English

Why study English?

English is a core subject in the National Curriculum and our students study two GCSE courses: English and English Literature.

English enables you to understand and enjoy a wide variety of reading materials as well as develop good communication skills. Developed levels of literacy are valuable in all areas of life and most employers will expect a GCSE in English as a matter of course. The study of English Language and English Literature can lead to a multitude of career paths including: journalism, advertising, marketing, public relations, broadcasting and teaching.

What will I study?

You will study a number of texts including: a Shakespeare text, a modern play, novels, texts from other cultures, poetry and a wide variety of non-fiction. At the same time, you will look at different types of writing. You will study how we use spoken language to communicate and how this differs from written language.

Much of this will be done through speaking and listening activities. We try, as in other years, to teach the course in an active, lively way and so paired work, group work and other discussion activities form the basis of the course.

What skills will I develop?

You will become a skilled writer and be able to understand and hopefully be critical of a wider choice of reading materials. You will also become more confident in your speaking and listening abilities.