English
We believe that all students deserve a broad and ambitious English curriculum that inspires a love of the subject and promotes mastery of the reading, writing and verbal communication skills they will need to be successful in the modern world. It is important to us that we develop the academic and cultural capital of all our students by giving them supported access to the best that has been written and said: enlightening them and removing barriers to achievement in school and employment.
We strive to give our students: active and independent reading skills; accurate and compelling written language know-how and confidence in speaking as they move through Key Stage 3 into 4 and beyond. The learning journey is sequenced carefully so that all students, as they gain knowledge and skills, will be revisiting and building upon what they have learnt in earlier units and previous years. It is this ‘spiral curriculum’ and our specialist teachers’ range of innovative methods that help students to remember and put to use what they have learnt, as they progress.
The texts that students are exposed to range from well-loved works from our literary heritage through to the best modern texts. Each year students will have quality experience of canonical classics and marvellous modern prose, poetry, drama (including Shakespeare) and awe-inspiring non-fiction. We also believe that it is vital that our curriculum exposes our learners to a range of voices, from backgrounds that may be different to their own. It is this expanded world view that creates compassionate and intellectually engaged citizens of the world.
We aim to empower our students to have the ability to both construct and question meaning – this not only enhances their life chances but allows them to question and respond thoughtfully to what they see/hear and read. Mastery of the English language is a powerful tool for success and our curriculum prepares our students for their post-16 career aspirations, whatever they may be.
Take a look at the English Learning Journey here.
Teaching staff
- Mr Ben Rew: Head of Faculty english@jkhs.org.uk
- Miss Darcy Williams: Second in English d.williams@jkhs.org.uk
- Mrs Rebecca Meikle
- Mrs Caroline Walding
- Mrs Amy Cannon
- Miss Rachael Harries
- Miss Freya McLaughlin
- Mrs Fiona Moore: Assistant Headteacher
- Mrs Lucy Morgan
- Miss Olivia Phillips
- Mrs Alex Rees
- Miss Natasha Makondora
Key Stage 3 English
At Key Stage 3, we aim to encourage students to explore their creativity, promote independent thought and inspire a lifelong love of reading.
On arrival at John Kyrle High School, students are placed into sets for English. Students’ Key Stage 2 results are used to inform this process, which is reviewed after the first half-term and at regular intervals throughout Key Stage 3. Our aim is to ensure that all students are in the most suitable environment to enable them to succeed.
Our Key Stage 3 curriculum is strategically designed to build on learning from Key Stage 2 and to ensure that students are ready for success at Key Stage 4. Each year builds on prior knowledge and skills while increasing the level of challenge. The curriculum is taught in termly units based on a central theme, with a different core text studied each half-term. Across each year, students engage with a wide range of challenging and engaging literary texts and continue to develop their skills in:
- Fiction reading and writing
- Non-fiction reading and writing
- Modern drama
- Poetry
- Shakespeare
- Speaking and listening
In Year 7, students study units focused on the power of words, including Telling Tales, Animal Farm, Powerful Young Voices (non-fiction), Shakespeare’s World, The Tempest and This Is Me (poetry).
In Year 8, students explore the use of literary techniques and structure through units such as Man vs Nature (poetry), Our World (non-fiction), Gothic literature (descriptive writing), Jekyll and Hyde, Hamlet and Ghost Boys.
In Year 9, students bring these skills together in units focused on the theme of power and oppression. These include Power and Oppression in Society (non-fiction protest writing), A View from the Bridge, Power and Oppression poetry, Lord of the Flies, Problems with Power (short stories and narrative writing) and Romeo and Juliet.
Key Stage 4 English
At GCSE, our pupils are exposed to a wide range of engaging, thought‑provoking and enlightening texts that help them to understand both our literary heritage and the role of English at the heart of the modern world. From studying Shakespeare and Dickens to exploring the evolution of language and communication through articles and speeches, students learn to question, analyse and interrogate the methods writers use to construct texts and shape their impact on an audience. Throughout their studies of both English Language and English Literature, pupils take part in regular writing challenges that provide opportunities to create, consolidate and constructively critique their work.
All students study the AQA (linear) English Language and English Literature GCSEs. One hundred per cent of each student’s GCSE grade is generated through terminal examinations at the end of Year 11. All students sit the same examinations; there are no higher or foundation tiers in either subject. In total, students will complete four examinations, resulting in two GCSE qualifications: English Language and English Literature. A summary of each examination is outlined below.
English Language
In Language Paper 1, the curriculum is designed to challenge, motivate and inspire students through the exploration of fiction. Students analyse a range of extracts from literature, past and present, while also developing their creative skills through narrative and descriptive writing. We aim to strengthen students’ reading comprehension and analytical skills through the study of texts from dystopian fiction, including 1984 by George Orwell and The Maze Runner, alongside more contemporary works such as Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and The Lovely Bones.
Language Paper 2 exposes pupils to a wide range of writers’ viewpoints and perspectives through non‑fiction texts. This provides opportunities to compare texts, both old and new, on a given topic, while also scrutinising and challenging the presentation of current affairs and modern issues in the media. Pupils encounter inspiring speeches by figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Emma Watson and explore the realities of the judicial system through newspaper articles. Through this study, students gain cultural capital and develop a deeper understanding of, and engagement with, the world around them.
Equipped with an understanding of how skilled writers influence their readers, pupils go on to produce their own accomplished non‑fiction pieces, enabling them to express informed viewpoints on important moral and ethical issues.
GCSE English Language specification: AQA | GCSE | English Language | Introduction
- English Literature
Paper 1: 40%
Shakespeare: Macbeth
Through the study of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, pupils develop their understanding of one of the most influential writers in English literature. Students explore life in 17th-century England, make informed and well-evidenced inferences about characters, and analyse how Shakespeare presents key themes such as ambition, the supernatural and loyalty through language and dramatic technique.
In the examination, pupils are required to analyse the language and structure of a given extract and demonstrate secure knowledge of the play as a whole in order to support their ideas.
19th-Century Novel: A Christmas Carol
Pupils immerse themselves in the world of 19th-century London through the study of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. By following Scrooge’s transformative journey and his supernatural visits on Christmas Eve, students explore key themes including redemption, poverty and family responsibility.
In the examination, pupils analyse the language and structure of an extract and draw on their understanding of the novella as a whole to develop a thoughtful and coherent response.
Paper 2: 60%
Modern Drama: An Inspector Calls
Through the study of J. B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, students learn how meaning is created through dramatic conventions and how literature extends beyond the printed page. Set in post–World War II Britain, the play allows students to explore social, political and moral issues, with a focus on gender, age and social class, and to consider their relevance in modern society.
Where possible, the teaching of this text is supported by a theatre visit, allowing students to experience the impact of live performance and deepen their understanding of dramatic techniques.
In the examination, pupils formulate informed personal interpretations of the play, responding to a question based on a character or a theme and making thoughtful links across the text to show changes and developments.
Poetry Anthology: Power and Conflict
Students study the Power and Conflict poetry anthology, exploring how poets present ideas about power, conflict and human experience. From Wilfred Owen to John Agard, pupils analyse the poets’ use of language, form and structure across fifteen poems.
To support their understanding of these themes, students also study a range of non-fiction texts, allowing them to consider how issues of power and conflict remain relevant in today’s world.
Unseen Poetry
Using the analytical skills developed throughout the course, pupils respond to unseen poems from a variety of time periods. In the examination, students analyse a previously unseen poem and express clear, developed ideas before comparing it with a second poem that explores a similar theme.
Assessment and Revision
All students in Years 10 and 11 are assessed every half-term in line with AQA examination criteria. Pupils also complete formal mock examinations at the end of Year 10 and during the autumn and spring terms of Year 11.
All GCSE English Literature examinations are closed book. This means that pupils are expected to revise texts regularly throughout Year 10 and Year 11 in order to develop secure knowledge and confidence for the final examinations.
GCSE English Literature specification AQA | GCSE | English Literature | Introduction
