English

The English department endeavours to ensure that every student enjoys the best possible experience of English and achieves the best possible outcomes.

We follow the CCEA GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature specifications at KS4.

English Language
Unit 1: External Written Examination (30%)
Writing for Purpose & Audience and Reading to Access Non-Fiction & Media Texts
Unit 2: Speaking and Listening (20%)
Individual Presentation, Role Play, Group Discussion
Unit 3: Studying Spoken and Written Language Controlled Assessment (20%)
The Study of Spoken Language (10%)
The Study of Written Language (10%)
Unit 4: External Written Examination (30%)
Personal or Creative Writing and Reading Literary & Non-Fiction Texts

English Literature
Unit 1: External Written Examination (30%)
The Study of Prose (Of Mice & Men) (20%)
Unseen Prose (10%)
Unit 2: External Written Examination (50%)
The Study of Drama (An Inspector Calls or Blood Brothers) (25%)
The Study of Poetry (Conflict Anthology) (25%)
Unit 3: The Study of Shakespeare Controlled Assessment (20%)
Romeo & Juliet or Macbeth

Overview of KS5 Curriculum (If applicable)

We follow the CCEA GCE English Literature specification at KS5 (A Level):

AS (Year 13)
AS 1: External Written Examination (60% of AS; 24% of A Level)
The Study of Poetry 1900-Present (Robert Frost & Seamus Heaney)
The Study of Drama 1900-Present (A Streetcar Named Desire)
AS 2: External Written Examination (40% of AS; 16% A Level)
The Study of Prose Pre 1900 (Frankenstein or Wuthering Heights)

A2 (Year 14)
A2 1: External Written Examination (20% of A Level)
Shakespearean Genres (King Lear)
A2 2: The Study of Poetry Pre 1900 and Unseen Poetry (20% of A Level)
Emily Dickinson Anthology
A2 3: Internal Assessment (20% A Level)
Students complete a 2,500 word in-depth comparative study of two novels of their choice

Senior Debate Team
Junior Creative Writing Club
Soroptimist Public Speaking
Junior Queen’s University Belfast Public Speaking
Poetry in Motion