English

Welcome to the English Department where we aim to develop
our students’:
   •  understanding of the way language works in the world around us
   •  ability to read a range of texts with insight and understanding
   •  communication skills
   •  love of reading and interest in learning that will continue post-16

Departmental Staff

    Ms Blackburn
    Mr Davies - Assistant Principal: Key Stage 4 Manager
    Miss Hampton - Deputy Lead Teacher in English
    Mrs Jeffers
    Mrs Lucas
    Miss McBride
    Mrs Meier - SENCO
    Ms Morgan - College Librarian & Website Manager
    Ms Proven
    Mr Swannick - PSHE Co-ordinator
    Mr Steel - Head of 6th Form
    Miss Sullivan - Lead Teacher in English
    Mr Tait - Principal

Lessons & Homework

There are 3 one-hour lessons of English every week across Key Stages 3 & 4 and 5 hours at Key Stage 5.

Discussions, individual, paired and group work, drama, research in the Library and I.T. facilities are used for teaching and learning, in conjunction with a wide range of texts. The department uses interactive whiteboards which enhance the delivery of the curriculum.

Homework is set regularly and may be written, investigative or reading. At Key Stage 3, private reading is set as an additional homework each week which can be recorded in their reading logs as part of PCC’s successful KS3 Reading Challenge project.

Assessment
At both Key Stages, reading, writing and speaking & listening are used for continuous assessment. There is one assessment each ½ term at Key Stage 3, as well as school exams in Years 7 and 8 and the SATs in Year 9. At Key Stage 4 students are regularly assessed through their coursework, practice exam tasks and a mock exam in Years 10 and 11.

GCSE English & English Literature

At Key Stage 4, all students study both English and English Literature as part of an integrated course.  The Department follows the OCR GCSE syllabuses in English Language and English Literature. Students are assessed through a mixture of coursework and examination. They complete coursework in Year 10, in order to focus their preparation on the examinations in year 11.

GCSE English:
60% 2 terminal examinations
20% 3 pieces of written coursework
20% 3 pieces of orally assessed coursework.

GCSE English Literature:
 70% 2 terminal examinations
30% 3 pieces of written coursework.

Two tiers of examination paper are offered: Higher (A* - D) and Foundation (C - G).

Students also sit the ALAN (Adult Literacy & Numeracy) tests.