English
Head of Subject: Mr P Ellis
Mayflower English Faculty is a vibrant and active one. Our focus is on the individual and providing an interesting and stimulating environment for all our students. We encourage a love of reading and across our curriculum, selecting texts from different times, places and people. Our students explore different genres and forms of writing and we encourage confident speakers and listeners who participate in debate, discussion and presentations.
Subject Vision
At the heart of our curriculum is a passion to select texts which engage our young people, with material which is relevant and thought provoking.
We also provide stimulating opportunities outside the classroom such as:
- Poetry competitions
-Drama club
-Public speaking workshops
-Theatre trips
-Book club
Key Stage 3
Year 7
Initial baseline testing of writing skills.
Telling Tales
A study of different voices represented through travel writing, biography and fiction. Our students learn to write in different forms and styles. The unit culminates with students writing a subverted fairytale.
Novel
Choice of novels. Students study a novel together, exploring themes, characters, context and language, developing their personal responses to the text.
Poetry
Students study form and technique in a variety of poetry from across time and culture. The unit involves students writing their own poetry and analyzing the choices they have made.
Shakespeare
Students study a Shakespeare play, looking at interpretations through different performances.
Spies
Students explore a number of texts around the theme of Spies, writing and speaking persuasively.
Short Stories
Students read a number of short stories, both contemporary and from our literary heritage, with a focus on comparison.
Year 8
Voices of Adversity
Students study voices of adversity across tine and culture. The unit culminates with students presenting their own impassioned speech.
Novel
Choice of novels. Students study themes, characters, context and language. The unit includes recreative writing and a literary response to the text.
Chaucer
Students explore their literary heritage through the work of Chaucer. The unit culminates in a piece of descriptive writing.
Comparing poems
Students explore poems from different cultures with a focus on comparison.
Roald Dahl
Students study the stories of Roald Dahl and transform fiction into newspaper articles.
Language Study
A study of spoken language, exploring we adapt our speech for different purposes and audiences. Students present their language investigations to the class.
Year 9
Novel
Choice of novels. Students study their novel in depth and complete a GCSE English Language style practice on a passage from their novel.
The Gothic
Students study the Gothic genre and how it is presented in fiction and film. The unit culminates with students writing their own gothic short story.
Poetry
Students study a single poet in depth from our literary heritage. The unit culminates in a comparison of poems which helps prepare our students for GCSE.
Shakespeare
Students study a Shakespeare play, exploring different theatrical and film performances. The unit culminates in students writing an English Literature essay.
Modern Drama
Students study a modern play, developing their speaking and listening skills in group presentations about the key issues which arise in the play.
Viewpoints and Perspectives
Students explore how viewpoints and perspectives are presented in the news, exploring topical issues. The unit culminates with students writing a discursive news article.
Key Stage 4
GCSE English language and GCSE English Literature
English Language
The course is assessed by two external examinations:
Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing (50%)
Reading questions on a literary fiction text
Descriptive or narrative writing
Paper 2: Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives (50%)
Reading questions on a non-fiction text and a literary non-fiction text
Writing to present a viewpoint
Plus: Speaking and Listening (0%)
Students will give presentations through the course and respond to questions, demonstrating their ability to use Standard English. A separate mark will be awarded for this unit – it does not contribute towards the GCSE grade.
EXAM BOARD: AQA
SPECIFICATION: 8700
For further details, please click on the link below:
English Literature
The course is assessed by two external examinations:
Paper 1: Shakespeare and the Nineteenth-Century Novel (40%)
Questions on two set texts, focusing on an extract from each text and the text as a whole.
Paper 2: Modern Texts and Poetry (60%)
Three questions: an essay on a modern prose or drama text studied in class, a comparison of two poems from an anthology studied in class, and a comparison of two unseen poems.
EXAM BOARD: AQA
SPECIFICATION: 8702
For further details, please click on the link below: