English and Media
Head of Faculty: Mrs Tarrant
email: stt@denefield.org.uk
The English faculty teaches English Language and Literature at Key Stage 3 and GCSE, English Literature to A Level, and Film Studies to A Level. The school library is also part of the English faculty.
If you require further information regarding our curriculum please contact the Head of Faculty as detailed above.
Curriculum and assessment maps can be accessed below.
English faculty curriculum intent
Our English curriculum promotes a love of language and literature. The inclusive and coherently planned program enables students to develop the literacy skills necessary to be successful in life. Recall and retention activities are integrated into lessons with regular assessment and homework activities helping to consolidate learning. Although we aim to achieve outstanding academic results, our curriculum goes beyond examinations. Transferable skills equip students with communication, analytical and evaluative skills that are valuable for future employment. Cultural capital is built by giving students the opportunity to read texts in context, by contemporary authors and those celebrated within our literary heritage. Overall, the English curriculum aims to build resilience and encourage learners to be ambitious and aspirational.
Detailed curriculum intent statements can be accessed here.
Course Overviews
Key Stage 3
Year 7 course content:
- Heroes and Villains
- The Tempest
- Persuasion
- Poetry
- A Monster Calls
- Pre 20th Century texts
Year 8 course content:
- Express Yourself
- WW1 Poetry
- Gothic Literature
- Animal Farm
- Finding a Voice
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Year 9 course content:
- Heroes
- Power and Conflict Poetry
- Journalism
- Jekyll and Hyde
- Romeo and Juliet
- Exam Skills
We have started Reading for Pleasure lessons in Key Stage 3 lessons as part of our strategy to improve reading engagement at Denefield.
Key Stage 4
Year 10 course content:
- Literature - A Christmas Carol
- Literature - Macbeth
- Literature - An Inspector Calls
- Literature - Poetry
- Language - paper 1 skills
- Language - paper 2 skills
- Language - speaking and listening
Year 11 course content:
- Literature - A Christmas Carol revision
- Literature - Macbeth revision
- Literature - An Inspector Calls revision
- Literature - Poetry
- Language - paper 1 skills
- Language - paper 2 skills
- Exam skills
Key Stage 5
A Level English Literature units:
- Unseen Prose
- Novel Spies
- Drama All My Sons
- Poetry Feminine Gospels
- Unseen Poetry
- Unseen Prose
- Novel The Great Gatsby
- NEA Coursework
A Level Film units
- Global Film - Life is Beautiful
- Global Film – City of God
- British Film since 1995– This is England
- British Film since 1995 – Trainspotting
- Experimental Film – Pulp Fiction
- Silent Cinema
- Documentary Film – Amy
- Classic Hollywood – Some Like it Hot
- New Hollywood – Do the Right Thing
- American film since 2005 – La La land
- American film since 2005 - Captain Fantastic
- NEA Coursework
Exam Boards:
GCSE English and English Literature - AQA
A Level English Literature - AQA
A Level Film Studies - EDUQAS
Recovery curriculum
In English we are striving to ensure that students catch up with their learning and that exam classes still achieve highly, despite the disruption due to Covid-19. A key part of this is identifying gaps in students’ understanding or knowledge and then addressing gaps in a timely manner. This is being done through amended schemes of work and use of Educake and Satchel quizzes to test factual knowledge and skills. In addition, reading age tests will enable us to identify students who need extra intervention and an English Learning Champion has been employed to work with small groups of students who need extra support with literacy.
Extra-curricular clubs and visits organised by the English faculty
- Feminist Club – Thursday lunchtime in the English faculty
- Book Club – Wednesday after school in the English faculty
- Newspaper Club – Thursday after school in the English faculty