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’
KEY STAGE 3
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.
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Year 7 |
Year 8 |
Year 9 |
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Unit 1 |
Autobiography Students study extracts from autobiographies written by a variety of people. These include Malala Yousafzai, Anne Frank and Rio Ferdinand. |
Novel study An in depth study of ‘The Giver’ by Lois Lowry.
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Novel study An in depth study of ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck. |
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Unit 2 |
A History of Literature An introduction to the literary timeline, exploring archetypal characters throughout time, with an overview of the classics and Greek mythology. |
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. |
Poetry study Analysing a range of poetry, about power and conflict, written by a variety of poets from around the world. Typical poems include: ‘Remains’ by Simon Armitage, ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ by Alfred, Lord Tennyson and ‘Kamikaze’ by Beatrice Garland.
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Unit 3 |
Novel study An in depth study of ‘Wonder’ by R.J. Palacio |
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.
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Play study An in depth study of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by William Shakespeare. |
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Unit 4 |
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. |
Play study An in depth study of ‘Coram Boy’ by Helen Edmundson. |
Activism and Change for the Future Analysing a range of protest writing, written by a variety of activists from around the world. Typical examples include: Barack Obama, Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela and Prince William. |
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Unit 5 |
Play study An in depth study of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by William Shakespeare. |
Speaking and listening Exploring aspects of formal presentations. |
Speaking and listening Exploring aspects of formal presentations. |
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Unit 6 |
Speaking and listening Exploring aspects of formal presentations. |
Each unit in Year 8 is slightly longer than a half term. |
Each unit in Year 9 is slightly longer than a half term. |
KEY STAGE 4
Students studying the subject at GCSE follow the AQA English Language and AQA English Literature specification. During the course, the following topics are covered:
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Year 10 |
Year 11 |
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GCSE English Literature Paper One Nineteenth century novel: A Christmas Carol Paper Two Modern text: An Inspector Calls Past and Present poetry anthology: Power and Conflict poems 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:
A LEVEL – ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
Students studying the subject at A Level follow the AQA specification. During the course the following topics are covered:
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Year 12 |
Year 13 |
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Introduction to Language Levels The Handmaid's Tale AQA Paris Anthology (non-literary texts) A Strretcar 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 |
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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
A LEVEL ENGLISH LITERATURE
Students studying the subject at A Level follow the AQA specification. During the course the following topics are covered:
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Year 12 |
Year 13 |
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Death of a Salesman The Handmaid's Tale |
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 |
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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