacy skills – in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening – are central to the process of thinking, and are the most useful skills we can offer our young people. We are situated close to the Learning Resource Centre and use it regularly as a lesson resource and to promote reading for enjoyment.
We regularly use ICT and media technologies to engage students in learning. Year 7 participate annually in the Carnegie Book Shadowing project. We also run a creative writing club to provide exciting and engaging experiences with the written word. We place great emphasis on the value of oracy, often inviting visitors to share experiences and we expect students to participate actively in all lessons.
Our A level students study a combined course in English Language and Literature with a range of interesting reading texts and assessment tasks. This provides an excellent basis for further study at university. The classes are large enough for group discussions to be meaningful but small enough to ensure that all students get plenty of individual attention.
We are always searching for new and interesting ways to engage students and our aim is to create true independent learners.
You will be examined in the three Attainment Targets for English, namely Speaking and Listening, Reading, Writing. These will be assessed by two oracy tasks and by examination.
This course consists of the following elements:
Unit 1 Non Examination Assessment 20%
Task 1 : Individual presentation and response to questions.
Task 2: Group discussion on a topic set by the exam board.
UNIT 2 Exam- Reading and Writing 40%
Section A 20%: Reading of narrative, description and exposition texts. To
include an editing task.
Section B 20%: one writing task from a choice of two which could be
narrative, description or exposition. To include a proof reading task.
UNIT 3 Exam – Reading and Writing 40%
Section A 20%: Reading of one argumentation, one persuasion and one instructional text.
Section B 20%: two writing tasks: one argumentation and one persuasion.
You will learn how to:
• Develop an understanding of a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts.
• Understand how writers influence readers in a variety of different ways.
• Analyse a writer’s work in detail.
• Understand and evaluate how writers use language effectively in a range of texts.
• Form independent views and challenge what is heard or read on the grounds of reason, evidence or argument.
It is expected that as many pupils as possible will be entered for this examination.
Assessment is through one internal assessment and by examination.
There are two tiers of examination: Higher for grades A* – D and Foundation for grades C-G.
Candidates will be entered for the tier which is best suited to their abilities, but this decision will be delayed as long as possible in order to give pupils every opportunity to develop and progress during the length of the course.
Unit 1 Examination: Other Cultures Prose and unseen contemporary poetry 35%
Section A 21% (INDIVIDUAL TEXTS IN CONTEXT)
Different Cultures Prose: Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck); OR Anita and Me (Syal); OR To Kill a
Mockingbird (Lee); OR I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Angelou); OR Chanda’s Secrets (Stratton)
Section B 14% (COMPARATIVE STUDY)
Contemporary: Unseen poetry comparison, the preparation for which will include the study of
contemporary poems.
Unit 2 Examination: English/Irish/Welsh Literary Heritage Drama and Contemporary Prose 40%
English/Welsh/Irish Literary Heritage Drama: Othello (Shakespeare); OR Much Ado About Nothing
(Shakespeare); OR An Inspector Calls (Priestley); OR Hobson’s Choice (Brighouse); OR A Taste of
Honey
(Delaney) (20%)
Contemporary Prose: Paddy Clarke, Ha Ha Ha (Doyle); OR Heroes (Cormier); OR Never Let Me Go
(Ishiguro); OR About a Boy (Hornby); OR Resistance (Sheers) (20%)
Unit 3: Shakespeare and Welsh Writing in English 25%
Section A: Shakespeare: 12.5%
A play by Shakespeare chosen by the centre (but not Othello or Much Ado About Nothing).
WJEC will set a task on a specific theme which teachers may use or modify.
Section B: Welsh Writing in English: 12.5%
Specified poetry from the Library of Wales anthology Poetry 1900-2000: One Hundred Poets from
Wales.
Students study fifteen specified poems listed for the chosen theme. WJEC will set tasks on the
theme. Teachers may use or modify one task. The task must include comparison of at least two poems.
You will learn how to:
Develop a detailed knowledge of your set texts.
Understand how writers influence readers in a variety of different ways.
Analyse a writer’s work in detail.
Understand and evaluate how writers use language effectively in poetry, prose and drama.
Form independent views and challenge what is heard or read on the grounds of reason, evidence or argument.
Explore how texts from different cultures and traditions may reflect or influence values and assumptions.