Curriculum

English

Why study English?

The study of English builds essential knowledge to equip individuals to serve the wider world so that they can express themselves fluently and creatively and essentially become effective communicators and confident writers. Studying English helps individuals make sense of who they are by engaging with the world around them: developing them culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially, and spiritually. It enhances an appreciation of other perspectives and opening new experiences. English Literature teaches a great deal about life, history and society and fosters tolerance and understanding, which is a vital part of a balanced education. Reading, spoken language and writing are the cornerstones of success and we aim to equip our pupils with the knowledge to read critically, confidently and for pleasure; to be articulate in their spoken language; and to write effectively with style and accuracy for a wide range of purposes and audiences.

How will I study English?

The English curriculum at Eden Girls’ is not only designed to challenge students, but also to inspire, enthuse and empower. A careful choice of text allows students to build their cultural capital through exploration of fundamental British values, learn about the history and culture of Great Britain and enrich their understanding of the world at large by studying the beauty of the differences and commonalities that bind our worlds: human, animal, celestial and spiritual.

Pupils will study English Language and English Literature to encourage understanding and appreciation of a wide range of texts. There is a blend of modern, pre-twentieth century prose, poetry, drama and a variety of British fiction, as well as seminal world literature ranging from classics to more modern texts. Non-fiction and literary non-fiction are included to allow pupils to engage with complex and sophisticated ideas.
Careful attention is given to cementing the foundations of grammar, punctuation and sentence structure in order to produce competent writers, able to adapt their style to suit audience and purpose. Pupils will read, reflect and critique, constructing their own ideas and gain versatility in their own writing. Speaking and listening is a key element of English and communication. Activities designed to improve oral communication are integral to the English curriculum.

The English team work very closely with the SEND department to ensure that all students’ needs are met. We also work collaboratively with our librarian and reading lead to ensure that our students’ reading ages continue to improve significantly through the use of the Readwise programme and other initiatives designed to promote a love of reading. Students are given pre-reading material at the start of each new topic, which allows them to widely and independently read around the areas of study.

What will I study at Key Stage 3?

In Year 7, pupils explore high quality literature through a range of texts from varied writers and genres. For instance, they learn about the horrors of World War 2 and are introduced to concepts such as the holocaust and antisemitism, interwoven into a narrative of a beautiful friendship between two boys. They explore the science fiction genre by reading a range of Ray Bradbury’s short stories, to broaden their ideas about some of the pressing issues that threaten modern society. They investigate relationships between parents and children in early origins of poetry to contemporary, and explore a wide range of perspectives on current issues such as the environment to develop personal ideas. They build on speaking styles in a range of contexts for instance pitching their own ideas around environmentally friendly products and initiatives. Through reading of high-quality literature, they will learn to hone descriptive writing skills.

In Year 8, students develop understanding of ambitious literature: studying crime fiction through Conan Doyle’s and Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories; explore debates and authorial intentions about the refugee crisis and discrimination in a seminal world novel. Their perspective on culture and identity is challenged through a range of contemporary poetry from other cultures, including those of the British Isles. They will access a plethora of non-fiction travel writing to increase creativity in their own writing and speaking through engagement with these texts. They will analyse Shakespeare’s comedy, critically exploring the presentation of themes such as friendship, women, courtship, religion and justice. Pupils will be able to debate their perspectives on some of the issues raised and question modern ideas of victim and villain in comparison to those of a Shakespearean audience.

In Year 9, pupils deepen their critical interpretation of challenging literature, such as crime and the 19th century detective fiction genre. They will explore seminal world literature through a poignant tale that evokes pathos and teaches pertinent lessons about inequality and human nature in the American sub-continent. They will study key poems as a springboard for exploring texts and concepts pertaining to human rights by examining writer’s intentions. Pupils will have the opportunity to develop descriptive and narrative writing through conscious crafting and build on effective public speaking.

What will I study at Key Stage 4?

Examination results matter. We understand this and encourage all our students to aspire to academic excellence. Our record in enabling girls from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve the qualifications they need to pursue prestigious career paths and access the best universities speaks for itself.

That said, we strongly believe that the journey is as important as the destination, and to send students to further education without the best habits of independent learning, and critically a love of the subject, is to send them woefully unprepared.

We aim to help our students to acquire a wide variety of skills; to read and understand a wide variety of texts to enable them to take their full part in society as they grow and mature. What is learned at Key Stage 3 fully prepares them for the next challenge at Key Stage 4.

At Key Stage 4 all students study both English Language and English Literature and achieve two GCSEs. These two subjects are taught alongside each other in an integrated scheme of work as the skills required are the same for both subjects. During Year 10 and 11, pupils will study a range of literary fiction and literary non-fiction texts for GCSE Language and GCSE Literature. They will use critical material to enhance interpretation and articulate personal ideas clearly and cleverly. Pupils will study the set texts for the literature exam; Macbeth, Jane Eyre or A Christmas Carol, AQA Poetry anthology of Power and Conflict and An Inspector Calls.

In addition, they will practise unseen analysis of a range of 19th, 20th and 21st century texts both fiction and non-fiction for GCSE Language and unseen poetry analysis for GCSE Literature. They will examine devices, sentence types and varied punctuation to manipulate writing and craft ideas.

We provide targeted in class intervention and external intervention with dedicated Saturday, after school and holiday time revision classes to ensure that our students are supported in every possible way for their GCSE exams. We have a team of dynamic teachers who are constantly securing our students’ progress in innovative ways. We teach our students to think critically and independently, with flipped learning and student presentation opportunities, introduced at KS3, now a more established classroom practice and frequent teaching and learning tool.

Assessment

Formal assessments take place three times a year for KS3 students and five times a year for KS4 students. Additionally, students complete end of topic tests and are given regular verbal and written feedback on their work.

Exam board: We follow the AQA English Language (8700) specification and the AQA English Literature (8702) specification. The links to the specifications are in the useful resources section below.

Enrichment

Enrichment is vital in bolstering English and bringing to life the texts, themes, topics and skills we deliver to our pupils. The events we organise, the clubs we run, the competitions we arrange and the trips we take the pupils on, all enrich pupils’ experience and understanding of English and help further develop their love and passion for the subject. Purposefully built into the curriculum are key opportunities to enhance pupils’ engagement with what they are learning. To this effect, we have a plethora of theatre and cinema visits we arrange as well as hiring theatre companies to deliver bespoke workshops that bring texts to life.

We have invited writers and poets into school to inspire our students to in turn become creative writers themselves, and have launched a variety of creative writing competitions to allow pupils to unleash their creative flair, leading onto pupils partaking in and winning creative writing competitions. Every opportunity is taken to integrate the outside world into our carefully chosen texts and themes: visiting diverse locations within the British Isles to write a piece of travel writing in year 8, or visiting Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford Upon Avon and watching theatre productions to enthuse students in their study of Shakespeare’s plays are a few examples. Every English related event from World Book Day, National Poetry Day, Roald Dahl Day, International Literacy Day etc to name a few, are commemorated with great gusto. In addition, cross-curricular events such as Black History Month, World Environment Day, Remembrance Day etc are also celebrated with equal enthusiasm and creativity. We deliver debate, drama and creative skills workshops, which continue to deliver our core curriculum aim of enjoyment outside of school hours.

Careers

The study of English can lead to a range of career options, opening doors in publishing and advertising, journalism, education, and legal fields. Careers can range from reporter, solicitor, teacher, author, poet, content editor and many more. Many of our KS4 students are currently working as ‘Young Reporters’ with a programme of the same name, by uploading their own articles on local issues. There is the opportunity for them to embark on the apprenticeship scheme and enter the career of journalism. Our students are reminded of the importance of English in all fields of academia as well as in society in general.