English Subject Staff 

Miss Peet Director of English Faculty
Mr Newton Lead Practitioner
Ms O'Neill Assistant Director of English 
Mrs Cross English Key Stage Co-ordinator
Ms Watts Teacher of English HPL Roscoe House
Mrs Haigh Teacher of English
Mrs Haworth Teacher of English
Dr Hinchliffe Teacher of English
Mrs Kennedy Teacher of English
Ms Peters Teacher of English
Mr Proctor Teacher of English

Subject Overview

Our aim is to develop students’ confidence, imagination and skills in the three main components of reading, writing and spoken communication*. Our curriculum will provide opportunities for pupils to communicate, compose and comprehend English Language and English Literature in a wide variety of forms. Our core purpose is to foster a love of literature and language, encouraging students to read widely and independently. We aim to make our students into discerning, critical readers whose analytical skills will allow them to interpret the ever more complex linguistic world around them. Our curriculum enables students to experience a range of contemporary and literary heritage prose, poetry and drama from our culture and different cultures around the globe, whilst also aiming to inspire students to express themselves imaginatively, appropriately and effectively.

*Spoken Communication is embedded throughout the English Curriculum.


Key Stage 3

Our school motto is the heart of our curriculum in English. Our aim is to examine the true power of words; challenging our students own thinking in order promote and inspire change. At KS3, our aim is to equip students with the skills and knowledge to become effective communicators enabling them to challenge societal views whilst also fostering an appreciation of how writers use language to incite and influence others. 


Key Stage 4

At Key Stage 4 we follow the EDUQAS syllabus for English Literature and AQA syllabus for Language. Students will study the following set texts for English Literature: Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Shakespeare’s Macbeth, an eighteen poem Equqas poetry anthology and Priestley’s An Inspector Calls. For English Language, our aim is to ensure students are exposed to a broad range of fiction and non-fiction texts spanning from pre-nineteenth century to modern day building on their skills from KS3 to become analytical, critical thinkers. We also strive to engender a love of literature and an appreciation of language which will inspire their own writing. 


Key Stage 5

At KS5 we follow the EDEXCEL syllabus for both English Language and Literature. Students will study the following texts for English Literature: A Streetcar Named Desire, The Handmaid’s Tale, Frankenstein, King Lear, the poetry of Christina Rossetti and a selection of modern poems from the Poems of the Decade anthology. For English Language our aim is to introduce our students to advanced language study through the development of students’ ability to be able to write for different audiences and purposes. Students will discover linguistic frameworks and how these can be used to analyse and interpret language.