Courses and Qualifications

Key Stage 3:
Students follow the National Curriculum in English, which provides a broad and balanced programme of language work. All students have the opportunity to analyse poetry, prose texts and works from different cultures, to participate in play-reading and to enhance all aspects of speaking, listening, reading and writing throughout Years 7 and 8.

Key Stage 4:
All students are currently prepared for the AQA Specification 'A' English GCSE course, which is delivered over three years. Coursework is undertaken during the last half term of Year 9 and throughout Year 10, where the written coursework element is worth 20% of the overall grade and Speaking and Listening is worth an additional 20% of the overall grade. In Year 11 all students will take two examination papers, one focusing on Media texts which they read in the examination itself and one on previously prepared Poems from Other Cultures.

GCSE English Literature
The vast majority of students are currently prepared for the AQA Specification 'A' GCSE English Literature course, which is delivered over two years, in conjunction with the English GCSE course. The coursework element in Year 10 is worth 30% of the overall grade and is attained through additional coursework assignments. In Year 11 students take one examination paper, one section of which focuses on a set text, the other offering a choice of questions on prepared poems by selected writers.

Key Stage 5:
International Baccalaureate Diploma - English, taken at Higher or Standard levels, covers many genres including Literary Non-Fiction, drama, poetry and Shakespeare. It aims to:

  • Introduce students to a range of literary works of different periods, genres, styles and contexts;
  • Broaden the students' perspective through the study of works from other cultures and languages;

The wide range of Literature studied reflects the international flavour of the qualification and fosters a comparative approach to literary study. Students will be assessed in external examinations, as well as preparing oral presentations and written assignments for internal assessment.