Origins of Literature

Students will read a range of mythological stories from Greek and Norse mythology and explore how they helped humans to make sense of the world around them. A focus on these powerful narratives will explore how the art of storytelling allows us to provide moral messages, act as warnings and teach us about what it means to be human. Students will also develop their comprehension skills whilst analysing the craft of the writer.

Art of the Rhetoric

Students will study the art form of the ‘rhetoric’ and how it has been used throughout history to inspire people, motivate change, and highlight social injustice. Key historical voices will be focused on before the students will then practice the art of applying the Aristotelian triad of ethos, logos and pathos in their own persuasive rhetoric.

Romeo and Juliet

Students will study the features of a Shakespearean tragedy, the conventions of a Shakespearean sonnet, and the key themes of conflict, honour, love and relationships. Students will develop their analytical writing through PEAZ and explore a range of Elizabethan beliefs and customs as well as what life was like within the Elizabethan patriarchal society.

Character and Voice and Poems from Other Cultures

Students will study a range of poetry across two key themes: ‘Character and Voice’ and ‘Poems from other Cultures’. Students will explore the use of poetic forms such as dramatic monologues, ballads and free verse as well as how imagery and word choice can be used imaginatively to create meaning and a sense of identity.

Descriptive Writing

Students will explore the features and structure of descriptive writing focusing on how to create a sense of character and establish a convincing setting before they learn how to apply this in their own writing. They will focus on sentence control and text cohesion.

The Romantics

Students will learn about Romanticism and the key themes that are central to this movement. They will compare the views of William Blake and William Wordsworth and begin to explore how the Industrial Revolution impacted on each poet’s ideas and intended meaning. Student will learn how to structure their comparison with topic sentences and comparative connectives. Dickensian Characters
Students will explore Dickens’s use of characterisation through analysing a range of his novels and apply this to the creation of their own Dickensian narratives. Students will explore Dickens’s use of sentences and imagery to create a character and the effect these descriptions have on the reader. Students will use narrative techniques and follow Freytag’s narrative arc to create their own Dickensian stories.

Ghost Boys
Students will explore several important social and emotional themes: education, violence, bravery, activism and family.  It will explore the impact of systematic racism, the complexity of the legal system and the importance of honouring the dead by bearing witness to people's story. Students will explore layers of meaning when analysing how Parker-Rhodes uses language for effect, and they will  continue to hone their use of PEAZ paragraphs in their analysis.

Women who Changed the World
Students will learn about female emancipation and how women have changed the world throughout history and in present day society through a range of different articles and speeches. They will learn how to use their voice in a range of non-fiction writing tasks, including writing a review, a formal letter and an article. Students will learn how to write informatively and offer advice for a specific audience, using a five- part structure. They will also revise a range of sentence types and punctuation to ensure they develop their ability to write accurately.

Noughts and Crosses Play
Students will explore ideas about prejudice, discrimination and bias. Students will use the text and real-life events to explore this modern dystopian tragedy and its portrayal of racism and oppression. Through the studying of the play, detailed and topical discussions will take place about how the above issues in the play reflect modern society, and what the writer of the play is trying to teach its audience. Students will analyse character, theme and stagecraft using PEAZ and they will explore how this play echoes Romeo and Juliet studied in year 7.

The Gothic Canon
Students will explore the Gothic canon and how it was influenced by Romanticism previously explored in year 8. They will explore key themes, characters and conventions linked to the Gothic and will explore literary extracts critically with a focus on analysing language, structure and authorial intention.

Conflict, Power and Protest Poetry
Students will explore the power of poetry to challenge the status-quo, instigate change and as an important form of self-expression. Students will explore conflict and protest poetry as well as a more modern form of performance poetry through slam poetry. Student will continue to develop their analysis of poetic techniques, structure and voice. They will draw on their comparison skills in comparing these poems and appreciating how context influences meaning, but they will also develop their self-expression through crafted poetry as they continue their own journey towards female empowerment.

Rhetoric and Revolution
Students will develop their knowledge of rhetoric and how it can instigate revolution through the study of the novella ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell. Students will appreciate the text within its context, explore authorial intention against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution and refine their skills of analysis. Students will also apply what they have learnt about rhetoric in their own writing in the delivery of a speech to their peers.

Narrative Writing
Students will read and respond to a range of unseen fiction texts. Students will continue to develop their use of ‘show don’t tell’ and vary the start of their sentences. They will experiment with narrative structures and aim to be more original in how they describe characters and settings. The focus will be on conscious crafting to engage the reader’s interest and imagination.

Merchant of Venice
Students will develop their understanding of genre through the analysis of this Shakespearean tragi-comedy as a stepping stone for their GCSE text in year 10. Students will be exposed to Shakespearean language and stagecraft and will use their skills in quotation analysis to deepen their responses to ‘say a lot about a little’. They will also develop their contextual knowledge of the Elizabethan world.

All students study this core subject, which leads to a GCSE qualification graded 9 (highest) to 1 (lowest); students’ certificates will also be endorsed with a three-tiered grade (Pass, Merit, and Distinction) to reflect their ability to speak formally in spoken language.

Component 1 – 20th Century Literature Reading and Creative Prose Writing

Section A (20%) – Reading: Understanding of one extract (about 60-100 lines) of literature from the C20th. Structured questions.

Section B (20%) – Prose Writing. One creative writing task selected from a choice of four titles.

Component 2 – 19th and 21st Century Non-fiction Reading and Transactional/Persuasive Writing

Section A (30%) – Reading: Understanding of two extracts (about 900-1200 words) of high-quality non-fiction writing, one from C19th and one from C21st. Structured questions.

Section B (30%) – Writing: Two compulsory transactional/persuasive writing tasks.

Component 3 – Spoken Language: A formal speech, including responses to questions and feedback

Linear: all examinations take place at the end of the Year 11 course. The qualification is graded 9-1. Spoken Language is a compulsory component but does not contribute to the overall grade. Sentence structure, punctuation, spelling, and vocabulary carry a heavy weighting (20% of qualification).

Paper 1 (Assesses Component 1): 1 hour, 45 minutes (40% of total qualification)

Paper 2 (Assesses Component 2): 2 hours (60 % of total qualification)

Non-examination Assessment: Spoken language (unweighted but separately endorsed as P, M or D)

The study of English Language is essential for the future career prospects of all students. The government’s recent emphasis on academic rigour and the importance of the traditional subjects means this is more important than ever for students.

Language interrogation encourages enquiring minds to supports study across the curriculum.

A hugely diverse range of careers follows the study of English, including writing, journalism, teaching, and research.

High profile graduates include; Oprah Winfrey (Broadcaster, Writer & CEO), JK Rowling (Author), Judy Finnegan (Presenter, Author & national Book Club director), Vanessa Feltz (Broadcaster and Journalist), Stephen Spielberg (Film Director) and Vin Diesel (Actor) to name but a few!

Almost all students study this academic subject, which leads to a GCSE qualification graded 9 (highest) to 1. A small number of students following Pathway 3 focus on achievement in English Language only.

Component 1 – Shakespeare and Poetry

Section A – Shakespeare (20%): one extract and one essay question based on the reading of a whole Shakespeare play.

Section B – Poetry from 1789-present day (20%): two questions (poems from an anthology, one of which involves comparison.

Component 2 – Post-1914 Prose/Drama, C19th Prose and Unseen Poetry

Section A – Post-1914 prose/drama (20%): One, source-based question on a whole post-1914 Prose or Drama text studied.

Section B – C19th Prose (20%): One, source-based question on a whole C19th text studied.

Section C – Unseen poetry from the C20th/21st (20%): Two questions on unseen poems, one of which involved comparison.

Assessment is by end of course, linear examinations. There is no non-examination assessment and all examinations are closed-book. Marks are included for accurate spelling, punctuation, and grammar (5% of qualification).

Paper 1: Component 1 – 2 hours (40% of qualification)

Paper 2: Component 2 – 2 hours, 30 minutes (60% of qualification)

The study of English Language is essential for the future career prospects of all students. The government’s recent emphasis on academic rigour and the importance of the traditional subjects means this is more important than ever for students.

Language interrogation encourages enquiring minds to supports study across the curriculum.

A hugely diverse range of careers follows the study of English, including writing, journalism, teaching, and research.

High profile graduates include; Oprah Winfrey (Broadcaster, Writer & CEO), JK Rowling (Author), Judy Finnegan (Presenter, Author & national Book Club director), Vanessa Feltz (Broadcaster and Journalist), Stephen Spielberg (Film Director) and Vin Diesel (Actor) to name but a few!

Click here - for English reading list.
Click here - for Hillcrest Read Around the World Challenge Reading List

Careers Intent Statement for English at Hillcrest School

Our English curriculum is designed to foster and encourage many transferable skills which will ensure our pupils succeed in a range of different careers. Throughout KS3 and KS4 we aim to:

• To equip students with analytical skills to interpret and process written, spoken and visual information.
• To develop impressive communication and presentation skills when working in a group or as an individual.
• To teach our pupils to write effectively for a variety of purposes including to review, persuade and inform.
• To work well as individuals as well as developing team-work skills.
• To inspire our pupils to be ambitious individuals with high career aspirations, strong resilience and problem-solving skills.

Questions to consider:

1. What are your key priorities for careers learning?

We want to showcase the many skills that pupils gain from learning English, and we want to ensure pupils understand how these skills can be used in a plethora of careers. We want our implementation of careers learning to integrate smoothly with our curriculum to ensure it complements the students’ learning in the classroom.

2. What key information do you want students to learn/understand about careers linked to your subject?

We want to showcase the many skills that pupils gain from learning English, and we want to ensure pupils understand how these skills can be used in a plethora of careers. We want pupils to be able to identify where they have learned and practised these skills in lessons. We want pupils to be able to articulate how skills learned in English will be useful in their chosen careers/future aspirations.

3. What skills do you want to develop as a result of careers learning in your subject?

In English we focus on a range of transferable skills such as: analysis, evaluation, written and verbal communication skills. We also encourage our pupils to manage their workload, work to deadlines and have a positive mind-set towards challenges both in and out of the classroom. We also foster creative skills through our study of drama, oracy and stories. Furthermore, English lessons always promote independent learning skills as well as experience working in pairs or groups.

4. How will the department measure the impact of careers provision?

In previous years, we have measured impact through work produced (during careers week lessons) and student voice (collected via exit tickets). We have completed case-studies to measure the impact of one off events. We will also measure impact going forward through reflection sheets for each module which pupils will fill out in directed time.