Studying English at Bloomfield Collegiate School

Curriculum Leader: Ms A. Kinsley-Smith

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” W. B Yeats

In the English department, we aim to promote curiosity and confidence in our students. In our curriculum, students develop communication skills, which benefit every possible career and life opportunity. Students are empowered to express themselves creatively and persuasively, both in writing and verbally. They learn how to analyse fiction, non-fiction and media texts and to spot when information is presented in a way intended to manipulate their emotions. We encourage them to challenge and question the world around them, and to form, justify and be prepared to defend or change their opinion on a wide range of real-life issues.

We study texts from diverse perspectives, voices and time periods to help students develop empathy skills, which they will need to work with or lead any team and in their personal relationships. They also learn to have a creative approach to problem solving and develop a sense of independence necessary to succeed in life. We hope students will leave us with a more informed world view and the vocabulary to understand and express their identity within that world.

Key Stage 3 Topics and Text Types:

Novels
Non-fiction
Poetry
Drama,. including Shakespeare
Creative and personal writing
Persuasive writing
Speaking and listening – role plays, individual presentations, group discussions, debates
Media

GCSE English Language

The English Language course builds on the Language and Literacy skills developed in Key Stage 3 English. Students demonstrate the skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing necessary to communicate with others confidently, effectively and appropriately. They learn how to express themselves creatively and precisely. They learn how to analyse various types of texts, including non-fiction, literary and media texts.

Specification

This is a CCEA course.

The detailed specification can be found in the CCEA website.

https://ccea.org.uk/key-stage-4/gcse/subjects/gcse-english-language-2017

Pupils study the following four units:

Unit 1: Examination

Section A: Writing

Task 1: Writing for Audience and Purpose

Section B: Reading

Tasks 2 and 3: Reading to Access Non-Fiction Texts

Tasks 4 and 5: Reading to Access Media Texts

Unit 2: Speaking and Listening Controlled Assessment

This consists of a role play, a group discussion and an individual presentation.

Unit 3: Written Controlled Assessment

Task 1: The Study of Spoken Language

Task 2: The Study of Written Language

Unit 4: Examination

Section A: Writing

Task 1: Personal or Creative Writing

Section B: Reading

Task 2: Comparing and Contrasting Literary Texts

Tasks 3 and 4: Reading Non-Fiction Texts

Examination Summary

Unit 1: Examination worth 30% of the qualification

Unit 2: Speaking and Listening Controlled Assessment worth 20% of the qualification

Unit 3: Written Controlled Assessment worth 20% of the qualification

Unit 4: Examination worth 30% of the qualification

Career Pathways

GCSE English Language is a requirement for the vast majority of career pathways and further education institutions as it shows the student has acquired a certain level of communication and literacy skills.

Transferable Skills

Pupils enhance their written and oral communication skills, their research and time-management skills, their critical reasoning skills and their ability to articulate knowledge and understanding, all of which may be utilised in many other subjects and careers.

GCSE English Literature

The English Literature course encourages students to become critical readers of prose, drama and poetry. Students read and analyse a range of texts and explore the language, themes, ideas and issues within them. They also explore contexts and consider the experiences of different times, cultures and viewpoints. It aims to promote reading for enjoyment and to nurture a lifelong love of reading.

Specification

This is a CCEA course.

The detailed specification can be found in the CCEA website. https://ccea.org.uk/key-stage-4/gcse/subjects/gcse-english-literature-2017

Pupils study the following three units:

Unit 1: Examination on the Study of Prose

Section A: Novel

This section of the examination is closed book. Students write an essay

communicating their knowledge and understanding of the novel they have studied in class.

Section B: Unseen Prose

In this section, students analyse and evaluate a nineteenth-century prose extract. The extract is unseen, meaning the students have not seen it before the examination.

Unit 2: Examination on the Study of Drama and Poetry

Section A: Drama

This section of the examination is open book. Students write an essay communicating their knowledge and understanding of the play they have studied in class.

Section B: Poetry

This section of the examination is also open book. Students analyse, evaluate, compare and contrast two of the poems from the Identity anthology studied in class.

Unit 3: Controlled Assessment on the Study of Shakespeare Students study a Shakespearean play and have two hours to write an essay exploring how a set theme is presented in this play through language and dramatic methods such as costume, staging and use of props. The theme changes each year and is set by CCEA.

Examination Summary

Unit 1: Examination worth 30% of the qualification

Unit 2: Examination worth 50% of the qualification

Unit 3: Written Controlled Assessment worth 20% of the qualification

Career Pathways

GCSE English Literature develops analytical and communication skills that are of use in many careers including advertising, writing, creative arts, counselling, journalism, tourism, marketing, PR, scriptwriting, acting, welfare rights, politics, law, publishing, and teaching.

Our students have gone on to study and work in various fields including the media, both in front of and behind the camera, medicine, criminology, law, Egyptology, paramedic sciences, nutrition and culinary arts.

Transferable Skills

Pupils enhance their written and oral communication skills, their ability to work independently as well as in groups, skills in articulating knowledge and understanding, skills in effectively conveying arguments and opinions as well as critical reasoning and analytical skills, all of which may be utilised in many other subjects and careers.

A Level English Literature

The study of English Literature at A Level represents a progression from GCSE English Literature. As well as requiring a detailed knowledge of plot, themes and characters, students will analyse the techniques used by writers of poetry, prose and drama to manipulate the responses of readers and audiences. They will also consider a variety of critical interpretations of texts and study the social, cultural and historical contexts within which the texts were written.

English Literature students should enjoy reading widely and independently. They will have to evaluate a range of texts with critical analysis. Enthusiastic students may also have opportunities to act as mentors to younger students and to participate in our Sixth Form book club, Cake & Classics.

Specification

This department follows the CCEA Specification.

https://ccea.org.uk/post-16/gce/subjects/gce-english-literature-2016

AS English Literature is examined in 2 modules (details in examination sections below).

A2 English Literature builds upon the skills learned during the AS course and involves the close study of more poetry, prose and drama from a range of different periods e.g. William Blake and Shakespeare right up to 21st century novels.

Examination Summary

AS Level Unit 1 is a 2 hour examination assessing the study of Poetry and Drama which was written between 1900 and the present day. This is chosen from a range of options including poets such as, Elizabeth Jennings, Philip Larkin, Robert Frost and Seamus Heaney and plays for example, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Crucible or Waiting for Godot.

AS Level Unit 2 is a 1 hour examination which assesses the study of Prose. One novel is studied, chosen from a range of options which includes The Scarlet Letter or Frankenstein.

(The AS Level is worth 40% of the overall A2 Level)

At A2 Level there are 3 units, each worth 20%. Unit 1 is Shakespearean Genres – this is a 1 ½ hour external examination paper based on the study of one play. Unit 2 is a 2 hour externally examined paper which assesses Poetry written pre-1900 and Unseen Poetry and Unit 3 is an internally assessed coursework unit. This is a 2,500 word essay in which students compare two novels (one of which must be a 21st century novel) based on a theme.

Career Pathways

Advertising copywriter, Author, Counsellor, (Fast-track) Civil Servant, Immigration Officer, Journalist, Tourist Information Assistant, Market Research interviewer, PR Officer, Scriptwriter, Actor, Welfare, Rights Worker, Adult Guidance Worker, Political Researcher, Legal careers, HR Officer, Librarian and Information Officer, Teacher of English as a Foreign Language Teacher.

Transferable Skills

Working independently, time management and organisation, planning and researching, articulating knowledge and understanding of texts, concepts and theories, leading and participating in discussions, negotiation and teamwork to present ideas and information, effectively conveying arguments and opinions and thinking creatively, using your judgement to weigh up alternative perspectives, critical reasoning and analysis and using IT.

Independent Learning Opportunities

For all Key Stages, resources are shared in class and on Teams including links to academic websites, online theatre productions, videos of poetry readings, links to explore a text’s historical, literary or biographical context, literacy games, quizzes and a large bank of resources made by the members of our department.