In the first year of their secondary education, the English Department whisk Year 7 through the magical and poignant world of English Literature through the study of novels, poetry and plays.

Beginning the term with a unit based on descriptive writing, Year 7 use the classic text, The Diary of Anne Frank, to explore the conventions of biography and description, and to begin developing key skills of reading comprehension, language analysis and writing for description.

Throughout the year, Year 7 pupils will also read William Shakespeare’s enchanting A Midsummer Night’s Dream, an anthology of poetry on the theme of ‘Animals and Nature’, and a Gothic novel, such as Circe du Freak or A Monster Calls.

Moreover, pupils will learn and practice persuasive writing and speaking, as well as be given the chance to explore their own creativity by crafting their own narratives.

In short, the Year 7 curriculum aims to truly inspire and develop an appreciation of writing, language and culture.

The Year 8 Curriculum picks up where Year 7 left off, working to develop further the key skills of language analysis, reading comprehension and literary appreciation.

‘Growing up’ is a thematic focus for our Year 8 pupils and, in preparation for their GCSE studies, we introduce them to 19th century literature, reading classics such as Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland or Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. They will also continue their study of Shakespeare, investigating Elizabethan drama through Romeo and Juliet or Julius Caesar. Moreover, pupils explore the theme of ‘power and conflict’ in a poetry anthology, as well as consider the idea of ‘exploring the world’ through reading a series of non-fiction accounts of journalists, scientists and adventurers discovering the interesting, the curious and the unknown.

Year 8 will also learn key research skills, addressing the controversial question of ‘should the UK abolish the monarchy?’ Pupils will read around the issue and use their learning to write and deliver a persuasive speech on the issue.

What will they decide?

Year 9 begins the preparation for the IGCSE. To this end, pupils study great prose works such as Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck or William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. As tales of friendship, hardship and misfortune, Year 9 uncover the art of social commentary and revel in the literary and cultural richness of such age-defining texts.

Pupils also continue their appreciation of poetry, reading previous GCSE anthologies on the theme of ‘love and relationships,’ covering a range of periods, to explore how poetry is crafted for specific effect. Additionally, they come to appreciate dramatic tragedy by reading plays such as Dr Faustus or Death of a Salesman.

By the end of Year 9, pupils work on the first draft of a piece of English language coursework that will go towards their final IGCSE grade in the subject, officially beginning their transition to IGCSE.

Pupils will follow the Edexcel IGCSE specification. They will be awarded two separate IGCSE grades: one for English language (specification A 4EA1) and one for English Literature (4ET1).

English language

The syllabus leads to assessment in two main areas of study:

• Reading

• Writing

The course is comprised of one exam (non-fiction texts and transactional writing) and two pieces of written coursework (poetry/prose analysis and imaginative writing).

Pupils refer to an Edexcel anthology of texts in both the examination and coursework elements of the course.

The exam is 60% of the final IGCSE grade, while the combined total of the two coursework pieces constitutes the remaining 40%.

English literature

The specification allows for the reading of a range of key literary texts in poetry, prose and drama, and the assessment of a candidate’s critical understanding of key literary concepts.

The course is comprised of one exam (Poetry and modern prose) and two pieces of coursework (Modern drama essay and literary heritage text essay)

The exam is 60% of the final IGCSE grade, while the combined total of the two coursework pieces constitutes the remaining 40%.

The poetry element requires examination on unseen poetry as well as texts taken from  the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Anthology. The current choices for the remaining components are Of Mice and Men (modern prose) and An Inspector Calls (modern drama) and Macbeth (literary heritage.)