Aims & Ethos

The English Faculty aims to maximise and fulfil the potential of all students, both in terms of examination results and by equipping them with skills needed for everyday life. It aims to nurture a love of reading to enable students to be proficient users of language. English is taught by a team of well-qualified, talented and enthusiastic specialists. The faculty provides students with opportunities to consolidate their learning and develop their interest through experiencing plays and workshops.

Our aim is to develop and refine our students’ use of language.
We enable students to become confident and proficient speakers and listeners in a range of settings, for a widening audience and a variety of purposes. We promote students’ enjoyment of reading and their ability to respond to what they read. We ensure that they have access to wide range of challenging literary and non- literary texts. We develop students’ ability and versatility as writers. We enable them to write for different purposes and audiences, to understand the different stages in the writing process and to provide them with opportunities to succeed as writers.

Our aim is to develop our students’ knowledge and experience of spoken and written forms of English Language.
We develop students’ awareness of language as a system, the conventions of writing, attitudes to language and its use, language variety, language change, language and social groups, Standard English – how and when it is used.

Our aim is to ensure that teaching and learning in English is of a high quality, meets the needs of our students and exceeds National Curriculum requirements.
We develop programmes of study which promote consistency in the teaching of English. We adopt a range of teaching styles and establish routines and expectations which contribute towards effective learning. We help students to take increasing responsibility for their own learning.

Our aim is to ensure that English provides students with opportunities for personal growth.
We promote empathy, tolerance self esteem and respect for others through the activities and literature which we provide for students. We help to prepare students for the language demands of adult life and promote the schools values.

We aim to provide all students with opportunities for success, irrespective of their ability and recognise individual achievement.
We ensure that assessment in English accords with the whole school policy. We promote learning and motivation by making students’ work in English stimulating and enjoyable. We support students with additional and special educational needs. We ensure that increasingly complex demands are made of students, so that they have developing expectations of themselves.