English enables learners to engage with the world around them through exploration, analysis and criticism. Holyhead English uses this perspective to develop student’s own view of the world through a range of multi-modal texts and Literature. We aspire to create individualism in a multi-faceted world where morality and ethics are debated and scrutinised, thus developing the ethical mind and the moral character. Holyhead English serves local community in this way to ensure that the future of the local community is bright, intelligent and ambitious.

Mrs M Sahonta

Director of Learning for English

Mrs A Daya

Assistant Director of Learning

Mr P Rafter

Assistant Director of Learning

English has a preeminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English will teach students to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading in particular, students have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables students both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society; students, therefore, who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised.

Key Stage 3

We aim to ensure that all students:

read easily, fluently and with good understanding
develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.

Enrichment opportunities

World Book Day
Spelling Bee
Young Writers Awards
Trip to Birmingham Library
Topical theatre Trips

Reading

Students will be taught to…

develop an appreciation and love of reading, and read increasingly challenging material independently through:
- reading a wide range of fiction and non-fiction, including in particular whole books, short stories, poems and plays with a wide coverage of genres, historical periods, forms and authors. The range will include high-quality works from:
  - English literature, both pre-1914 and contemporary, including prose, poetry and drama
  - Shakespeare (two plays)
  - seminal world literature
- choosing and reading books independently for challenge, interest and enjoyment.
- re-reading books encountered earlier to increase familiarity with them and provide a basis for making comparisons.
understand increasingly challenging texts through:
- learning new vocabulary, relating it explicitly to known vocabulary and understanding it with the help of context and dictionaries
- making inferences and referring to evidence in the text
- knowing the purpose, audience for and context of the writing and drawing on this knowledge to support comprehension
- checking their understanding to make sure that what they have read makes sense.
read critically through:
- knowing how language, including figurative language, vocabulary choice, grammar, text structure and organisational features, presents meaning
- recognising a range of poetic conventions and understanding how these have been used
- studying setting, plot, and characterisation, and the effects of these
- understanding how the work of dramatists is communicated effectively through performance and how alternative staging allows for different interpretations of a play
- making critical comparisons across texts
- studying a range of authors, including at least two authors in depth each year.

Writing

Students will be taught to…

write accurately, fluently, effectively and at length for pleasure and information through:
- writing for a wide range of purposes and audiences, including:
  - well-structured formal expository and narrative essays
  - stories, scripts, poetry and other imaginative writing
  - notes and polished scripts for talks and presentations
  - a range of other narrative and non-narrative texts, including arguments, and personal and formal letters
- summarising and organising material, and supporting ideas and arguments with any necessary factual detail
- applying their growing knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and text structure to their writing and selecting the appropriate form
- drawing on knowledge of literary and rhetorical devices from their reading and listening to enhance the impact of their writing
plan, draft, edit and proof-read through:
- considering how their writing reflects the audiences and purposes for which it was intended
- amending the vocabulary, grammar and structure of their writing to improve its coherence and overall effectiveness
- paying attention to accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling

Grammar and vocabulary

Students will be taught to…

consolidate and build on their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary through:
- extending and applying the grammatical knowledge to analyse more challenging texts
- studying the effectiveness and impact of the grammatical features of the texts they read
- drawing on new vocabulary and grammatical constructions from their reading and listening, and using these consciously in their writing and speech to achieve particular effects
- knowing and understanding the differences between spoken and written language, including differences associated with formal and informal registers, and between Standard English and other varieties of English
- using Standard English confidently in their own writing and speech
- discussing reading, writing and spoken language with precise and confident use of linguistic and literary terminology.

Spoken English

Students will be taught to…

speak confidently and effectively, including through:
- using Standard English confidently in a range of formal and informal contexts, including classroom discussion
- giving short speeches and presentations, expressing their own ideas and keeping to the point
- participating in formal debates and structured discussions, summarising and/or building on what has been said
- improvising, rehearsing and performing play scripts and poetry in order to generate language and discuss language use and meaning, using role, intonation, tone, volume, mood, silence, stillness and action to add impact.

Key Stage 4

In Key Stage 4, all students study both the Pearson Edexcel GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature courses.

Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9–1) in English Language

The purposes of this qualification are to:

provide evidence of students’ achievements against demanding and fulfilling content, giving students the confidence that the literacy skills, knowledge and understanding that they will have acquired during the course of their study are comparable to those of the highest performing jurisdictions in the world
provide a strong foundation for further academic and vocational study and for employment, to help students progress to a full range of courses in further and higher education. This includes Level 3 English courses, as well as Level 3 courses in other disciplines such as drama and theatre studies
provide (if required) a basis for schools and colleges to be held accountable for the performance of all of their students.

Qualification aims and objectives

The aims and objectives of the Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9–1) in English Language are to enable students to:

read a wide range of texts fluently and with good understanding
read critically and use knowledge gained from wide reading to inform and improve their own writing
write effectively and coherently using Standard English appropriately
use grammar correctly, punctuate and spell accurately
acquire and apply a wide vocabulary alongside knowledge and understanding of grammatical terminology, and linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
listen to and understand spoken language, and use spoken Standard English effectively. Spoken language will be reported as a separate grade on the student’s certificate.

Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9–1) in English Language.pdf

English Language

Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9–1) in English Literature.pdf

English Literature

Key Stage 5

In Key Stage 5, students can study AQA GCE A Level English Language Literature.

AQA Level 3 GCE A Level in English Language and Literature

Course Overview

Studying English provides you with the opportunity to develop your reading and analytical skills and build a lifelong love of reading. You’ll study a varied selection of different poetry and prose texts, exploring themes, language and structure. You’ll develop your critical thinking skills by studying a variety of unseen texts. You will reflect upon the creative process and produce your own original writing, drawing inspiration from the works that you have studied. English as a subject is highly respected and valued by the top universities. It is academically rigorous and that means it’s a fantastic introduction to the skills you’ll need in higher education.

Skills needed

There are four main skills you need to develop during your A-level course:

You need to show that you are capable of reading texts closely and thoughtfully and writing about those texts in ways that show intelligent engagement and control.
You need to show that you understand the characteristics of various kinds of language, ranging from speeches, podcasts and biographies to classic novels and drama.
You need to show that you are capable of producing writing that is appropriate to the purpose and audience specified in the task, showing conscious control of your choices of vocabulary, grammar and structure.
You need to show that you are capable of writing in a focused and analytical way about your own writing - the processes you apply, the choices you make and the evaluation of whether the text works as well as you intended.

Enrichment opportunities

Theatre visits, for example ‘The Kite-Runner’. Masterclasses, for example Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham. Access to clips, articles and revision resources through our subscription to the e-magazine website. The Sixth Form collection in the library will help you to read widely.

Sixth Form entry requirements

5 GCSE 4-9/A*-C Grades including a Grade 4 in both English and Mathematics.

Specific minimum GCSE entry requirements

(Grade C = 4/low-mid 5; Grade B = high 5 - 6; Grade A = 7) Grade 2/3 in English Language and English Literature Grade 6 in English Language exam component and a Grade 6 in English Literature.

AQA-7706-7707-SP-2015.PDF

English Language & Literature

Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance

English Poster.pdf