ENGLISH
Welcome to the English department! From the moment you arrive at Bishop Vaughan up until the end of Year 13, you’ll have opportunities to tell stories, explore great myths and to discover your voice. You will develop a range of complex reading, writing and speaking skills that will ensure you become confident speakers, critical readers and creative writers.
Moreover, as a department, our aim is to help you recognise the world of opportunity that reading opens up for you. You’ll meet different voices from different contexts with different views. Travel the world from the comfort of you seat, as you a study a range of novels, plays and poems from Wales, Britain, India, Africa and North America.
At GCSE, you’ll have the opportunity to study two GCSEs in English Literature and in English Language. While at A-Level, you’ll have the opportunity to study a collection of some of the most beautiful works of poetry in the English language. You’ll also have the opportunity to continue developing your creativity as a writer!
Beyond the classroom, we also offer a range of extra-curricular activities, including creative writing and debating.
In Years 7 to 9 pupils will develop their skills in oracy, reading and writing. They will have the opportunity to prepare individual oral presentations and to take part in group and class discussions. They will be encouraged to read for pleasure and to study a range of both fiction and nonfiction texts. There will be a focus on spelling, punctuation and grammar and they will be able to write for many different audiences and purposes.
KEY STAGE 3 SUMMARY - YEAR 7
ADVENTURE: The class reading book is a mystery novel called ‘The Goldfish Boy’ by Lisa Thompson. Pupils will be able to enjoy the book as well as complete a wide range of oracy, reading and writing tasks. Pupils will also complete a skills booklet with a range of comprehension activities on several nonfiction texts on the theme of ‘Adventure’. They will also have the opportunity to complete an extended piece of writing.
ENVIRONMENT & WELSH IDENTITY: Pupils will learn about a variety of myths and legends including King Arthur, Daedalus and Icarus and The Mabinogion. They will also be able to write their own myth or legend. They will then go on to study several poems connected to the theme of ‘The Environment’ as well as complete a thematically linked skills booklet and write their own poem.
MAGICAL PLACES: Pupils will learn about William Shakespeare and The Globe theatre. They will then focus on ‘The Tempest’ which gives many opportunities for discussion and creative writing and some analysis. They will also complete a skills booklet connected to our theme of ‘Magical Places’.
KEY STAGE 3 SUMMARY - YEAR 8
FAMILIES & RELATIONSHIPS / CONFLICT: The class reading book is an historical fiction novel based on WWI called ‘Private Peaceful’ by Michael Morpurgo. Pupils will be able to enjoy the book as well as complete a wide range of oracy, reading and writing tasks. Pupils will also complete a skills booklet with a range of comprehension activities on several nonfiction texts, including poetry on the key themes. They will also have the opportunity to complete extended pieces of writing.
LOCATION & WALES: Pupils will study Gothic Literature using a range of texts. The class reading book will be ‘Coraline’ by Neil Gaiman. Pupils will also complete a skills booklet with a range of comprehension activities on several nonfiction texts related to Wales.
LEADERSHIP & STEREOTYPES: Pupils will build on their knowledge of William Shakespeare and study sections of ‘Macbeth’, completing a range of oracy, reading and writing tasks.
KEY STAGE 3 SUMMARY - YEAR 9
POWER & CONTROL/SURVIVAL: The class reading book is a dystopian novel called ‘The Hunger Games’ by Suzanne Collins, the first book in a series of four. Pupils will be able to enjoy the book as well as complete a wide range of oracy, reading and writing tasks. Pupils will also complete a skills booklet with a range of comprehension activities on several nonfiction texts, related to the key themes. They will also have the opportunity to complete extended pieces of writing.
HOMELESSNESS / SHAKESPEARE: Pupils will complete a range of oracy, reading and writing tasks connected to the theme, including poetry. There are many opportunities for extended pieces of writing.
FRIENDSHIP & DREAMS: The final term is spent on preparation for the Language and Literature GCSEs, studying relevant fiction and nonfiction key texts. This involves completing a wide range of oracy, reading and writing tasks in the style of the GCSE examinations.
KEY STAGE 4 SUMMARY
Pupils complete two GCSEs in English: GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature.
GCSE English Literature
Unit 1 (35%)- Prose (different cultures) and poetry (contemporary)
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Section A (21%): Exam on Of Mice and Men.
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Section B (14%): Exam on poetry comparison.
Unit 2 (40%)- Literary Heritage Drama and Contemporary Prose
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A 2-hour exam split into two sections, one on the play An Inspector Calls by J.B Priestley and the other on Heroes by Robert Cormier.
Unit 3 (25%): Shakespeare and Welsh Writing in English
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Section A (12.5%): Shakespeare - analysis of set theme in a Shakespeare play.
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Section B (12.5%): Welsh writing in English - comparative analysis of poems written by Welsh poets.
GCSE English Language
Unit 1 (20%) - Oracy:
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Task 1 (10%): Individual Presentation.
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Task 2 (10%): Group Discussion.
Unit 2 (40%) - Description, Narration and Exposition:
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Section A (20%): Reading - A series of questions relating to a range of small texts in the paper.
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Section B (20%): Writing - One proofreading task focusing on writing accurately. There will also be one writing task to be chosen from a selection of two options.
Unit 3 (40%) - Persuasion, Argumentation and Instructional:
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Section A (20%): Reading - A series of questions relating to a range of small texts in the paper.
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Section B (20%): Writing - One compulsory argumentation writing task and one compulsory persuasive writing task.
POST-16 SUMMARY
At A-Level, learners are offered the opportunity to study the combined qualification of English Language and Literature. It is an exciting, challenging and culturally expansive course. Learners will encounter Shakespeare, Milton, Swift, Wordsworth and Keats. They will also be studying interesting works of non-fiction such as Robert Minhinnick’s Watching the Fire-eater, alongside modern stage dramas such as Shakespeare in Love. Perhaps most excitingly of all, pupils will have the opportunity to develop their creative writing in a range of forms.
Unit 1: Comparative Analysis and Creative Writing (closed-book)
Section A: Comparative analysis of poetry and unseen text.
One question requiring a comparative analysis of one poem from the WJEC English Language and Literature Pre-1914 Poetry Anthology and an unseen text from a choice of two, one of which will be a spoken text.
Section B: Creative writing and commentary
One question presented in three parts comprising two writing tasks, one of which will require a text written to be spoken, and a commentary.
Unit 2: Drama and Non-literary Text Study (open-book, clean copy)
Section A: Post-1900 drama- One two-part question based on the reading of one play from a prescribed list.
Section B: Non-literary text study- One question based on the reading of one non-literary text from a prescribed list.
Unit 3: Shakespeare
Section A: Shakespeare extract- One extract-based question based on the reading of one Shakespeare play from the prescribed list for this unit.
Section B: Shakespeare essay- One essay question based on the reading of one Shakespeare play from the prescribed list for this unit.
Unit 4: Unseen Texts and Prose Study (open-book)
Section A: One question requiring comparative analysis of three unseen texts, one of which will be spoken language.
Section B: Prose study One question based on the reading of one prose text from a prescribed list Section A: Genre study A critical and sustained study of a prose genre Section B: Related creative writing One original writing assignment linked to the genre studied for Section A.
Unit 5: Critical and Creative Genre Study Non-exam assessment: 2500-3500 word folder
Section A: Learners are required to submit a 1500-2000 word study based on the reading of a prose text (selected from a prescribed list) and related wider reading from one of the following literary/non-literary prose genres:
• gothic
• science fiction
• romance
• dystopia
• crime
• satire/comedy
• historical fiction
• war/conflict
• adventure/journeys
• life-writing
• journalism
• travel
• identity/the outsider.
Learners must choose one genre and one text from the prescribed list in Appendix A of this specification. In addition, learners must select at least one other text within the same genre for wider reading.
Section B
Related creative writing Learners will produce one piece of original writing of approximately 1000-1500 words. This piece of writing must be in the same genre as that studied in Section A and must be informed by the research and study completed for Section A. In producing the piece of writing, learners will need to demonstrate their expertise as producers of language in relation to their accuracy and control of style for audience, form and purpose. For this task, ‘creativity’ will be demonstrated through the production of original and engaging writing.
EXTRA CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES
Creative Writing Club
Debate Club
