“Language is the armoury of the human mind, and at once contains the trophies of its past and the weapons of its future conquests.” Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Hello and welcome to the English Faculty.  We currently have a core teaching team of six well qualified and enthusiastic English specialists who teach across the age and ability range.  Our principle aim is to teach children to be effective in accessing and using language. Together we have chosen to teach topics and texts that we know are both enjoyable and essential in promoting our aim.  We have a healthy range of partnerships and extra-curricular opportunities that support our teaching and learning. The English Faculty prides itself on the progress all pupils make and results at Key Stage 3, GCSE and AS/A2 show continuous improvement.  We take equal pride in the pupil who achieves functional literacy as we do in the candidate who achieves Oxbridge entrance.

English at Key Stage 3
Pupils follow the National Curriculum and over the three years will develop their skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening.  Our schemes of work also address elements of the National Literacy Strategy.   Pupils have the opportunity to study some of the best and most entertaining literature for young people. Some of the great class readers we have include:

• Skellig by David Almond
• Holes by Louis Sachar
• Stormbreaker  by Antony Horowitz

English at Key Stage 4
Nearly all pupils at Key Stage Four will study for GCSE English and GCSE English Literature with the WJEC examination board.
Pupils study for two exam papers; one will focus on reading extracts from literary texts and producing imaginative writing and the other on reading and writing non-fiction texts such as newspaper articles, reviews and leaflets. Pupils will also complete four pieces of coursework and be continuously assessed for speaking and listening which will count towards the final grade.
There is one exam for literature, which will test pupils’ knowledge of two set texts, a novel and a play.  Pupils also respond to an unseen poem. The set texts are:

• Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck
• An Inspector Calls by J B Priestley or Blood Brothers by Willy Russell

Pupils also complete four pieces of coursework, two of which can come from the English folder.
For a minority of pupils, the WJEC Entry level exam will be more appropriate. 
In addition to these qualifications an increasing amount of pupils are being accredited at Level 2 for their work in Key Skills.
AS and A Level
The department currently offers WJEC English Literature at Key Stage 5 and many students return after GCSE to study with us.
 AS (2 units)
LT1 30% 2½ hour Written Paper (open text)
60 marks (120 UMS)

Poetry and Drama 1

Section A: Poetry post-1900
Two texts: choice of 1 from 2 questions (40 marks)

Section B: Drama post-1990
One text: choice of 1 from 2 questions (20 marks)

LT2 20% Internal Assessment
80 marks (80 UMS)

Prose Study & Creative Reading

Section A: Prose Study 1800-1945
Two texts: one piece of extended writing (40 marks)

Section B: Creative Reading
One text: one piece of extended creative writing in response to
wider reading of prose (20 marks) + commentary (20 marks)

A Level (the above plus a further 2 units)

LT3 20% Internal Assessment
40 marks (80 UMS)

Period and Genre Study
3 texts: one piece of extended writing on texts from different
periods and genres, including poetry and prose (40 marks)

LT4 30 % 2½ hour Written Paper (closed text)
80 marks (120 UMS)

Poetry and Drama 2

Section A: Critical Reading of Poetry
One text: pre-1800 poetry + unseen poetry
choice of 1 from 5 questions (40 marks)

Section B: Shakespeare and Related Drama
Two texts: choice of 1 from 2 questions (40 marks)