English Department
English language is the root of everything we do; it is how we communicate with each other and how we present ourselves, and our thoughts and ideas, to the rest of the world. For this reason it is essential that students have a strong grasp of the skills involved in being successful readers, writers, speakers and listeners.
The St Clement’s High School English Department is dedicated to making sure every child can enjoy and achieve in their English lessons.
English at Key Stage Three
This conceptual curriculum is designed to develop students' sense of English as an academic discipline by linking its abstract frames and metaphors to concrete examples within a wide range of challenging texts including whole books, short stories, poems and plays with a wide coverage of genres, historical periods form and authors. These are detailed in the medium term plans. Each concept is foregrounded, introduced and exemplified using extracts drawn from both fiction and non-fiction, before being explored in a longer key text. Concepts can't be separated from each other and taught in isolation, but we are able to foreground each one in turn so that it can be explored and exemplified thoroughly, enabling students to develop their own complex schema about English as a subject over time. The concepts also underpin the teaching of writing and grammar. Throughout KS3, students will use the range of texts and extracts they study in their reading as models of writing, which they will emulate. As they practise and become more fluent in a range of writing styles, we develop their independent application.
We also run trips and activities throughout the school year to support the curriculum and students learning.
English at Key Stage 4
The Key Stage Four curriculum builds on the skills and abilities taught at Key Stage Three. Students study for two GCSEs: English Language and English Literature.
In EDUQAS English Language GCSE, students work towards examinations which test their reading and writing abilities. These exams ask students to:
- Read, understand and analyse a range of texts
- Make links between a wide range of texts
- Choose quotations and analyse their effect
- Write in a range of formats and styles
- Use punctuation and grammar appropriately
- Use a range of vocabulary, spelled correctly
In AQA English Literature GCSE students will need to demonstrate their ability to:
- Read and analyse the language used by writers
- Understand the social and historical context of various texts
- Discuss the themes presented in texts
- Analyse characters’ actions and motives
- Make links between a range of texts
In order to support students to complete these exams we run a range of revision sessions.
Additionally, pupils will be set weekly homework via the online platform, Educake, for both Language and Literature. Their participation and performance on these are monitored, so that we can further help them on areas that need further teaching.