English
As a compulsory subject up until the end of Key Stage 4, English has an essential place in helping young people find and understand their identity and place in the modern world.
This begins in their very first English lesson at Lancaster Girls’ Grammar with the topic of language and identity and continues all the way through into KS5 where students explore complex and sensitive contemporary issues, acknowledging the power of words as a representational force. In order to do so, they are given opportunities to delve into both our rich literary heritage and to explore modern contemporary fiction and non-fiction. In lessons, they are encouraged to trust their own interpretations and ideas: English is a subject where, technical accuracy excepted, there is no right answer.
All viewpoints, opinions and perspectives are acknowledged for their individual merit– and equally respected within the classroom. Communicating effectively with others is an essential life skill; knowing that your view can be heard and is valued is a fundamental human right. In English, students’ skills in the former are developed and nurtured through providing a safe space in the classroom for the latter.
Inclusivity, diversity and positive representation are the hallmarks of our provision and we continuously review the texts we study, shaping our curriculum to better suit and reflect our multicultural school community. Through historical fiction texts such as Veera Hirandani’s The Night Diary, our students acquire a greater understanding of the impact of the partition of British India on some of their ancestry; texts such as Dean Atta’s The Black Flamingo and Tanya Byrne’s Almost Certain reassure learners that it is perfectly normal to be confused by one’s sexuality; all of our learners, regardless of ethnicity, sexuality or academic ability, are taught the importance of accepting others for who they are, studying texts that feature characters and content our students recognise from their own lived experiences.
Key Stage 3
Course Overview
The overarching aim of the KS3 English Curriculum is to instil within them an appreciation of their language and literary heritage. Whilst the core reading and writing skills are fundamentally the same – and do echo those at KS4 - the curriculum content is staggered in degrees of difficulty. Year 7 students will study a novel featuring a strong female protagonist. In year 8, a greater emphasis is given to literary context with the study of a novel set in a specific historical period. With each new topic or unit of work across the key stage, students are encouraged to reflect on its relation to their prior learning, with the long-term aim of enabling them to analyse an unseen literary fiction or non-fiction extract with precision and insight, and to consciously shape their writing to fulfil the criteria of a specific brief.
What can I do to support my child?
Talk to them! Discuss with them what they are reading and studying in their English lessons. It is a subject where anyone, irrespective of gender, age, ethnicity or academic ability, can engage in discussion on a diverse range of topics. In their literary studies, students must learn to have conviction in their own interpretations and be able to express them in a coherent and logical manner. They must assimilate the writing styles and techniques of a range of different authors and genres in order to create a distinctive authorial voice of their own.
How will students be assessed in Key Stage 3 English?
At the end of each unit of work (typically completed over one half term) there is an assessment task, designed to assess the skills students have practiced over that unit. Whilst there will be topic-specific content, the assessments are very much skills-based, ascertaining students’ abilities to apply what they have learnt to an unseen scenario.
In year 7 and 8, students are assessed on the following:
Reading
- R1: Understand and interpreting texts
- R2: Exploring the effects of writers’ techniques
- R3: Making connections within and across texts
Writing
- W1: Communicating effectively
- W2: Sentencing and punctuation
- W3: Using vocabulary effectively (spelling accuracy is assessed within this skill)
Speaking and Listening
- Whilst oral literacy is a fundamental component of any subject curriculum, in the Spring Term, students are formally assessed on their presentation skills – delivering a short speech to their classmates on a topic of their choice.
Key Stage 4 (GCSE)
Exam Board and details
English Language: AQA 8700
English Literature: AQA 8702
Specifications:
AQA | English | GCSE | GCSE English LanguageAQA | English | GCSE | GCSE English Literature
| Set texts: | |
|---|---|
| Shakespeare play: | Much Ado About Nothing |
| 19th century novel: | The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and My Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson |
| Modern text: | An Inspector Calls by JB Priestley |
| Poetry collection: | Power and conflict |
Course Overview: English Language
This course nurtures and develops written creativity, analytical skill and the exciting exploration of challenging texts. In terms of reading, pupils are offered a rich array of non-fiction and literary non-fiction texts from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, which will be covered alongside the play, novel and poetry taught in the English Literature course, to allow for a rich and synoptic approach.
As for writing, students are also encouraged to hone their narrative, descriptive and opinionated writing skills over the two years. Spoken Language skills are embedded within the learning on this course, with students completing regular oral tasks to complement their learning and exam preparation.
Course Overview: English Literature
The GCSE English Literature course is designed to both inspire and challenge every student. While an exciting and life enhancing subject in its own right this course has close links to the study of English Language. The teaching of English Literature alongside English Language allows for the development of students’ personal interpretation and responses across a range of texts while common assessment objectives guide their exam preparation.
The course takes a skills-based approach to the study of English Literature that is consistent across the different forms of text (drama, poetry and prose) that students are required to study; each component is equally weighted when students sit their GCSE exams at the end of year 11.
How will students be assessed in GCSE English?
As at Key Stage 3, students complete end of unit assessment tasks approximately every half term. Typically these are taken from previous exam series questions to ensure that they are familiar with the demands and style of the different forms of assessment in both English Language and English Literature.
The structure of the GCSE exams are as follows:
English Language: both papers are equally weighted, contributing 50% each to the final GCSE grade[JG1].
| Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing: 1 hour 45 minutes | |
|---|---|
| Section A | Students will answer four questions in response to an extract from an unseen 20th or 21st century prose fiction text. Each question assesses a different reading skill[JG2]. |
| Section B | Candidates will write an extended creative piece with the purpose of describing or narrating a scene or situation. 60% of the mark is accredited to content whilst 40% will focus on the quality of spelling, punctuation and grammar. |
| Paper 2: Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives: 1 hour 45 minutes | |
|---|---|
| Section A | Students will answer four questions in response to two unseen literary non-fiction texts. These are connected by a common theme although one will be from the 20th or 21st century and the other will be from the 19th century. |
| Section B | Candidates will write an extended non-fiction piece with the purpose of presenting a viewpoint or a specified topic. The weighting of marks is the same as on Paper 1. |
Spoken Language (separate endorsement):
Teacher assessed tasks throughout the course will focus on the skills of presenting, the use of Standard English and responding to questions and feedback.
This is accredited separately.
English Literature: paper 1 is worth 40% of the final GCSE grade and paper 2 is worth 60%
| Paper 1: Shakespeare and the Nineteenth Century Novel: 1 hour 45 minutes | |
|---|---|
| Section A | Shakespeare: Students will answer one question on Much Ado About Nothing. They will be required to write in detail about an extract from the play and then write about the play as a whole. |
| Section B | The Nineteenth century novel: Students will answer one question from The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. As on Section A, they will be required to write in detail about an extract from the novel and then to write about the novel as a whole. |
| Paper 2: Modern Texts and Poetry: 2 hours 15 minutes | |
|---|---|
| Section A | Modern texts: Students will answer one essay question from a choice of two on An Inspector Calls. |
| Section B | Poetry: Students will answer one comparative question on two of the poems from the power and conflict cluster. One poem will be provided in the question; students must select another to make comparisons to. |
| Section C | Unseen poetry: Students will answer one question on one unseen poem and one question comparing this poem to another. Both poems are linked thematically. |
Key Stage 5 (A Level)
Exam Board and details
English Language: AQA 7702
English Literature: OCR H472
Specifications:
Course Overview: English Language
The A-level English Language course covers a variety of aspects of linguistic study and offers the opportunity for analysis of the language that we use in many different areas of life as well as possibilities for creative writing. Students explore the use of the English Language both as a medium of communication and as a topic in its own right, pursuing lines of enquiry, debating different views, and working independently to research aspects of language in action,
Course information
There are two examined units and two non-exam assessments. Both exams are worth 40% of the final A-Level grade; the non-exam assessments combine to make up the other 20%.
Examined units
| Paper 1: Language the Individual and Society |
|---|
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This covers questions on analysing and comparing texts from different eras and also a question on children’s language development |
| Paper 2: Language Diversity and Change |
|---|
| This paper covers issues such as regional national, ethnic and global varieties of English. |
There is also a source-based question about how writers represent topical language issues. Students must also produce their own written response to this linguistic debate.
The NEA (Language in Action) makes up 20% of the overall qualification and consists of the following tasks:
An independent investigation into an aspect of language use.
A piece of original writing, inspired by a particular genre or text type or style.
An analytical commentary of the original writing piece, explaining the linguistic decisions taken in the writing process.
How will students be assessed in A Level English Language?
As at Key Stages 3 and 4, students complete end of unit assessment tasks approximately every half term. Typically these are taken from previous exam series questions to ensure that they are familiar with the demands and style of the different forms of task set by the exam board.
Course Overview: English Literature
A-level English Literature enables students to develop their critical awareness and understanding of a range of different texts across time and to understand the significance of cultural and historical contexts in shaping both the text and a reader’s response. The course on offer develops students’ confident and skills in using written English accurately to express their ideas and structure an argument in a critical and evaluative manner, an invaluable skill in many other A-level courses.
How will students be assessed in A Level English Literature?
There are two examined units and two non-exam assessments. Both exams are worth 40% of the final A-Level grade; the non-exam assessments combine to make up the other 20%.
| Paper 1: Drama and poetry pre-1900 | |
|---|---|
| Section A | Shakespeare |
| Section B | Drama and poetry pre-1900 |
| Paper 2: Comparative and contextual study |
|---|
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