English
"It is better to read a little and ponder a lot than to read a lot and ponder a little."
- Denis Parsons Burkitt
The English National Curriculum underpins the teaching of English at BST. Across the Key Stages (KS), we seek to develop students’ reading, writing and speaking & listening skills. We encourage all students to become thoughtful and independent users of English in all situations, and to leave BST with a true appreciation of their literary heritage.
At KS3, every year group studies a different topic each half term. Within a year, KS3 classes will cover a novel, a play, some poetry, some non-fiction media texts and a range of different writing styles that incorporate knowledge about language. Students may study such texts as Roald Dahl’s autobiographical Going Solo, a dramatic version of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Shakespeare’s rum comedy Twelfth Night, Golding’s dark tale Lord of the Flies or Douglas Adams’ non-fiction Last Chance to See. Speaking and listening tasks are regularly incorporated into lessons, and a wide range of individual and group tasks ensure students become confident and skilful readers and writers across a range of genres.
As well as expecting all students to read for at least 30 minutes everyday, we also have regular library lessons led by our two highly knowledgeable librarians. We also work very closely with the Learning Support Department to ensure all students can make good progress in English, whatever their ability or linguistic background; we are very aware that good English is vital to a student's overall academic success. We also assess students with the Assessing Pupils’ Progress scheme, which is in line with best practice in England.
At KS4, we follow the AQA English Language and English Literature GCSE syllabuses. Alongside a range of speaking & listening tasks, students are assessed on a total of five creative and analytical written pieces produced under controlled conditions, and they sit three final exams at the end of Year 11.
The Language GCSE teaches students to read, and write about, a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts with accuracy and insight. Students are also required to write in a variety of styles, such as to persuade or to argue. Finally, the Spoken Language section of the course encourages students to analyse the way language-use is modified according to context, and provides an opportunity for independent research.
For Literature GCSE, students are required to analyse the language, form and structure of literary texts in detail. Students are taught how to incorporate textual evidence and analysis into a coherent essay structure; their own individual interpretation of a text is also very important. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men are studied, alongside an anthology of contemporary and heritage poetry.
At KS5, students study for the AQA English Literature B qualification. The AS course focuses on the ways in which narrative is constructed in literary texts. Poets such as Keats and Auden, and novelists such as Fitzgerald and Dickens, are studied. The second unit focuses on aspects of the tragic genre; students are required to read two tragedies, at least one of which must be by Shakespeare, and produce two pieces of coursework.
This focus on genre continues into A2 with the study of gothic literature. Texts such as Shelley's Frankenstein, Carter's The Bloody Chamber and Milton's Paradise Lost are studied. The second unit in A2 introduces students to a range of critical approaches that can be applied to the reading of literary texts, such as Marxist theory. Students also produce a detailed comparison of two dystopian texts.
Here at BST, we seek to make English a thought-provoking, challenging and practical subject that equips students effectively for their future.
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Richard Paterson has a BA (Hons) in English Language and Literature from Oxford University and is currently undertaking an MA in Advanced Japanese Studies through Sheffield University. As well as teaching English, he is also a Faculty Leader. In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor activities, reading and generally pottering around. |
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Carmel Arcus has a BA (Hons) English from Manchester Metropolitan University and is currently studying for an MA in Education with Bath University. As well as being a teacher of English, she is also in charge of Drama. As Learning Support Coordinator, she identifies how best to support students with additional learning needs to ensure they are making good academic progress. In her free time she enjoys reading, studying Japanese, Karaoke, Taiko and dancing. |
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Aneeta Purewal has a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Language from Brunel University and a PGCE from the Institute of Education, London University. Before coming to BST, she taught in West London. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking a wide variety of tasty dishes, playing tennis and, like any good English teacher, reading. |
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