English
English is the study of language and literature; how to read it analytically and how to use it effectively.Meet the English team
Meet the tutors who will share their passion for English Literature and Language as you study at Crompton House School.
Mr D. Pacey
Mrs S. Smith
Mrs S. T. Kan
Mrs M. Newell
Mrs P. Shaw
Mrs P. Ridings
Ms P. Ritchie
Miss E. Pearson
Miss K. Scott
Mr A. Taylor
Miss H Saleem
Miss A. Morgan
I gained my degree in English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Hull. During my final year, I briefly worked for a magazine writing articles which were published around Manchester and Cheshire. On returning back to university in my final year, I spent 10 weeks in an inner city school in Hull, and realised teaching was for me. I gained my PGCE from the University of Cumbria and have been teaching ever since! My favourite book changes frequently but ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ has been difficult to beat.
How are students assessed?
- In Years 7 and 8 pupils are assessed using the assessing pupil progress frameworks (APP)
- In the GCSE years pupils are assessed through a mixture of controlled assessments and examinations as set out in the appropriate syllabus.
- In AS and A2 students are assessed through a mixture of coursework and examinations as set out in the appropriate syllabus.
- In all year groups common assessments will take at least once every half term.
How are students grouped?
- In Years 7-11 pupils are split in to two bands per year with each band including between 3 and 5 sets.
- In Years 12 and 13 there is no setting.
What home learning are we expected to do?
Years 7-11 will typically be set 2 homework tasks each two weeks. Every pupil learns differently but a suggested time to spend on each homework is outlined below:
- Year 7 – 30 minutes
- Year 8 – 40 minutes
- Year 9 – 50 minutes
- Years 10 and 11 – 1 hour
Years 12 and 13 are often working on extended pieces of reading and writing which will mean they need to manage their time intelligently. As a guideline they would be expected to spend at least 2 hours on their English homework each week and often more.
How can parents help?
Children who read for pleasure are likely to do significantly better at school than their peers, according to new research from the Institute of Education (Institute of Education – University of London)
Encourage your child to read regularly and widely, including fiction and non-fiction. Read the same books as they do and talk about them together.
Curriculum Breakdown
Autumn Term
School of the Future – An enquiry centred unit based on students designing their own school. Band 1 pupils will then study Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ and Band 2 pupils will study a novel.
Spring Term
Short stories – pupils will study a range of classic and contemporary short stories. Band 2 pupils will then study Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ and Band 1 pupils will study a novel.
Summer Term
Pupils will be reading a range of fiction and non-fiction in preparation for their Year 7 exam. This will be followed by the study of a range of poetry.
Assessment
Pupils have a half termly assessment on reading or writing skills based on the commonly used Assessing Pupil Progress objectives. In the summer term pupils will sit their Year 7 exam which has been produced by the AQA examination board and is designed to familiarise them with the GCSE exam format.
Autumn Term
Why do we travel? An enquiry centred unit studying non-fiction travel writing. This will be followed by the study of a range of high quality poetry.
Spring Term
Pupils will study a novel followed by a range of short stories & non-fiction texts.
Summer Term
Pupils will be reading a range of fiction & non-fiction in preparation for their Year 8 exam. This will be followed by the study of a modern Drama text.
Assessment
Pupils have a half termly assessment on reading or writing skills based on the commonly used Assessing Pupil Progress objectives. In the summer term pupils will sit their Year 8 exam which has been produced by the AQA examination board and is designed to familiarise them with the GCSE exam format.
Autumn Term
Why do we travel? An enquiry centred unit studying non-fiction writing and a range of high quality poetry. Band 1 pupils will then study Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and band 2 pupils will study a range of 19th and 20th Century short stories.
Spring Term
Poetry by Heart – Pupils will study a range of high quality poetry from the AQA poetry anthology ‘Love and Relationships’ cluster. Band 2 pupils will then study Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and band 1 pupils will study a range of 19th and 20th Century short stories.
Summer Term
Pupils will be reading a range of fiction & non-fiction in preparation for their Year 9 exam. This will be followed by the study of John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’.
Assessment
Pupils have a half termly assessment on reading or writing skills based on the commonly used Assessing Pupil Progress objectives. In the summer term pupils will sit their Year 9 exam which has been produced by the AQA examination board and is designed to familiarise them with the GCSE exam format.
Option choice: AQA GCSE English Language (8700) and Literature (8702) (from Sept 2015)
Course highlights:
English Language – Pupils will read a range of high quality literary fiction as well as a variety of non-fiction texts.
Pupils will also develop their writing skills to enable them to write accurately in a range of forms and for a variety of audiences and purposes. They will also study valuable speaking and listening skills resulting in presentations in which they have to respond to questions and use standard English appropriately.
English Literature – Pupils will study a Shakespeare play, a nineteenth century novel, a modern play or novel and a range of poetry.
Key transferable skills include:
- Interpretation
- Selecting and synthesising evidence
- Language analysis
- Comparing ideas and perspectives
- Evaluation
- Organisation and communication
- Accuracy
Pupils will have the opportunity to watch at least one high quality theatre performance in each year of the course.
How you are going to learn on this course:
First and foremost pupils will develop skills to make them independent thinkers and interdependent learners. When reading, they will develop the ability to decode texts for themselves by using context clues and linking them to their own experiences. This will be done through teacher modelling as well as grouped, paired and independent work. From there they will be taught how to shape their ideas in to cogent and coherent analysis.
When writing, pupils will study models of great writing and analyse what makes them work. They will then use this knowledge to write accurately in a range of forms and for a variety of audiences and purposes. Key English skills will be developed alongside valuable thinking and emotional intelligence skills such as empathy, interdependence and creativity.
How it is assessed:
English Language– Pupils are assessed through two examinations at the end of Year 11. Paper 1 assesses their ability to analyse a literature text as well as their ability to write a narrative or descriptive piece. This exam is worth 50% of the full GCSE and is one hour and forty five minutes long. Paper 2 assesses their ability to analyse non-fiction texts as well as their ability to present a viewpoint in writing. This exam is also worth 50% of the full GCSE and is one hour and forty five minutes long.
English Literature – Pupils are assessed through two examinations at the end of Year 11. Paper 1 assesses their ability to analyse a Shakespeare play and a nineteenth century novel. This exam is worth 40% of the full GCSE and is one hour and forty five minutes long. Paper 2 assesses their ability to analyse a modern play or novel as well as a selection of seen and unseen poetry. This exam is worth 60% of the full GCSE and is two hours and fifteen minutes long.
Pathways and careers leading from this subject:
English Language is a requirement for virtually any course or career you wish to pursue in the future. English Literature equips you with valuable analysis skills and together with Language will enhance your ability to understand your reading in your other subjects.
Students who enjoy the study of language and literature find the skills they develop invaluable for the following courses at University and the wide range of careers they can lead to:
Law, Sciences, History, PPE, Medicine, Veterinary Science, Theatre Arts/Drama, Media Studies, Psychology, Communications, Sociology, Economics, Accountancy, Business… to name just a few.
Course combinations:
Both subjects develop essay writing skills and written expression and will benefit all of your other GCSE options.
Who to see for more information:
Curriculum Team Leader: Mr D. Pacey
Ask your English teachers if you are interested to know more about any aspects of the course.
You can speak to your Form Tutor, Head of House and Assistant Head of House for more advice.
GCSE Specification
GCSE Specification
GCSE Specification (From Sept 2015)
GCSE Specification
GCSE Specification (From Sept 2015)
Useful English Resources
Crompton House readers’ blog – http:/cromptonhousereaders.wordpress.com/
Poetry by Heart – http://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/
Guardian book site for children – http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site
AQA – http://www.aqa.org.uk/