The English department strives to spark joy in learners and help them to flourish in their studies. Reading lies at the heart of our curriculum in English, and we seek to ignite students’ passion for reading through an engaging and challenging range of fiction and non-fiction texts, including poetry, prose and drama. We provide a supportive and ambitious learning environment, where students encounter modern texts, the work of Pre-19th century writers, and writers from other cultures. We give our students the skills to understand the social, historical and moral context of these texts, so that they can provide their own perspective on the writer’s intentions and viewpoints. Students have a range of opportunities to learn how to structure their writing and incorporate a range of rhetorical devices for impact and effect. We want develop their understanding of different grammatical structures, using punctuation for clarity and effect and enable them to make sophisticated and ambitious vocabulary choices so that our students to feel confident in writing creatively, persuasively, and informatively. 

We also encourage our students to develop their voice as a tool for communicating their thoughts and feelings and build in opportunities for students to improve their oracy skills. Being able to speak confidently and adapt for different audiences and purposes helps our students to feel that they can approach any spoken scenario in the wider world, be it a school presentation, a job interview, or a debate with their peers. Our lessons encourage our students to ask questions, be inquisitive and curious, and consider the viewpoints of others. 

We encourage our students to broaden their horizons beyond the classroom through a wide extracurricular offering in English. Our students can participate in the Youth Speaks competition, join the Young Reporters and harness their passion for writing through entering national poetry and writing competitions. We also seek to foster our student’s love for reading and writing by learning from the expertise of published writers who educate our learners both in and outside of school. Our students have previously been published in national competitions, both by Young Writers and White Water Writers, and this stands as testament to the skill, talent and ambition we instil in our learners. Students also have the opportunity to go on trips to the theatre to see live performances, engage in inspirational workshops in school and participate in residential trips which gives students the opportunity to develop their cultural awareness. We want our students in English to understand that the ‘world is their oyster’ and English provides them with the tools to unlock endless possibilities.