“You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page. Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.” – Annie Proulx

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.” – Maya Angelou

The English department is a strong team of dedicated and passionate team members. We believe success in our subject is fundamental to the future of every student. Our passion, ethos and drive in the English department centres on developing confidence, self-belief and strength in our learners, nurturing them to believe in the high aspirations we have for them. We are dedicated to fostering a love of literature and the power of the written word in all learners at all levels. We are passionate about making literature, and the craft behind the literature, accessible to all and ensuring our learners are challenged and engaged. We also wish to enable our students to become confident in the spoken word and communication offering endless opportunities for debate and discussion. Reading is at the core of what we do and students are encouraged to read a wide variety of texts both in and out of the classroom. We want our students to know that their creativity and imagination is fostered and encouraged and that a love of literature and creative writing can stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Moral, religious, cultural, societal, political and ethical issues feature throughout the units and offer opportunities for exploration and discussion. Students’ perceptions and misconceptions about the world, and our place in it, are constantly challenged and explored through both the texts we study and the use of documentaries and the Digital Theatre platform. Investigation of social and historical context, where necessary, allows us to examine moral dilemmas and issues characters may face and allows for considered and perceptive analysis of the texts. This develops the essential skills of being able to evaluate the importance of a text and its way of reflecting the society it is set in and/or written in.

Students are encouraged to listen and respond to differing viewpoints, learning tolerance and understanding.

Opportunities for debate, discussion, group-work, team-building, developing curiosity and so on exist throughout both key stages. We also have a heavy focus on self and peer assessment, across the five years, encouraging independence and nurturing a faith in their own ability to be self-sufficient.