Curriculum Intent

The English department’s engaging, wide and balanced curriculum is based on independent and enquiry learning with the aim of inspiring all of our students to have a lifelong love of the subject. Our highly skilled subject specialist teachers offer students a rich experience, explicitly making the range of skills learnt through the study of English relevant to future careers. In combination with extensive extra-curricular provision, we also aim to enable personal growth and instil strong values, helping to prepare students to mature as responsible global citizens.  Students are encouraged to read independently a range of texts (including multi-cultural) with a focus on developing cross-curricular links to a wide range of subjects including politics, history, drama and citizenship. Our curriculum aims to develop students who are reflective and resourceful with a passion for learning; those who have the courage to take risks and to learn from their mistakes. Through the study of English, our students become confident orators, perceptive readers and evaluative writers. Communication skills, analytical ability and interpersonal qualities are all key skills required in the workplace and these vital attributes are nurtured and developed in English at CGS from Year 7 onwards.

 

Key Stage 3

Year 7	Year 8
Language and Literature over Time (from Old English to the present) Class novel Media and Travel Writing The poetry of William Blake and William Wordsworth Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Short stories	Gothic short stories Dickens’ A Christmas Carol Independent Extended Project Creative writing Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing Selection of poetry from the Moon on the Tides collection

Key Stage 3 assessment

• Two half-termly assessments with practise in reading, writing, and presentational skills assessed throughout the year

 

Key Stage 4

Edexcel GCSE (9-1) English Language 1ENO
Edexcel GCSE (9-1) English Literature 1ETO

Year 9	Year 10	Year 11
Language Creative writing 19th-century fiction extracts Paper 1 English Language practice Literature Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Golding’s Lord of the Flies Miller’s The Crucible	Language Imaginative Writing (Section B Paper 1) Spoken Language 19th century fiction extracts (Section A Paper 1) Language Paper 1 Literature Priestley’s An Inspector Calls (Paper 1 Drama) Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice (Paper 1 Drama) Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Paper 2 19th-century Novel)	Language Modern non-fiction extracts (Section A Paper 2) Transactional Writing (Section B Paper 2) Revision of Paper 1/Paper 2 Literature Relationships Poetry Anthology (Paper 2 Poetry Modern Unseen Poetry (Paper 2 Poetry) Revision of Paper 1/Paper 2

Key Stage 4 assessment

Two half-termly assessments, short and long answer questions/extended writing/presentations.

 

Key Stage 5

Cambridge Pre-U Literature in English 9765

Year 12	Year 13
Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited Chaucer’s The Nun’s Priest’s Tale Sheridan’s The School for Scandal Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra Personal Investigation coursework	Personal Investigation coursework Unseen poetry criticism Unseen drama criticism Unseen prose and non-fiction criticism Revision for Papers 1, 2 and 3

Key Stage 5 assessment

• Essays throughout the year, stages of coursework, presentations, independent wider reading, creative responses to texts

 

Curriculum enrichment outside of the classroom

• Year 13 residential visit to Stratford-Upon-Avon
• Lectures
• Author visits
• Debating
• Massive Open Online Courses
• Spelling bee
• Creative writing
• Year 8 Independent Project
• Talk the Talk workshop for Year 9

A level English - please see the Sixth Form Section of our website: sixth-form-subject-information