English

It is a source of great pleasure to watch pupils enjoy completing speaking tasks for the English Speaking Board examinations at the end of Years 7, 8 and 9.

The quality of delivery of both poetry and drama pieces is very impressive and the prepared talks are informative and highly interesting. For the teacher it is most satisfying to see the growth of confidence in the young people as they project their personalities to an audience and deliver their talks with enthusiasm, clarity and precision.

The appreciation of drama and poetry is developed in Years 10 and 11 in a very practical way through theatre visits, sometimes as far as the Old Vic in London, and to Poetry Days where the students meet renowned poets whose work they are studying for the AQA examination.

English is a much loved subject at Kingsmead, brought alive and made real for the young people it is our privilege to teach.

GCSE Curriculum

Drama

This is an exciting new introduction for the near future. Drama is a practical subject that will appeal to those interested in both performing and producing a variety of entertainment types.

For Drama coursework students select two options, one of which may be a technical or design option. These options might involve working in a small group to plan and perform both scripted and unscripted pieces. Other options might involve working on improvisations, puppet plays or dance. More technical options include stage management, costume and set design as well as sound and lighting.

Students also spend time studying a choice of six set plays. In the final two-hour examination they will be expected to answer questions on a set play and respond to performances of plays they have seen during their course.

English

Students must demonstrate their ability in three skill areas: speaking & listening, reading and writing. Each skill area is assessed by examination and/or coursework.

Speaking and Listening is wholly assessed by coursework and involves three components: a prepared talk on a subject of personal interest, a drama-focused activity and a group debate. The oral components constitute 20% of the total GCSE marks.

Reading. Students are examined on the content of unseen non-fiction items taken from such sources as newspaper articles, biographies, letters, leaflets etc. They will also be examined on a Shakespeare play, one novel and a selection of poetry. Either Shakespeare or the novels can be assessed orally, if desired.

Writing. Students produce two pieces of original writing in the examinations and a third piece for coursework. A further coursework task involves a written response to a media item.

Extra Curricular

During the GCSE course students are taken to the theatre to see a performance of the Shakespeare play they are studying. They also attend a Poetry Day to hear poets, whose work has been set for examination, reading their poetry and discussing their writing.

The English Literature course aims to develop in students the ability to read, understand and respond to a wide range of types of literary text, and to appreciate the ways in which authors achieve their effects. The students are also made aware of social, historical and cultural contexts and influences in the study of literature. Students must demonstrate their ability to:

respond to texts critically using textual evidence as appropriate;
explore how language, structure and forms contribute to the meaning of texts;
explore relationships and comparisons within and between texts;
show their understanding of literary tradition and appreciation of social and historical influences and cultural contexts.

Six categories of literature are studied: Pre-20th century prose; 20th century prose; pre-20th century poetry; 20th century poetry; pre-20th century drama (Shakespeare); 20th century drama. Although the study of literature is academically challenging, it is a pleasurable and stimulating experience not necessarily confined to the classroom. Theatre visits are arranged for the students, and they are also given the opportunity to meet poets whose work they are studying. Although the literary texts themselves provide the staple diet of the course, considerable use is also made of audio and video recordings to ensure interest and variety.