English

The study of English is absolutely crucial in developing skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening; all exceptionally important when studying any subject in the curriculum at secondary school and beyond. Our aim as a department is to develop and build these skills in all of our students to equip them with the confidence to be successful in further study and society; to enable them to become excellent listeners and to show them the most effective ways to have their own voices heard in many different situations and contexts.

English is about more than developing competence in key areas, however, and English teachers at Davenant work hard to foster critical thinking skills and an understanding of the world around us. We also strive to introduce students to a passion and a love of Literature through exposure to many different types of texts, written by a range of authors.

 

"Getting better at English has made me a more confident person outside school as well as inside."

KS3 Suggested Reading List

Students study and compose a breadth of fiction and non-fiction works across six half-termly units, with a view to developing a foundation of skills and knowledge required to succeed at KS4. Students are also actively encouraged to read and enjoy books for pleasure outside of the core curriculum.

 

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Unit 1

A History of Literature

An introduction to the literary timeline, exploring archetypal characters throughout time, with an overview of the classics and Greek mythology.

Novel study

(covers 1 term)
Students read extracts from a range of Dystopian novels. This is followed by an in depth study of Animal Farm by George Orwell.

Novel study
(covers one term)

An in depth study of ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck. This unit ends with reading extracts from Ugly Dogs Don’t Cry by DD Armstrong. This is a modern novel with close links to the themes within Of Mice and Men.

Unit 2

Novel Study

(covers 2 half terms)

An in depth study of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

A History of Rhetoric

Students consider the origin and role of rhetoric throughout literature and non-fiction and study the key characters who helped to shape modern rhetoric.

Inequality

A mini unit where pupils consider rhetoric that is closely linked to the themes within Of Mice and Men.

Unit 3

Poetry study

Analysing a range of poetry, about identity and culture, written by a variety of poets from around the world.

Typical poems include:

‘Island Man’ by Grace Nichols, ‘Search for my Tongue’ by Sujata Bhatt and ‘Refugee Blues’ by W.H. Auden.

Poetry study

Analysing a range of poetry, about family relationships, written by a variety of poets from around the world.

Typical poems include:

‘Mother to son’ by Langston Hughes, ‘Eden Rock’ by Charles Causley and ‘Mother, any distance’ by Simon Armitage.

Play study

An in depth study of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by William Shakespeare.

Unit 4

Play study

(covers two half terms)
An in depth study of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by William Shakespeare. This unit also includes a speaking and listening component.

Play study
(covers 1 term)

An in depth study of ‘Coram Boy’ by Helen Edmundson.

Poetry study

Analysing 5 of the poems from the AQA Worlds and Lives Poetry cluster. Poems include: ‘A Century Later’ by Imtiaz Dharker, ‘Thirteen’ by Caleb Femi, ‘Homing’ by Liz Berry, ‘Name Journeys’ by Raman Mundair and ‘Like an Heiress’ by Grace Nichols.

Unit 5

  

Short Stories

Students read and analyse a range of short stories from around the world. At the end of the unit, students write their own short story.

The Gothic

Students read and analyse Gothic short stories, extracts from novels and film excerpts.

Students studying the subject at GCSE follow the AQA English Language and AQA English Literature specification. During the course, the following topics are covered:

Year 10

Year 11

GCSE English Literature

Paper One

Nineteenth century novel: A Christmas Carol

Paper Two

Modern text: An Inspector Calls

Past and Present poetry anthology: Worlds and Lives poetry

GCSE English Language

Paper One

Reading and writing fiction

Paper Two

Writing with a viewpoint

Spoken Language Assessment

GCSE English Literature

Paper One

Shakespeare: Macbeth

Nineteenth century novel: A Christmas Carol

GCSE English Language

Paper Two

Reading non-fiction

For more detailed information about the course content and assessment requirements, please refer to the examination board website: 

GCSE English Language

GCSE English Literature

Students studying the subject at A Level follow the AQA specification.  During the course the following topics are covered:

Year 12

Year 13

Introduction to Language Levels

The Handmaid's Tale

AQA Paris Anthology (non-literary texts)

A Streetcar Named Desire

The Poetry of Carol Ann Duff

The Great Gatsby - re-creative writing

Non-Exam Assessment – an investigation comparing aspects of linguistics across literary and non-literary texts

Further study of Paris Anthology
Revision and Exam Skills

For more detailed information about the course content and assessment requirements, please refer to the examination board website:  https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/as-and-a-level/english-language-and-literature-7706-7707

Students studying the subject at A Level follow the AQA specification.  During the course the following topics are covered:

Year 12

Year 13

Death of a Salesman
The poetry of John Keats
Othello
The poetry of William Blake

The Handmaid's Tale
Introduction to Critical Theory

The Kite Runner

Non Exam Assessment - prose

Non Exam Assessment - poetry

Political and Social Protest unseen extracts - poetry, prose and drama

Exam Skills and Revision

For more detailed information about the course content and assessment requirements, please refer to the examination board website:  http://https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/as-and-a-level/english-literature-b-7716-7717

English Today

British Library