English

Term 1:

Exploring the World: 

This topic aims to encourage students to read a range of non-fiction texts and explore how writers use language to target specific audiences for specific purposes. It also aims to encourage them to be exposed to other places outside of their home towns and consider the experiences of people in other societies. Students will learn how to make comments and inferences on a text which are supported by textual evidence. 

Enquiry Questions:

• How does engaging with a variety of cultures enrich our understanding of the world around us?

 

Term 2:

Literary Heritage Part 1

This topic aims to introduce students to a range of texts from the literary canon starting from the first use of verbal and written language up to the Renaissance period, providing students with an historical insight into our most common forms of communication. Students will gain an understanding of how language developed and how literature emerged to reflect myriad historical and culturally important events which have affected and shaped our culture and society.

Enquiry Questions:

• How has the development of the English language helped in shaping our society today?

 

Term 3:

Romeo and Juliet

Students will gain an awareness of the Shakespearean tragic narrative, conventions and structure.  Students will focus on decoding and, subsequently, analysis of language. They will also demonstrate their ability to track themes and ideas across a text and understand how the play links to historical and social context of the time. Students will gain an understanding of the Elizabethan era and the effect Shakespeare has had on theatre and the English language. The focus on conflict and choice will allow students to reflect on their own thought processes and also support them in understanding the world around them. 

Enquiry Questions:

• How are the themes and ideas in Romeo and Juliet still relevant to a modern audience?

 

Term 4:

Literary Heritage Part 2

This topic continues to introduce students to a range of texts from the literary canon focusing particularly on modern English and the development of popular literature. Students will gain an understanding of how language developed and how literature emerged to reflect myriad historical and culturally important events which have affected and shaped our diverse culture and society. 

Enquiry Questions:

• What writers and texts have influenced the English language and its art of storytelling? 

 

Term 5:

Whole Text - individual to each class

To expose students to different cultural or historical experiences and encourage them to empathise with others' experiences and struggles. The topic should help them to question, debate and challenge character’s decisions and consider the impact these decisions have on others and in turn develop their cultural, emotional and moral understanding. Students will also continue to develop their language and structural analysis skills. 

Enquiry Questions:

• Alice In Wonderland: How is imagination a tool that writers use to make people feel connected to a text?
• A Monster Calls: What is Patrick Ness’s  message in this text?  Why did Patrick Ness write this text?
• Trash: To what extent does money and materialism corrupt people?

 

Term 6:

Writer’s Festival 

Creative writing of fiction or nonfiction represents 50% of the English Language GCSE. Not only this, but being able to manipulate writing and expression is a key skill in the real world - whether it be communicating with friends, telling a story to your family, or explaining your actions to an employer, using language creatively is crucial. It will also help students appreciate the writing of others.

Enquiry Questions:

• How can well selected words be used to support the achievement of a desired outcome?

Term 1:

Gothic Literature 

To explore the gothic genre and its manifestation across a range of different writers and through varied forms such as plays, prose and poetry. To gain an understanding of the central tenets of the gothic genre and to understand how it is used as a critique of humanity and the individual.

Enquiry Questions:

• LA/MA - To what extent does gothic fiction show us what humans are really like?

Or

• HA - to what extent does gothic literature reveal the human condition?

 

Term 2:

Nineteenth Century Literature 

This topic aims to expose students to a range of fiction and non-fiction texts from the Nineteenth Century. It should encourage them to make links between the texts themselves and the social and historical experiences of the writers from the period. The topic aims to provide a foundation of learning for Nineteenth Century texts studied at KS4 through introduction to influential literary movements such as the Romantic genre. It also helps students to develop an appreciation of a diverse range of writers (such as Bronte, Dickens, Eliot, Keats, Stevenson, Kipling, etc.) who have greatly influenced modern literature and society. Students will be exposed to a range of difficult texts and be taught ways to decode their meaning. 

Enquiry Questions:

• How does Victorian literature reflect the values of the society which created it?

 

Term 3:

History of Theatre/Contemporary Theatre 

Week 1: History of Theatre 

To explore the conventions of theatre and how it has developed from mystery plays to the modern day. Students will also gain an understanding of legendary playwrights in the literary canon.

Week 2-7 Contemporary Theatre:  

Text choices: Willy Russell, Our Day Out

To expose students to different cultural or historical experiences and encourage them to empathise with others' experiences and struggles. The topic focuses on the struggles of the working class. The topic aims to help students to question, debate and challenge characters’ opinions. They will also develop their communication skills so they can clearly and confidently express their opinion in a way that is convincing yet respectful of others. 

Enquiry Questions:

Week 1: How important are plays in helping society reflect upon itself?

Week 2-7: How  responsible are politicians and influential people over the lives of a nation as a whole?

 

Term 4:

Power of The Media 

This scheme of work aims to help students to question, debate and challenge the current state of the media and consider how young people are affected by the spread of information.  Through language analysis, students will gain an insight into how to write persuasively to appeal to an audience’s ethos, pathos and logos. They will also develop their communication skills so they can clearly and confidently express their opinion in a way that is convincing yet respectful of others.

Enquiry Questions:

In what way do various types of media shape and influence narratives across society?

 

Term 5:

Set Text 

To expose students to different cultural or historical experiences and encourage them to empathise with others' experiences and struggles. The topic should help them to question, debate and challenge characters’ decisions and consider the impact these decisions have on others and in turn develop their cultural, emotional and moral understanding. The topic should encourage a love of reading and teach students how to be active readers. Through literary analysis, students will gain an insight into how to write professionally and engage readers.

Enquiry Questions:

• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: How does the writer explore inclusion in society?
• Animal Farm: How can different leadership styles affect a society's way of life?
• The Hobbit: How does historical and social context influence the building of fictional worlds?

 

Term 6:

Writers Festival 

Creative writing of fiction or nonfiction represents 50% of the English Language GCSE. Not only this, but being able to manipulate writing and expression is a key skill in the real world - whether it be communicating with friends, telling a story to your family, or explaining your actions to an employer, using language creatively is crucial. It will also help students appreciate the writing of others.

Enquiry Questions:

How can well selected words be used to support the achievement of a desired outcome?

Term 1:

Dystopian Literature 

This topic provides students with opportunities to read a range of modern and classic fiction from influential writers. The dystopian genre encourages readers to think about how these fictional societies relate to the real world and what can be done to stop them. It encourages students to consider how societies are created and developed through evaluation of the writer’s methods. This will provide a model for them how to express their feelings about the world, politics and the different societal issues they face.

Enquiry Questions:

• What features of a dystopia are recognizable in modern society?

 

Term 2:

Language To Change The World 

To expose students to different cultural or historical experiences and encourage them to empathise with others' experiences and struggles. The topic focuses on the struggles of minority groups and controversial, current topics. The topic aims to help them to question, debate and challenge the current state of society and consider how young people have the power to change the future for the better.  Through language analysis, students will gain an insight into how to write persuasively to appeal to an audience’s ethos, pathos and logos. They will also develop their communication skills so they can clearly and confidently express their opinion in a way that is convincing yet respectful of others.

Enquiry Questions:

• Why does the language and terminology that we use to express ourselves matter?

 

Term 3:

Renaissance Theatre - Doctor Faustus 

Students will gain a better awareness of their own local, cultural history through engaging with Christopher Marlowe. Students will develop a range of reading and writing skills. The use of effective and relevant language features will allow students to write for persuasive and descriptive purposes. There will be a focus on analysis of language and how the content of the play links to context of the time. Students will gain a broader understanding of the Elizabethan era to supplement the work already focused on Shakespeare in previous years. The focus on morality and choice will allow students to reflect on their own thought processes and also support them in understanding the world around them.

Enquiry Questions:

• How does a person's greed or ambition cloud their decisions?

 

Term 4:

Contemporary Theatre

This topic provides students with a greater insight into the way a play is created for performance and how writers use dramatic devices to present an idea. The topic aims to help them to question, debate and challenge characters’ opinions and moral decisions.

Enquiry Questions:

• How does modern theatre challenge social norms or expectations?
• Text choices: Blood Brothers, DNA, Of Mice And Men

 

Term 5:

Context Of Conflict

Students will gain an awareness of the themes of power and conflict. Through the exploration of fiction and nonfiction texts, students will develop a broader understanding of the issues people across the world face.  There will be a focus on analysis of language and how writers use language to express their opinions, especially in poetry. Students will explore how to use the methods identified in their analysis to improve their own writing.

Enquiry Questions:

• In what ways does conflict shape perception of countries and cultures?

 

Term 6:

Writers Festival 

Creative writing of fiction or nonfiction represents 50% of the English Language GCSE. Not only this, but being able to manipulate writing and expression is a key skill in the real world - whether it be communicating with friends, telling a story to your family, or explaining your actions to an employer, using language creatively is crucial. It will also help students appreciate the writing of others.

Enquiry Questions:

• How can well selected words be used to support the achievement of a desired outcome?

Students will study a range of literary texts, covering the key genres of prose, poetry, drama and their relevant social and historical contexts. Alongside studying the literary texts, students will develop their reading skills, such as comprehension, analysis and comparison. Students will also practise their creative writing skills, perfecting writing for a range of different purposes and audiences. 

 

Why study this course?

This year’s curriculum balances learning and enjoyment of key literary texts by developing student knowledge and understanding, in addition to practising and applying examination techniques and skills for both English Literature and English Language. 

 

What does this course lead on to?

This course provides a solid understanding of the different elements to English Literature allowing students to move into studying English Literature at A Level. From there, students will further develop their reading and analysis skills which are key components to any undergraduate university course. 

 

Term 1:

Anthology Poetry/Unseen

The scheme of work will support students in developing analytical skills and their understanding of language, structure and context through a thematic approach to Power and Conflict poetry. Students will be taught how to synthesise information from different poems in order to effectively compare content and authorial intent. Through the content of the poems, students will be encouraged to engage with multiple perspectives on elements related to the overarching themes of ‘power’ and ‘conflict’. Students will develop their understanding of those themes through discussion and debate. The scheme of work will also provide students with a platform from which to be able to access unseen poetry in the GCSE literature examinations.

Enquiry Questions:

• How are power dynamics explored through the poetry anthology?

 

Term 2: 

Week 1-2: English Language Paper 1 Section A and B - Introduction to Language through Context

Students will  explore the context of the 19th Century by  introducing students to different cultural and historical movements and events from the period, encouraging them to engage with and gain an understanding of others' experiences. This scheme of work will develop higher order thinking skills such as synthesising information from different texts and evaluating the impact of vocabulary choices and viewpoints. It will also develop creativity in writing

Week 3 - 7: A Christmas Carol

This scheme of work aims to develop students’ analytical skills and their understanding of language, context and structure in order to prepare them for GCSE English Literature Paper 1. It will expose students to different cultural or historical experiences and encourage them to empathise with others' experiences and struggles. The scheme of work should help them to question, debate and challenge characters’ decisions and consider the impact these decisions have on others and in turn develop their cultural, emotional and moral awareness and understanding. This scheme of work will develop higher order thinking skills, such as the ability to examine patterns in the text and to construct critical and evaluative points of view on the content and context of the text, as well as developing a robust awareness of where we have come from both culturally and morally.

Enquiry Questions:

• How does Dickens convey the potential for change in humanity in A Christmas Carol?

 

Term 3: 

Week 1 - 3: Developing Language Skills through Macbeth Context

To explore the context of the 15th & 16th by  introducing students to different cultural and historical movements and events from the period, encouraging them to engage with and gain an understanding of others' experiences. This scheme of work will develop higher order thinking skills such as synthesising information from different texts and evaluating the impact of vocabulary choices and viewpoints. It will also develop creativity in writing. 

Week 4-6: Spoken Language

This two week unit will develop students’ spoken language skills as well as their understanding of more complex topics which complement and link to the study of Macbeth. Students will deliver a formal speech which encourages them to express their viewpoints and opinions clearly. 

Paper 2 Q5 statements will prompt students to respond to ideas based on the whole year’s learning and will provide students with cultural diversity links: toxic masculinity/class/warrior culture/ gender.

Enquiry Questions:

• How does a developed understanding of social, cultural and historical context allow for a deeper understanding of literature?

 

Term 4:

Macbeth

The scheme will enable students to develop their analytical skills by identifying specific language features, methods, and choices made by writers, and to analyse and explain the significance of those choices, making clear links to authorial intent. The scheme of work will also enable students to have an understanding of the historical, cultural and social context of the time within which the text was produced. This will allow students to understand how society has evolved and why it is necessary for it to do so. 

Enquiry Questions:

• To what extent is Macbeth an ideal depiction of tragedy and of a tragic hero?

 

Term 5:

Introduction to Language Paper 2 through Context (An Inspector Calls)

This topic provides students with opportunities to read a range of non-fiction texts from the early twentieth century to help them develop a contextual foundation for their study of An Inspector Calls.  It encourages students to consider how British society was structured and the inequalities present at the time. The topic  is designed to introduce students to the different cultural and historical movements and events from the period, encouraging them to engage with and gain an understanding of others' experiences. Students will also develop an awareness of how a writer uses language to present their opinions and viewpoints and encourages them to question and challenge bias within a text. 

Enquiry Questions:

• How does a developed understanding of social, cultural and historical context allow for a deeper understanding of literature?

 

Term 6:

An Inspector Calls

This topic provides students with opportunities to read a play from the early twentieth century - An Inspector Calls.  It encourages students to consider how British society was structured and the inequalities present at the time. The topic  is designed to introduce students to the different cultural and historical movements and events from the period, encouraging them to engage with and gain an understanding of others' experiences. 

Students will also develop an awareness of how a writer uses language to present their opinions and viewpoints and encourages them to question and challenge bias within a text. It will provide students with the opportunity to explore a dramatic text, focusing on dramatic devices and elements that playwrights use to communicate meaning to an audience. 

Enquiry Questions:

• In what way is An Inspector Calls a critique of class privilege?

 

Exam Board Links

GCSE English Language/Spoken Language

GCSE English Literature

 

 

 

Year 11 will prepare learners for their English GCSEs which they will sit in the summer term of this year in both English Literature and English Language. Over the course of the year, learners will have opportunities to revise the Literature content they covered in Year 10 as well as how to approach each of the questions they will face across all four of the exam papers (two for Literature and two for Language). This year will build students’ resilience when it comes to exams and develop their skills when it comes to both reading for meaning and writing creatively. Learners will be supported by regular intervention, Period X, revision (both online and in lesson) and weekly Lead Lessons in the hall to familiarise themselves with exam conditions.

 

Why study this course?

English Language is a key qualification for employers. Therefore, this topic is given the proportional time it requires for good teaching and learning in Year 11 to ensure that students make better progress in reading and writing: the primary functional skills needed for employment and further study. The study of Literature will also provide students with a wealth of social, moral, cultural and historical knowledge to develop their character and deepen their understanding of the wider world in which they live.

 

What does this course lead on to?

English GCSEs are used as a minimum requirement for many further education, higher education and job role specifications. Therefore, success in English GCSE will lead on to a smoother transition into the career path students choose.

 

Term 1:

Weeks 1-3: An Inspector Calls

This topic provides students with opportunities to read a play from the early twentieth century - An Inspector Calls.  It encourages students to consider how British society was structured and the inequalities present at the time. The topic  is designed to introduce students to the different cultural and historical movements and events from the period, encouraging them to engage with and gain an understanding of others' experiences. Students will also develop an awareness of how a writer uses language to present their opinions and viewpoints and encourages them to question and challenge bias within a text.  

Weeks 3-4: Anthology Poetry Revision

Revision of poems linked by themes. Revision of comparison skills.

Enquiry Questions:

An Inspector Calls

• In what way is An Inspector Calls a critique of class privilege?

Power and Conflict Poetry

• How does conflict and the struggle for power shape our world and our place within it?

 

Term 2: 

Week 1-2: Revision 

Targeted revision for the mock exams.

Week 3-6: Macbeth and ACC

Students will explore how to track common themes across the play and how Shakespeare used methods to convey his ideas. 

Week 6 Gap Analysis from Mocks

This topic allows students to understand the exam format and what is required for each question. They will also develop an understanding of how to create individual targets  by identifying the next steps for success and how to achieve them. 

Enquiry Questions:

Macbeth

• To what extent is Macbeth an ideal depiction of tragedy and of a tragic hero?

A Christmas Carol

How does Dickens convey the potential for change in humanity in A Christmas Carol?

 

Term 3:

Week 1-3: Language P1 Revision - Ghost Stories

Reading

Students will continue to develop their analysis skills, focusing on language and structure, while also using evaluative skills to comment on the effectiveness of writer’s choices. 

Writing

Students will develop their writing skills, focusing on descriptive and narrative writing styles.

Week 4-6 A Christmas Carol 

Students will develop their analytical skills through engaging with key scenes and breaking down extracts with a sharp focus on character or theme. Students will also begin to develop their written expression to convey their understanding of the text through analysis of language, structure, context and themes. 

Enquiry Questions:

A Christmas Carol

• How does Dickens convey the potential for change in humanity in A Christmas Carol?

 

Term 4: 

Week 1-2: Language P1 and 2 Revision - Invention and Innovation

Reading

Students will engage with writer’s perspectives and viewpoints and develop their ability to synthesise information from two texts. Evaluative skills will also be a focus for Language Paper 1.

Writing. Students will have the opportunity to engage with non-fiction writing dictated by a range of purposes and using varied forms to present their writing. 

Week 3-6: Literature Revision

The focus for students will be ensuring that they are capable at identifying, analysing and explaining how writers use language and structural features to convey meaning to the reader/audience. Students will also revise contextual factors that have influenced the writing of texts. 

 

Term 5: 

Week 1-6: Gap Analysis and revision based on Individual class mock exams.

Focused and bespoke for each student utilising the gap analysis from the mock exams, allowing students to engage with the areas requiring further development.

 

Exam Specification

GCSE English Language/Spoken Language

GCSE English Literature

 

The study of English Literature at A level supports students in developing a number of subject-specific as well as transferable skills by encouraging in-depth, critical and contextual thinking in response to a range of literary works. Students will be required to familiarise themselves with subject knowledge from plays, novels and poems emerging from distinct genres and spanning across many centuries. With this comprehensive exploration of characters and themes will come the awareness of how traditions and culture have shaped literature over the years. In addition to focusing on Aspects of Tragedy and Elements of Crime Writing, students will also study literary criticism and theory and apply some of the ideas they have learned to texts of their own choosing.

This is a two year linear course and is assessed as follows:

Two written examinations (80% of total marks)

Two extended essays (20% of total marks)

 

Why study this course?

The skills gained through the study of English Literature are immeasurable. A level study will broaden students’ knowledge, not only of a wide range of texts, but also of history, culture, human relationships and philosophy. Throughout the two year course, students will be trained to be more perceptive in their reading skills in order to develop their powers of critical, analytical and evaluative thinking, enabling them to carry out research independently. Students will also learn to become more proficient and sophisticated in their writing. 

 

What does this course lead on to?

All universities see English Literature A level as a major asset to any course, in particular history, psychology, sociology, drama and law, as it shows that students are academically able, well-read, and capable writers. The skills and attributes associated with the study of English are transferable and important to most, if not all, careers and professions. The list below details some which are more specifically related to particular English skills. 

 

English Specific Careers:

Academic collation, research, lecturing, writing

 

Career opportunities:

Editorial work

Education

Lexicographer

Linguist

Journalism and media 

Publishing and copywriting

Public relations

Public services - police, medical, health and social care, etc. 

Social media management

Web content manager

Writer

 

Year 12

Over the two year course of study, students will learn how to use their detailed knowledge and understanding of individual works of literature to explore relationships between texts and to appreciate the significance of cultural and contextual influences on readers and writers. Students will learn to identify the ways in which writers shape the meanings of texts and analyse the ways that different readers interpret them. As well as reading, students will learn the basics of academic writing and its conventions, including how to reference accurately and how to use literary critical vocabulary.

 

Terms 1, 2 and 3:

Include a general overview of the skills and knowledge taught throughout the term.

Students will study Shakespeare’s Othello through the lens of tragedy and Hamlet through the lens of crime writing, and in conjunction with feminist and post-colonial ways of reading.

Enquiry Questions:

• What do we mean by ‘tragedy’?
• What do we mean by ‘crime writing’?
• To what extent do the racist stereotypes attributed to Othello become a self fulfilling prophecy?
• How successful is Hamlet in his attempts to avenge his father’s death?
• To what extent does Othello conform to Aristotle’s tragic vision?

 

Term 4:

Students will study a selection of Keats’ poetry and its significance to the tragedy genre  in conjunction with ideas about  literary value and the canon. Students will also study Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and its significance to the crime writing genre,  in conjunction with ecocritical ways of reading .

Enquiry Questions:

• What is the significance of ‘the bower’ in Keats’ poetry?
• What other readings alongside the Christian allegory can you apply to The Rime of the Ancient Mariner?
• Who commits the greater transgression: Claudius or the Mariner? Why?

 

Terms 5 & 6:

Students will study Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and consider Its significance to the tragedy genre in conjunction with Marxist ways of reading. Students will also study Ian McEwan’s Atonement through the lens of crime writing in conjunction with ideas about narrative.

Enquiry Questions:

• To what extent is Death of a Salesman a rejection of The American Dream?
• How does our understanding of McEwan’s metanarrative technique compel us to reevaluate our reading of the novel?
• To what extent does McEwan’s language make what is social and constructed seem transparent and ‘natural’?
• How does Miller tackle issues of power, work, oppression and money in Death of a Salesman?
•  

Year 13

In Year 13 complete their NEA (Non Examined Assessment); this consists of two essays on two chosen texts, one prose, one poetry, each with a different critical focus. Students also revise the set texts, including their significance to either the tragedy or crime writing genre.

Enquiry Questions:

• How does [the author] focus on the complex relationships between the coloniser and the colonised, and on the language that is used to present those relationships?
• How does [the author] present humankind’s relationship with the natural world in this text?
• How do the key themes of [the text] contribute to the modern literary canon?
• Can the literary canon significantly change if we retain essentially the same critical techniques and priorities?
• What does Barthes mean when he says that the death of the author is the birth of the reader?
• To what extent do the criminals in Hamlet experience guilt?
• To what extent is order restored in Othello’s final scene?
• Who is the tragic hero in Death of a Salesman: Willy or Biff? Why?
• In what ways can the Mariner’s crime be seen as allegorical?

 

 

AS and A-level English Literature B Specification at a Glance