English

Overview

At Queen's Park High School, we endeavour to inspire every student with a love of reading and writing, and to equip them with the skills that they need to express themselves clearly and imaginatively. Our curriculum is wide-ranging and aims to provoke students to think deeply.

In Year 7, students write descriptively about imaginary worlds, study the secrets of effectively crafting a mystery story, delve into Emma Carroll’s historical novel Secrets of a Sun King, explore the poetry of Maya Angelou and write persuasively about the artwork of Jean-Michel Basquiat. They also begin their study of Shakespeare, looking at the conventions of tragedies and comedies, and learning the stories of Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth.

In Year 8, students begin with Ruta Sepetys’ moving WW2 novel Salt to the Sea, explore a range of Gothic texts (and write their own Gothic-inspired descriptions), write persuasively about colonialism and the importance of studying history, study the different roles of men and women in Shakespeare’s plays, and learn to compare writers’ viewpoints.

In Year 9, students will study either Orwell’s Animal Farm or S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, explore a range of modern poetry, develop their persuasive writing skills, and begin their in-depth study of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Students in Year 7 begin in their tutor groups before being placed into sets at October half term. From that point, students are taught in sets throughout KS3 and KS4. Students’ sets may change over the course of their time at Queen's Park High School based on their attainment.

Curriculum Content

Assessment Criteria

Please find below the assessment benchmarks for English. A child progresses across the grid (from A-I) when they demonstrate a deeper knowledge and wider range of skills in each assessment carried out.

Overview

In Key Stage 4, we prepare students to undertake their GCSE exams in English Literature and English Language. We follow the AQA GCSE syllabus for both English Language (8700) and English Literature (8702). Both are two-year courses, examined at the end of Year 11. We prepare students for these final exams with regular exam-style practice and specific guidance on how to attain and exceed their target grades.

Students are taught in sets at Key Stage 4, which are based on their prior attainment and targets. Teachers will tailor their lessons to the needs of students, but all classes are provided with the same content and resources to enable them to succeed at every level. Teachers will also guide students on effective revision methods and provide targeted support as needed so that students understand how they can progress.

For English Language, students need to be confident readers of literature and non-fiction texts. They need to be able to write accurately for a variety of purposes. For English Literature, students need to be able to discuss and analyse a range of texts. Our exam texts are as follows:

• An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
• Macbeth by William Shakespeare
• Power and conflict poetry from the AQA Anthology.

We would emphasise the invaluable effects of reading regularly – both fiction and non-fiction – for all students, so that they develop confidence and precision in understanding new texts.

Exam board and course

AQA English Literature (8700)
AQA English Language (8702)

Curriculum Content

Overview

It has been said that literature communicates what it means to be a human being. In A Level English Literature, we explore how writers throughout the ages have wrestled with complex, universal questions: What does it mean to be in love? What is the role of the individual in a constantly changing society? Can a person ever truly understand themselves?

Lessons focus heavily on discussion and debate, as students learn to articulate their views clearly and engage meaningfully with the opinions of others. This is complemented by guided written practice, so that students develop the ability to write with increasing sophistication and originality.

Our curriculum, which follows the AQA specification (7712), allows students to engage with a wide range of challenging texts: Shakespeare’s Othello, Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Duffy’s Feminine Gospels, Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and a wide range of pre-1900 love poetry. Students also have the opportunity to compare two texts of their choice, on a theme of their choice, for their coursework.