English
<<SPACE>>
OUR
AIM
The aim of the English department is to pass on to the pupils the teachers’ knowledge, enthusiasm and skills, so the students become perceptive readers, confident and skilful speakers and talented writers.
The department is led by Miss Hayes whose colleagues, a further nine, combine wide experience, youthful spirit and impressive professional qualifications in a friendly, ambitious team.
We endeavour to equip all of our students with the skills that they will need to be successful in the ever changing world of the 21st Century. Independence, a desire to learn plus the ability to read with understanding and empathy, write with accuracy and express themselves orally are our key foci. The English team aim to plan and deliver engaging, challenging and personalised lessons, alongside providing regular and rigorous feedback to support and motivate our students to achieve their challenging targets.
<space>
<space>
What can a student expect from the Faculty?
<space>
-
Qualified and enthusiastic teaching staff
-
Help, guidance and support
-
Quality first teaching designed to challenge, inspire and ensure progression
-
An interesting and relevant course for the future
<space>
<space>
<space>
<space>
Extra-Curricular Clubs
<space>
-
Media Club
-
Darwen Vale News- Journalist Club
-
'Reading for Pleasure’ Club
<space>
<space>
<space>
Vision & Aims
<space>
Reading
Our students will:
> Develop an appreciation and love of reading
> Read a wide range of fiction and non – fiction texts
> Independently choose and read fiction and non – fiction for pleasure
> Understand the impact of audience and purpose
> Read critically and be able to give a personal opinion on what has been read
> Be able to make comparisons between texts
> Be able to give predictions and speculate
Writing
Our students will:
> Write accurately, fluently, effectively and at length
> Write for a wide range of purposes and audiences
> Summarise and organise materials
> Extend their range of vocabulary, punctuation, grammatical and literary devices
> Plan, draft, edit and proof read
Speaking and Listening
Our students will:
> Speak confidently and effectively
> Use Standard English
> Adapt talk to a variety of formal and informal situations, including discussion, debate and presenting
<space>
<space>
<space>
Key Stage 3 - Curriculum Overview
<space>
We are passionate about extending students’ knowledge of the world and its literature and as such have created a broad and challenging curriculum. In Year 7, all students following ‘English Mastery’- a national accredited programme designed to academically challenge whilst providing a joyous education which will close the attainment gap for all students. Our vision is that an English Mastery student will graduate from key stage three English with the academic and cultural literacy required to be educationally mobile, whatever their background.
In Year 8 and 9, students are guided through classic texts from the English Literary Heritage as well as Shakespeare, a range of poetry, contemporary novels and plays. Reading skills are taught and assessed thoroughly and in a range of interesting and often innovative ways and through regular writing challenges they learn to become expressive, creative and precise in the written word. In addition, we are committed to developing students’ oracy skills through discussion, debate and individual presentations.
<space>
<space>
<space>
Key Stage 4 - Curriculum Overview
<space>
In Years 10 and 11, the Literature course focuses on the appreciation of pre and post 19th Century drama and prose, and the analysis of unseen and studied poetry, which are all assessed in the final examinations.
For the English Language course, the students continue to develop their reading skills in comprehension, summary and analysis, together with their ability to write for many forms and audiences. They will also produce a spoken language assessment based on a subject of their choice which will be assessed separately at a pass, merit or distinction grade.
<space>