English

In English at Caludon Castle, we strive to build up powerful knowledge and an appreciation of diverse literature and language. We encourage students to articulate their own perspectives, developing curiosity and asking questions about key concepts in our world.  

The English Faculty at Caludon Castle is a lively, dynamic, forward-thinking team of teachers. Any visitor or student will find us to be committed, supportive, collaborative and inspirational in, and out of the classroom. We believe that students enjoy English because they are supported, well-taught, and motivated by innovative, and successful teachers to achieve their full potential. Students come to English understanding the expectations we have of them in terms of work, commitment, and behaviour. We want our learners to achieve their best so that they not only love our subject, but are also equipped with the Literacy skills that are so fundamental to the outside world.

We deeply believe that student learn best in a collaborative environment because collaborative learning provides students with opportunities to discuss their ideas and reflect upon their learning and understand the criteria for success. In our lessons, we encourage students to engage in debates, share their viewpoints and empathise with the views of others. Through a variety of novels and play, we also encourage our students to develop a love of learning and read widely.

Our curriculum is challenging and varied, having been adapted over recent years to ensure a high level of challenge and a variety of topics which our students can relate to and express ideas around. Our topics allow students to build up skills and knowledge over time, effectively preparing them for the linear exams that they sit in Year 11. Our exam results are consistently good and students succeed well within English at all Key Stages.


Year 7

Year 7 students are taught in tutor groups. The curriculum is mapped around the core skills: Reading, Writing, and Speaking and Listening and helps our learners to make a comfortable transition between Literacy in Primary school and English at Secondary school. Learners build on the key skills and understanding that they learn in Year 6 and are challenged by the topics and genres we cover in their first year of secondary school. Students are encouraged to continue to read widely at home.

AutumnSpringSummer
Students are introduced to the Hero’s Journey, understanding the origins of storytelling through The Odyssey.​ Studying ‘The Odyssey’ provides opportunity to develop reading, comprehension and analysis skills. Students are introduced to analytical writing, exploring writer’s choices and the effect of these.​ Alongside this, students will continue the process of drafting creative writing – which students will be familiar with from their primary school Literacy lessons – and develop specific skills for description and narrative writing.Continuing with the study of classic literature, students are introduced to the language of Shakespeare. They explore aspects of poetry before moving onto Romeo and Juliet, which sets a foundation for their understanding of the tragedy genre and a basis for analysis. Here, students will practise their speaking and listening skills here as they perform aspects of the play and think critically about how they could perform it. In the summer term, Year 7 students explore the lives of Victorian children through Charles Dickens’ ‘Oliver Twist’. ​In this term, students are introduced to the conventions of non-fiction writing. Using the issues of social injustice presented in ‘Oliver Twist’, we practise persuasive writing, with a focus on speech writing.

Regular library lessons and Talking Points (an oracy strategy promotions the use of formal spoken language) are embedded into our schemes of learning every fortnight, to promote a love of reading, to enhance and develop research skills, and to develop confident and competent speakers.


Year 8

Our Year 8 curriculum builds on the foundations of our Year 7 curriculum and students are exposed to more challenging texts, concepts, and are encouraged to be applying their skills more independently.

AutumnSpringSummer
After studying Charles Dickens in Year 7,  students will continue to read texts that are set in the Victorian era, this time with a female protagonist. Students will begin the autumn term studying Philip Pullman’s ‘The Ruby In the Smoke’, exploring writer’s choice, how they use language and how they create character and atmosphere.  Alongside this, students will continue the process of creative writing about settings. Using ‘The Ruby in the Smoke’ as a base text, learners will explore how authors create setting before producing this in their own descriptive writing.Students will develop their understanding of studying different stories, focusing particularly on voices and narrative structure. Student will be exploring lost voices and the voices of the oppressed by reading autobiographies, newspaper articles and poems. As students begin to build empathy and understanding, they will be writing their own stories and writing from different perspectives.Students will complete their final term of Year 8 learning about the art of rhetoric. Students will be learning about the art of rhetoric and oracy in order to become successful orators; understanding the power of having and using their voice. ​The chosen text for this term is Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’; students will explore the plot of the play as well as some of the famous speeches within it. Students will be learning about the art of rhetoric and oracy in order to become successful orators, while writing their own speeches.

Year 9

Year 9 follow a similar model of study to Year 8 but at a more sophisticated level and with a greater onus on preparing for GCSE.

AutumnSpringSummer
Students will read the play ‘Noughts and Crosses’ to introduce ideas about prejudice in society before exploring prejudice and injustice in the current world that we live in. Continuing from their studies in Year 8, learners will use rhetoric to produce their own formal articles and letters. This term gives learners an opportunity to hone these skills by critically exploring the writing of others, analysing language use and thus, producing and editing their own texts which express views about issues in Britain and the rest of the world. Students will immerse themselves in 19th century Gothic fiction through the study of ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ by Robert Louis Stevenson. Using the novel as inspiration, students will also produce their own creative writing. They will consider how Stevenson and other Gothic authors write about setting, character and plot, taking ideas to create their own descriptions. The use of ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ challenges learners to explore a 19th century novel which some schools will read for GCSE, preparing students for their GCSE studies.Students explore dystopia and its political messages through a focus on Animal Farm. In preparation for GCSE analysis and concepts explored at A Level, students explore Orwell’s novel to understand the different views about political systems in the world and the impact that these can have on citizens. The scheme also hones the language of rhetoric and gives student a platform to share their own voice.

English Year 10 and 11 

(GCSE English Language and English Literature) 

At Caludon Castle, we follow the AQA English Language and English Literature courses. This means students will be awarded with two separate GCSEs at the end of their Key Stage 4 experience.

The two-year course that has been designed by the English Faculty, is vibrant, varied, and challenging. We focus on many skills: reading non-fiction and writing for different purposes and audiences; responding to poetry, both studied and unseen, analysing a variety of Literature texts; and writing creatively, to prepare students for their examinations. Students will be given ample opportunity to practise past exam papers as part of our schemes of learning, through progress checks and during more formal mock exams.

Speaking and listening is still incorporated into our schemes of learning, not only because this is endorsed by the exam board, but because of the value we see in preparing our students for the future: to prepare students for interviews and future employment or further education. Students are required to participate in a formal Speaking and Listening assessment to allow them to complete their Language course and they are awarded with a Pass, Merit, or Distinction award. They cannot pass their Language course without this, despite it not contributing directly to their GCSE grade.

YearAutumnSpringSummer
Year 10Students begin studying for the GCSE Language course, analysing a range of fiction texts which will prepare them for the analysis of unseen fiction texts in their exam. Students will practise how language is used for effect, how a writer uses structure to interest readers and evaluation of a text. Students will also develop their own ideas for their own creative writing (descriptive and narrative), considering their own use of language and structure for effect.    Students will immerse themselves in the GCSE Literature text ‘A Christmas Carol’, closely studying plot, characters, themes and the context in which the novella is written and set. Students will practise analysis of key ideas and quotations within extended writing in preparation for their essay in the exam.Students continue their English language study with Language Paper 2. Students will study a range of non-fiction texts, from 19th Century to modern day, using comparison skills to compare topics and perspectives. Students will also draw upon their language analysis to understand how language is used for effect. Alongside this, students will practise their own letters, speeches and newspaper articles.
Students develop their poetic analysis through the study of the AQA GCSE Power and Conflict poetry anthology, studying several poems linked to the themes of power and conflict. Students are encouraged to explore different interpretations of poems and provide evidence for their ideas in the way of language, form and structure. Students practise the skills of analysis and comparison in preparation for the two anthology poetry exam questions. 
Students continue their study of the AQA GCSE Power and Conflict poetry anthology as well as the study of Unseen Poetry, which is part of their Literature Paper 2.
Alongside this, Year 10 students will complete their speaking and listening assessments, using the characters, context and themes of An Inspector Calls to influence their own persuasive speeches.
Year 11Students revisit their English language study with Language Paper 2. Students will study a range of non-fiction texts, from 19th Century to modern day, using comparison skills to compare topics and perspectives. Students will also draw upon their language analysis to understand how language is used for effect. Alongside this, students will practise their own letters, speeches and newspaper articles.   Students begin their study of the Shakespeare play ‘Macbeth’, closely studying plot, characters, themes and the context in which the play is written and set. Students will practise analysis of key ideas and quotations within extended writing in preparation for their essay in the exam.Students will revisit their learning from Year 10, analysing a range of fiction texts which will prepare them for the analysis of unseen fiction texts in their exam. Students will practise how language is used for effect, how a writer uses structure to interest readers and evaluation of a text. Students will also develop their own ideas for their own creative writing (descriptive and narrative), considering their own use of language and structure for effect.    Students revisit their study of poetry in Year 11, where they will study a variety of ‘unseen’ poems, exploring their subject, themes, language, form and structure in order to develop an understanding of how to approach an poem they will never have seen in the examStudents will revisit their learning from across the course in preparation for their exams. 

Students begin writing in formal, timed conditions in year ten to help build their resilience in writing under pressure and for an extended amount of time. Mocks are spread out across the two-year course so that students experience all four papers in the hall or formal settings before their real exams.

The KS4 team keep in regular contact with parents and carers throughout the GCSE course to keep you updated on what is being studied; when mocks and assessments are coming up, and how your child is being supported in lessons, by intervention, and how they can be independent outside of lessons


A-LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE – OVERVIEW

Nationally, English Language is one of the fastest growing A-levels as well as a rapidly expanding course at undergraduate level. At Caludon, students are able to immerse themselves in the language of everyday life, exploring how language can be manipulated by situation and how language develops. A Level English Language further develops the skills used at GCSE, exploring language in a more analytical manner. The course is a useful qualification for students wishing to study degree courses in: Linguistics, English, Law, Psychology and other arts-based subjects. It is also useful for students considering careers in teaching, public services and journalism.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE A LEVEL COURSE DETAILS

Students are taught by two specialist language teachers. The course embraces spoken and written texts in various social contexts. The first year is underpinned by the study of linguistic methods: semantics, lexis, discourse, phonology, grammar, graphology and pragmatics. Students are also introduced to child language acquisition, exploring how children first begin to read, write and speak as well as the theories underpinning this.

Students also study the diversity of language in the real world, exploring how language can be used in different ways depending on gender, occupation, status and region. Students begin to explore the variations across the English language and uncover the theories behind this. There is also an opportunity for students to put their knowledge to creative use, producing creative writing for their Non-Exam Assessment (NEA).

In the final year of study, students will also complete a language investigation into an area of their choice. They are given the opportunity to explore language in action, collecting and analysing their own data.

Paper 1: Language, the Individual and Society (40% of A Level)

– Textual Variations and Representations

– Children’s Language Development

Paper 2: Language Diversity and Change (40% of A Level)

– Diversity and Change

– Language Discourses

For the non-examined assessment (NEA), worth 20% of the A Level, students apply their knowledge of linguistic methods and concepts to an investigation of their choice. Students also produce a piece of creative writing accompanied by a commentary, explaining how they have effectively used language within their own work.

A LEVEL ENGLISH LITERATURE OVERVIEW

English Literature continues to be a popular A Level choice at Caludon. The course is stimulating and challenging and includes the study of a variety of powerful literary works both past and present from across the world. At Caludon, students will study a linear course with examinations at the end of their two years of study. A Level English Literature is an ideal qualification for students wishing to study arts-based subjects at undergraduate level and is complementary for careers in teaching, public service and law.

ENGLISH LITERATURE COURSE DETAILS

The texts studied at A Level are drawn from two literary genres: tragedy and political and social protest writing. Discussion and debate are integral to the English Literature course and students are encouraged to explore the relevance of the fictional worlds to the real world. Alongside a thorough understanding of the texts themselves, students will develop their own voices, putting forward lines of interpretation and supporting them with their growing knowledge and analysis.

Paper 1: Aspects of tragedy (40% of A Level)

  • Othello (Shakespeare)
  • Death of a Salesman (Miller)
  • Selected Poetry by John Keats

Paper 2: Elements of social and political protest (40% of A Level)

  • The Kite Runner (Hosseini)
  • The Handmaid’s Tale (Atwood)
  • The Songs of Innocence and of Experience (Blake)

For the non-examined assessment (NEA) part of the course, students are given the opportunity to study two texts of their choice (one novel, one collection of poetry), which they will explore using a theoretical approach. The teachers will support with the students’ choice of texts and theories. This element of the course gives students a wonderful opportunity to follow their own interests.

A-LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE OVERVIEW

The combined A Level has been introduced at Caludon to provide more students with the opportunity to explore English. The course covers both aspects of English, allowing students to study literary texts as well as analyse a wide range of non-fiction texts in a systematic, linguistic manner. A Level English Language and Literature is suitable for students wishing to study English or another arts-based subject at undergraduate level.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE COURSE DETAILS

Students analyse a pre-set collection of texts, exploring language in a literary and linguistic manner. They analyse the ways that language is used in different modes and for different purposes through an anthology of texts about Paris. This helps to underpin linguistic study, introducing students to the frameworks needed for language analysis.

The Language and Literature course allows students to explore classic and dystopian texts – ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ – as well as the classic play, ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. The study of each of these texts gives students the opportunity to explore literature in depth alongside literary and linguistic theories which are presented within the texts.

Students also study the poetry of Carol Ann Duffy, analysing a collection of poems linked by common themes.

Paper 1: Telling Stories (40% of A Level)

  • In this paper, students will showcase their knowledge of language frameworks in a comparative question on two texts about Paris from their anthology, analysing how themes are represented through language, purpose and mode.
  • Students are given a choice of questions about ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, exploring an extract from the novel alongside analysis of the literary techniques used.
  • Finally students will explore the ways in which similar themes are presented across two poems in an anthology of Carol Ann Duffy poems.

Paper 2: Exploring Conflict (20% of A Level)

  • Students make use of creative flair in this exam, re-casting. Section of ‘The Great Gatsby’ from the viewpoint of another character. They will then produce a commentary on their own works, explaining how they have used language effectively within their re-casting.
  • Following from this, students analyse how language and literary devices are used for effect in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, explaining how key themes are seen across the text.

For the non-exam assessment (NEA), students investigate a chosen theme and texts, exploring how language is used for effect. They will compare how similar themes are presented through literary and non-literary texts, analysing how language is used in similar and different ways across the texts of their choice. This is worth 20% of the full A Level.

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