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English
‘How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book!’
Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice
The English Faculty at Deer Park School is made up of a team of dedicated specialist English teachers who aim to inspire and motivate students to achieve success in this core area of the curriculum, whilst developing a genuine interest and enjoyment of the subject.
English at Deer Park is lively and dynamic, encouraging students to be resourceful, resilient, reflective and reciprocal. All students at Key Stages 3 and 4 receive three sixty minute lessons of English per week, in which they are given the opportunity to explore a range of texts and develop their own written and communication skills.
KS3 English
KS3 English offers a curriculum that is exciting and engaging that prepares the foundations for KS4. Throughout the course of the three years students are exposed to classics as well as modern literature. They have an opportunity to experiment with language and styles of writing as well as learning the importance of grammar. Throughout KS3 they have opportunities to meet authors; visit theatre companies and also learn life long skills.
In year 7 students are introduced to Assessing Pupils’ Progress with allows them to understand their ability and take an active role in improving. They experience reading a novel, writing poetry, studying Shakespeare and much more.
Their English career in year 8 allows them to create a media campaign and study and analyse poetry among other exciting modules.
Finally, in year 9 students look at contemporary issues gaining an understanding of how English fits into a wider context. They also start to experience GCSE work to support them during KS4.
The KS3 experience focuses on creativity and achievement and combines both to produce a dynamic experience for students. Students are given opportunities to work in groups, individually and one on one with the teacher as well as having opportunities to work with the Drama department.
KS4 English
GCSE English builds on the key skills that students begin developing throughout KS3. All students study a wide range of texts and are encouraged to write in a range of different styles, as well as being given opportunities for discussion and debate. Students’ creative skills are given plenty of opportunities to flourish, with opportunities to write poetry, stories and persuasive articles, to name just a few.
In English Literature, students learn how to develop their responses to a range of literary texts and are encouraged to foster a real appreciation of what they read. Students read and respond to a range of materials from non-fiction through to poetry, plays and stories, written in and before the 20th Century.
Both subjects are taught over three, hour long lessons a week. As in KS3, groups in the English Faculty are not set by ability, although one group in each half of the year is usually smaller and includes pupils who are working towards a C grade with more emphasis on basic skills. The other groups are parallel and are targeted towards A* - C grades. We do run revision lessons by ability as preparation for the final GCSE exams in Year 11.
Why We Teach English
English is the major route to understanding the world in which we live and as a Faculty we share the daily enjoyment that comes with the child who enhances their understanding of our world – and of themselves - through their work in the subject.
Through teaching English we are embracing issues of contemporary, social, historical and cultural relevance. Our pupils are encouraged to develop their perspectives on society and are empowered to question and explore beyond the walls of their classroom. Through both the reading of literature and the discussion that it generates, they are challenged to develop their unique intellectual, social, spiritual and emotional perspectives that will underpin their individual links to the world.
We also recognize the vast power of language both in a written and spoken context. Our pupils should be confident and competent communicators who can use words with precision and flair. Furthermore, in a society where the media is such a dominant force, they need to be armed against passivity and be able to resist being exploited by the power of words. Instead, we urge critical, discerning reading and thinking that ultimately produces informed decision making.
There is also an understanding that in our role as English teachers, we are giving pupils the skills that, through their grasp of language, will enable them to access all areas of the curriculum with confidence. Indeed, our teaching can be viewed as helping students to develop the knowledge and awareness that the world beyond school will demand from them.
English is also central to aesthetic awareness and in our teaching we strive to bring out the creativity which is inside each child, giving the pupil the skill and confidence to think and write originally and independently. In our study of writing, theatre and film, we also promote the appreciation of others’ Art and encourage an individual response, hoping to instill an aesthetic awareness which will remain within the pupil for ever.
