English

In 2023, 70% of our pupils achieved a Grade 4 or above in English with 14% achieving a Grade 7 or above.

‘We know what we are, but know not what we may be’ – Shakespeare

In English we teach the pupils to be eloquent and truthful. Pupils come to Holy Trinity with an intrinsic understanding of the value of English as a subject and we look to develop their love of the discipline.

We believe that all pupils should be exposed to the best of what is written and said, and they can learn about the world and their place within it through this exposure. Pupils are offered the opportunity to be eloquent through the development of their vocabulary which allows students to articulate themselves fluently and confidently, further to this the pupils are offered regular opportunities to write creatively which in turns continues to develop their eloquence.

By reading the best of what is thought and said students are exposed to the truth of humanity be it the love of Romeo and Juliet or the deception of Dr Jekyll. Pupils are offered a safe space in which they can speak their truth offering opinions on topics that they are passionate about and debating what Britain today means to them all of which is embedded in thoughtful, interesting and challenging lessons.

The curriculum is designed to develop pupils critical thinking which they can then apply to their academic, personal and professional lives.

In English at KS3 we aim to:

Read a wide range of historical and contemporary texts including Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and seminal world fiction such as Of Mice and Men and Noughts and Crosses allowing pupils to critically appraise the world around them
Make inferences about what they have read and apply contextual knowledge to their inferences
Understand poetic conventions through the study of various poets but with a focus on Conflict Poetry
Embed a love of reading via independent reading
Develop pupils’ use of academic language
Write fluently both in fiction and non-fiction styles applying a developed vocabulary and accurate grammatical structures
Write for a range of purposes including debates, arguments, narratives and descriptions
Develop pupils use of standard English in both their written work and verbal feedback and communication
Develop speaking and listening skills that allow pupils to articulate themselves confidently on topics they are interested in

At GCSE level in English Language, we aim to:

Continue building on the skills and knowledge acquired in Key Stage 3
Make critical comparisons of a range of non-fiction texts
Understand and evaluate written texts
Identify and interpret themes in unseen prose texts
Select and use a judicious range of language, grammatical and structural features in a variety of writing styles
Proofread and edit work critically and thoughtfully
Speak with confidence and clarity on a range of subjects and ideas including topic related and areas of the students own interest

At GCSE level in English Literature, we aim to:

Appreciate the depth and power of the English Literary Heritage through the study of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, R.L. Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and J.B Priestley’s An Inspector Calls
Recognise the impact and value of poetry from 1789 (through the Power and Conflict Anthology) through to contemporary unseen poetry
Draw on and analyse historical and thematic influences of the studied literature
Accurately and confidently identify and analyse a range of linguistic terminology

Staff

Mr W Morton – Subject Leader

Miss H Khalid – Deputy Subject Leader

Mrs R Sian- SENCO and Teacher of English

Mrs G Smith – Teacher of English and Reading Coordinator

Mrs J Begum – Teacher of English

Mrs S Hayle- Teacher of English (Assistant Head of Year 11)

Miss L Ahmed- Teacher of English

Mr A Jambor- Teacher of Humanities and English

Mrs J Wall – Assistant Headteacher and Teacher of English

Mrs F Pritchard – Assistant Headteacher and Teacher of English

Mrs C Doherty – Curriculum Support Assistant

Assessment

Pupils are formally assessed twice every half term. Pupils will receive regular oral feedback and will have an opportunity to reflect on their work and progress as part of DIRT and self- assessment.

Ipsative Assessment

Curriculum maps

Curriculum Map 2022-2023

Websites/ Useful Links

Gutenberg sites: Free online edition of A Christmas Carol :

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/46

Shakespeare Online: Free online editions of Macbeth (Year 10) and Romeo & Juliet (Year 9):

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbethscenes.html

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/romeoscenes.html

Genius: Annotated copies of the Power and Conflict Poetry Anthology:

https://genius.com/Aqa-gsce-english-literature-poetry-anthology-annotated

Revision Guides: