English

The English Department comprises a team of motivated, enthusiastic and dedicated subject specialists. All the staff communicate their excellent subject knowledge with professionalism and passion enabling the students to achieve their best. The students experience a wide and challenging curriculum: grammar, comprehension, Shakespeare but also media studies, thinking skills and citizenship training.

At every stage of their English education the pupils are taught to write English clearly, purposefully and accurately, all the while developing their existing skills and acquiring new ones. Our extra-curricular activities are enjoyable, challenging and interesting and deliver opportunities for anyone with an interest in English to pursue their talent further. We aim for every pupil to enjoy the study of English and to approach it with enthusiasm and dedication. We also feel passionate about preparing our students for the study of English at university, preparing them for future careers in English or allowing them to offer their highly sought after skills to other well respected professions.

Highly qualified subject specialists teach English Language and English Literature at all keystages. There are numerous opportunities to use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the classroom: dedicated whiteboards, DVD players, televisions, recording facilities and access to the new state-of-the-art Performing Arts Centre are all available for departmental use. All our activities support the Thinking Skills initiative and teach girls how to become independent learners – for life.At GCSE all girls study English Language and English Literature.

We deliver GCSE English Language and English Literature through WJEC and this allows for the teaching of traditional and contemporary texts. At A level we offer English Literature and English Language / Literature combined. This range of choice at A Level offers the students a wider selection for their more advanced studies, and both subjects are extremely popular choices.

Trips are organised frequently: to Harrow Hill to see the Byron collection, to the Brontë parsonage at Haworth, to Shakespeare's Globe, to the Jane Austen centre in Bath etc. All these trips promote a more 'rounded' approach to the learning experience of the subject. The Department is fully supportive of, and involved with the library, timetabling lessons in there and participating in its author visits.On average, 35% of girls achieve A* compared with 3.5% national average. Most other girls achieve an A grade.

Senior School - English Department – Keystage Three The emphasis in Lower School is to provide the girls with opportunities to acquire the writing, reading and communication skills that will be needed to underpin the work that they will encounter at GCSE. Pupils are encouraged to develop their thinking skills, through use of the school's Thinking Skills programme. At Key Stage 3, girls are exposed to the best of literature – old and new.Years 7-9 are taught in form groups which enable the girls to build their confidence in English and their personal, emotional resilience by providing them with a secure learning environment.All girls study a Shakespeare play, a contemporary play, at least one novel, a genre of poetry and non-fiction each year in their keystage three career.We offer a wide selection of poetry, novels and plays – both traditional and modern to provide the girls with a wider experience of the subject. The girls are also introduced to a wider range of skills which bear cross-curricular links such as the use of ICT, research skills, presentational skills and independence in learning.

Senior School - English Department – Keystage Four All girls study to achieve GCSEs in English Language and English Literature and follow the WJEC exam board. The skills that the girls have been taught in previous keystages are now honed and perfected for assessment.Pupils are encouraged to develop their thinking skills, through use of the school's Thinking Skills programme. The girls are taught in smaller groups at GCSE meaning more individual teacher attention and resulting in very high levels of achievement across the board.The girls experience a range of culturally and contextually diverse texts; drama, prose and poetry again feature highly on the syllabus. The students are assessed through external examination, internal controlled assessment or coursework and speaking and listening tasks – all skills which they have been learning since Year 7. The committed subject specialists are always on hand to offer advice and support. The department run English revision classes and workshops to help the girls to improve their grades still further.

Senior School - English Department – Keystage Five Due to our specialised and experienced subject staff we are able to offer two English A Levels; A Level English Literature and A Level English Language / Literature combined. Both courses run over two years offering the AS in Year 12 and continuing to A2 the following year. Both A Level English Literature and Language/Literature are delivered through Edexcel. Both courses help to prepare the girls for the academic demands of university, teaching resilience, organisation, independence and responsibility for one's learning. Pupils are encouraged to develop their thinking skills, through use of the school's Thinking Skills programme.

AS and A2 English Literature This is the most traditional route of study for English at A Level and is an essential qualification for anyone who wishes to pursue a career in any English or communication based career.Students study two units per year, combining the four to achieve their final A Level Grade.There are two exams and two coursework tasks spread over the two years.Over the course the girls study a wealth of texts from the literary canon. They also learn about a range of literary critical styles and approaches, ranging from the study of narrative voice to the genre of tragedy; from the gothic genre to critical approaches. Small groups and specialist teachers ensure excellent academic achievement across the qualification.

AS and A2 English Language/Literature This is a relatively new A Level qualification and is an excellent route of study for anyone who is keen to pursue a career in journalism or any communication based career.Students study two units per year, combining the four to achieve their final A Level Grade.There are two exams and two coursework tasks spread over the two years.Over the course the girls study a range of texts, literary and multi-modal; traditional and contemporary. They also acquire the ability to analyse and deconstruct the spoken and written word, complete creative or transformational writing and to compare texts thematically. Small groups and specialist teachers ensure excellent academic achievement across the qualification.

Senior School - English Department – Extra-Curricular Activities Our aim is to offer a wealth of activities enabling everyone to be able to participate fully, regardless of age or interest.

• Creative Writing Competitions - We teach creative writing from Year 7 to 13 and there are frequent competitions to enter. Many of our students are very successful and some girls have been published in regional poetry books for schools.
• Book Clubs - Book clubs are run by members of the English Department and encourage wider reading – essential for success at GCSE and A level. There is a keystage 3 book club and an upper school book club.
• Debating Club - A school debating club operated by the Department allows girls to learn oratory and enter competitions with other schools.
• Oxbridge Club – Oxbridge Club has been developed to help to prepare any students who might like to apply to read English at Oxford or Cambridge. The girls are individually mentored on a weekly basis and provided with guided reading lists in Year 12. In Year 13 the girls meet weekly as a group and work on a more rigorous course of critical interpretation and essay questions in preparation for their application.
• We are going to be introducing a Spelling Bee Club with the view to enter girls into the national 'Times Spelling Bee' competition next year.
• We also offer an 'English Surgery' to target areas of the subject that the pupils wish to improve, ranging from essay structure to understanding advanced terminology