English
The English Department includes five experienced English Literature Specialists. Each teacher has their own teaching room on the centre floor of B Block. Of the five classrooms, four have recently been equipped with television and video players, overhead projectors and white boards. These main teaching rooms seat 30 students. The fifth classroom is a smaller room seating 15 students; it is used for sixth form teaching.
Classes in Key Stage 3 and 4 are ability set in 5 classes: 2 parallel higher ability groups (number of pupils = 30), two parallel medium ability groups (number of pupils = <26 pupils), and a smaller catch-up group for SEN and EAL students (number of pupils = >15students).
Key Stage 3 follows the QCA recommendations and optional SATS exams, while Key Stage 4 and 5 follow the EDEXCEL board.
Results
The department achieved excellent results at all key stages. At Key Stage 3, 97% of pupils achieved a Level 5 and above. At Key stage 4, 73% of pupils achieved a Grade C and above in English and 65% of pupils achieved a Grade C and above in English Literature. At Key Stage 5, 97% of students studying English Literature at AS Level achieved a Grade C and above while 70% of students studying English Literature at A2 Level achieved a Grade C and above.
Projects/Initiatives
The department is engaged in a wide variety of activities and projects all centring on the improvement of learning and teaching.
In promoting literacy within the school, the English Department at the start of 2003, launched a Calendar of Reading Events in collaboration with the school library. Several reading events have been organised. To date, the events have included a book launch of over 100 new books, assembly readings of students' own poetry for National Poetry Day, performance poetry for Black History Month, and the end of term 1 Christmas Reading party. At this event, students from all key stages created a Christmas Tree by hanging a leaf that listed their favourite books so they could vote for the best book in school.
You can browse through the events that we have planned or scheduled by following this link: Reading Events.
An after-school Creative Writing workshop is clearly becoming an established academic discipline which has strong connections with English Studies. The English Subject Centre's Creative Writing events have explored the issues involved in teaching and assessing the subject.
Events & Trips
Throughout Key Stage 3, Gifted and Talented pupils attend organic poetry workshops with a leading black poet, participate in Shakespeare Days and workshops and complete creative writing classes with one of the country's leading novelists, Jean Ure.
Key stage 4 and 5 attend several Theatre Evenings that compliment their study of texts.
The Subject Centre runs events dedicated to a range of current issues, topics, and concerns relevant to the English subject community. We are always interested in hosting or co-sponsoring events of interest to our subject community. Our Consortium Schools, Skinners and Cardinal Pole have been invited to poet and writer visits.
Celebrating Success
The English department provides several opportunities for students to achieve and celebrate success in entering several National and International Competitions.
Last year, two students won poetry competitions, resulting in their work being published in international books. Our Lady's Convent High School 2003 Prize Winners for English were:
???????
English Websites
There are a number of websites relevant to revising for English. They include:??????
GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
Examining Board:
Edexcel
Course Structure:
- English Language: Coursework 40% Examination 60%
- English Literature: Coursework 30% Examination 70%
All pupils study a course which will lead to GCSE certificates in English and English Literature, based upon the National Curriculum guidelines for Key Stage 4. The two subjects are obviously closely related and will be taught together for much of the course.
Course Content:
In general terms, the course is designed to:
- provide varied opportunities for oral work;
- cover a wide range of reading, including Shakespeare and other pre-twentieth century writers, non-literary works and media texts. Pupils are encouraged to respond personally to their reading and communicate an informed opinion orally and in writing
- provide opportunities to write in a variety of styles and genres.
Assessment:
Girls are grouped into broad bands according to ability.
- Oral progress is monitored and assessed over the two years.
- A folder of work is required for each subject.
- Examinations:
- Questions are set on a prepared anthology, and on unseen media text.
- Candidates are required to write using the writing triplets: writing to describe/advise/explore, writing to persuade/discuss/argue and writing to report/discuss/explain.
- A paper will be set which requires candidates to write on a number of set texts, which may be annotated for the 'open book' style examination.
A-LEVEL ENGLISH LITERATURE
Examing Board:
Edexcel
Course structure:
100% Examination/No coursework component. This is a course which should appeal to students who are interested in reading and analysing Literature, but who also enjoy opportunities to discuss various interpretations.
Course Content:
The course aims to build on your experience of studying literature at GCSE. Like GCSE it is built around a core of set books which you study in depth. These texts cover an enormous range: Shakespeare, Dickens, Keats for example, but also much that is contemporary, such as the novels of Jane Austen, the plays of Tom Stoppard, or the poetry of U.A. Fanthorpe. You will, however, read well beyond your set texts, following your own interest, researching for coursework and background.
The study of English encourages particular interests such as the theatre; we arrange plenty of visits: some students spend two days in the Autumn of the second year in Stratford, while others may go on a residential creative writing course.
Assessment:
1. Module 1-6 of the Literature syllabus including:
- The study of two Shakespeare plays.
- The detailed study of two major tests.
- A comment and appreciation paper consisting of unseen passages.
Entry Requirements:
At least a grade B in English Literature and a B in English GCSE. |
