English
The Man Who Thinks He Can
If you think you are beaten, you are.- Walter D. Wintle
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win, but you think you can’t. It is almost certain you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you've lost,
For out in the world we find success begins with a fellow's will.
It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are.
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of yourself before you can even win a prize.
Life's battles don't always go To the stronger or faster man
But soon or late the man who wins is the man who thinks he can
Providing students with a sense of belief, and the skills needed to be successful is what the English department is about. We believe in making lessons challenging and enjoyable so that students can achieve at least in line with their target grade.
Our structure:
Each year group is split into three sets based upon ability. All students follow the same curriculum in each year and are tested using the same booklet. This is called Assessing Pupils’ Progress (APP) and this is a national test that is designed to provide clear targets for students to reach the next level of attainment. Students are tested in Key Stage Three at the end of each half term. They then spend some time reviewing their progress with their teacher to agree upon targets. Ask your son/daughter about their grade and targets to improve.
Students are given access to a range of challenging texts across this Key Stage. These texts range from ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Holes’ and ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Garden right through to old favourites such as ‘The Machine Gunners’. Students are also given access to the College library for one lesson per fortnight, and bring a reading book home.
Students begin Key Stage Four in the Summer Term of Year 9. All students are expected to complete two English assignments by the time they start Year 10. Students then complete coursework in Year 10 and examination preparation in time to be entered for GCSE English at the end of Year 10. Students then concentrate on English Literature, but are given the opportunity to re-sit English if they did not achieve their target grade.
Students must complete the following assignments:
- Creative Writing
- Media
- Shakespeare
- Prose Study
- Post 1914 Drama
Ask your son/daughter about their grade and targets to improve.
The English department looks to provide cultural experiences for students. We bring in theatre companies to work with students and also have trips to the theatre to enjoy performances. We also run a successful newspaper and drama club.
We value the work of students and select a student of the week for each year group. These students are rewarded with a postcard from us congratulating them for their work. We look forward to writing to you soon!
We believe in supporting students as much as possible. I am proud to record that we offer catch up lessons three nights per week and during all holidays we offer a day or more of extra study. We also take a group of students on a residential visit so that they can revise for examinations in a different environment.