English

WELCOME

““Literature adds to reality; it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides.”

C.S. Lewis

The English Department seeks to foster a deep-rooted love of reading, language and performance in its students, encouraging them to articulate complex ideas with confidence and style, both orally and in writing. We want our students to be critical readers, not only of literary texts, but of the world around them. We want to give them the ability to contribute positively to that world by speaking and writing with impact.

WHAT WE DO

In English we balance a solid grounding in the key principles of reading and writing, speaking and listening, with encouragement to think independently, critically and creatively. From Year 7 to Year 13 we introduce our students to an ambitiously diverse range of challenging texts, encouraging them to develop personal responses, both critical and creative. Students develop confidence writing and speaking in a variety of different roles and contexts, and are encouraged to read widely for pleasure, developing their own tastes and areas of interest.

The department is committed to a curriculum and co-curricular programme that stretches well beyond GCSE and A-level examinations. Indeed, we feel it is because of this breadth that our students achieve so highly, not only in exams, but by regularly succeeding in essay, creative writing and public-speaking competitions, and by successfully applying to read English at university.

The department offers students a rich programme of co-curricular opportunities, including theatre trips, visiting speakers, creative writing workshops, public speaking and debating, and an award-winning student-produced school magazine. In the Sixth Form, there is an extensive programme of extension and support for those students considering applying to read English at university, with students regularly securing places at Oxford and Cambridge.

At A-Level, there is much emphasis on students developing their own literary interests by reading around and beyond texts studied in class. For example, students are expected to read a range of novels independently before deciding which they wish to write about for their coursework.