English
Head of Department: Mrs. R. Jones
Teaching Staff: Mrs. K. Dow & Mr. K. Young
Dyslexia/ESOL: Mrs. S. Duggan
Pupils are encouraged to write creatively, accurately and read widely and critically at St Michael’s. We hope that every child in the school will be guided throughout Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 to produce writing which is expressive and imaginative. It is also very important that pupils produce accurate work and are confident to communicate in a variety of forms – spoken and written.
We also believe that reading is very important, and strive to help our students access and experience a wide range of forms and genres of literature. We believe that reading should be a pleasure, not a chore, and that pupils who read confidently, critically and readily become the best writers.
We teach English positively and aim for students to enjoy their lessons. Pupils display their work, share ideas and are encouraged to write and read outside school. We also take the pupils on a range of visits to theatres, where they get to see their texts in production.
Key Stage 3
Pupils read a variety of texts, including some Shakespeare, some modern fiction and some non-fiction. We try to choose class readers we feel pupils will respond to positively, and pupils are encouraged , in library lessons, and in wide reading projects, to choose texts themselves. In language lessons we work systematically on spelling and grammar, but we also spend a lot of time asking students to produce creative responses to tasks.
Key Stage 4 – GCSE Level
English Language and English Literature at GCSE are compulsory for all students, and we have an excellent success rate. Many of our pupils attain A* grades in both subjects. At present, there is still a significant coursework demand (40%) in both subjects, we foster independence as much as we can. Pupils often produc e imaginative writing and thorough analytical work. Speaking and Listening is still an assessed component, and students are expected to be able to communicate clearly and positively whilst showing sensitivity as listeners. Over the course of two years, we study a range of texts – poetry, drama and prose as well as working on many genres and forms of narrative and transactional writing. The courses are assessed, in addition to coursework, by three examinations in form 5.
Key Stage 5 – AS/A2 Level
We offer English Litarature at AS and A2. The course is an exciting and increasingly popular one in the sixth form. We build on skills learned at GCSE, but read much more challenging texts which range from Coleridge and Milton to Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. Pupils learn to write with analytical precision and sophistication, and to challenge and debate interpretations and readings of texts. We also spend time exploring the contextual background of the literature on the course. Teaching is in small classes and debate, discussion and research are an integral part of the syllabus.