English at Prenton

The English department consists of a close knit team who all teach across the age and ability range.

We encourage students to foster a love of learning and great appreciation of all aspects of their English study, through our ambitious curriculum offer, extra-curricular activities and regular participation in theatre trips and visits.

Our department has a number of members of staff who mark papers for GCSE examinations, giving us excellent insight into the requirements of the examinations sat by our students Our students are encouraged to develop and broaden their skills in English Language and English Literature. Students are given the opportunity to enter national competitions for poetry and speaking and listening; we are delighted that our students have won accolade in both of these areas.

In Key Stage 3, The English curriculum aims to ensure that students can read fluently and critically; write coherently and accurately for a range of purposes and audiences, using a wide vocabulary; and use Spoken Standard English to convey their ideas effectively.

The analysis of writers’ language techniques develops students’ own ability to use language effectively, and studying a varied and challenging set of literary texts, including novels, poetry and plays from different time periods and contexts, allows students to develop their own cultural and social awareness. The skills covered through English are lifelong communication skills, which students will use in a range of situations, from studying their GCSE courses, to writing applications for further education or training courses, to using Spoken Standard English in interviews, to communicating with colleagues in their chosen career.

Year 7	Year 8	Year 9
Reading and writing unit: Extracts of non-fiction texts of ‘Inspirational Speakers’ which leads to writing your own Inspirational non-fiction writing.	Reading and writing unit: Extracts of fiction texts of ‘A Perfect World’ including dystopia and utopian worlds. This leads to writing your own creative writing piece.	Reading and writing unit: Extracts of fiction and non-fiction texts of ‘The Power of Your Voice’. This leads to a group debate assessment and writing your own speech using the power of your voice.
Poetry: Inspirational Poems.	Poetry: Poems of different cultures.	Poetry: Power of love and conflict.
Shakespeare play: ‘The Tempest’.	Modern Play: ‘KinderTransport’	The presentation of atypical women from Shakespeare’s plays ( ‘King Lear’, ‘Much Ado about Nothing’, ‘Twelfth Night’) and transition work on ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Macbeth’ for KS4.
Whole novel: ‘The Bone Sparrow’ and Creative Writing.	Whole novel: ‘Roll of Thunder Hear Me Cry’ and Creative Writing.	Whole novel: ‘Of Mice and Men’ and Creative Writing.

The fundamental aim of the curriculum is to teach students the knowledge and skills required to gain GCSEs in English Language and English Literature. Some students will be offered an Entry Level Certificate in English. The GCSE English Language course aims to develop students’ critical reading skills; their ability to write coherently and accurately, using an extensive vocabulary; and their ability to use Spoken Standard English effectively. Students read a range of fiction and non-fiction texts, analysing how writers use language to create effects, then apply this knowledge when producing their own writing. Through GCSE English Literature, students explore prose, poetry and drama, allowing them to appreciate the power of the English literary heritage, and develop their own social and cultural awareness. The skills covered are lifelong communication skills, which students will use in a range of situations, from writing applications for further education or training courses, to using Spoken Standard English in interviews, to communicating with colleagues in their chosen career.

Year 10	Year 11
19th century novel: A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens Modern prose: An Inspector Calls, J. B. Priestley or Blood Brothers, Willy Russell      Poetry: Power and Conflict cluster Spoken Language Endorsement Shakespeare play: Romeo and Juliet or Macbeth	Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing  Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives      Unseen Poetry  Revision and exam technique: GCSE English Language Revision and exam technique: GCSE English Literature texts
GCSE English Language (AQA 8700)	GCSE English Literature (AQA 8702)
Nature of examination: 2 x written exams Section A – reading Section B – writing Paper 1 Explorations in Creative Reading 1 hour 45 minutes 50% of final grade Paper 2 Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives 1 hour 45 minutes 50% of final grade *AQA also offer a Spoken Language Endorsement assessed separately.	Nature of examination: 2 x written exams Paper 1 –  Shakespeare and the 19th century novel 1 hour 45 minutes 40% of final grade Section A – Shakespeare Section B – 19th century novel Paper 2 – Modern texts and poetry 2 hours 15 minutes 60% of final grade Section A – An Inspector Calls or Blood Brothers Section B – Power and Conflict poetry Section C – Unseen poetry

Useful revision websites and tips to revise:

• For KS3, students should regularly read books for pleasure to support inferences skills and vocabulary. Students can also use websites like BBC Bitesize or Spark Notes for wider reading around their texts that they study. No Fear Shakespeare is an excellent resource to use during the Shakespeare elements of the KS3 course.
• For KS4, students should separate revision by English Language and English Literature:

English Language:

• Access past papers through revision world, the AQA website or PMT and complete questions or full exam papers under timed conditions. To revise effectively, have no notes with you whilst doing this and have a timer to complete in an exam condition. 
• Create revision cards with the question on the front and the tips, timings and strategies on the back (Q2 = 10 minutes, 2 xFEAR paragraphs, 2 quotations, subject terminology used)

English Literature:

• Use the Medly app to revise quotations for your texts and key areas of plot.
• Use websites like Mr Bruff’s YouTube page for all of your Literature context, characters and even approaches to exam question.
• English Revision Pod on Spotify go through approaches to exam questions, and even predictions.
• Our Subject Leader of English has a website with useful past papers, lesson resources and revision guides found at missdaviesblog.wordpress.com
• Access your Teams Channel for further guidance and support.
• Create revision cards to test yourself on context, quotations for key characters, and quotations for key themes.
• Create revision posters from memory.
• Plan as many essays as you can in timed conditions (10-15 minutes)
• Try to get people involved: have them test you on revision cards, play pictionary to guess a quotation and even listen to songs like the Mr Bruff Inspector Calls rap to sing along to your quotations.