Exam board: Edexcel
Ciara Cardiff
ciara.cardiff@wilmingtonacademy.org.uk
Paper 1 - Shakespearean Text and Post-1914 Text
Paper 2 - 19th Century Text, Studied Anthology Poetry and Unseen Poetry
Grades 9 to 1
We aim to nurture students’ personal development and linguistic competence through writing in a variety of forms for a range of purposes and audiences and to increase their awareness of the writing process itself – from planning to proofreading and correction. A strong emphasis is placed upon linguistic and structural text conventions and upon the accuracy and presentation of written work. We also aim to promote the development of students’ evaluation and analysis skills to encourage critical thinking in order to study literature in-depth and investigate authorial intent. Students are provided with the opportunity to explore different genres of texts from different time periods. Students will develop an understanding of context and be able to discuss the links between their studied texts and the context in which they were written.
Post-1914 British Text - An Inspector Calls / Lord of the Flies / Journey’s End
Shakespearean Text - Macbeth
19th Century text - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde / A Christmas Carol
Anthology Poetry - The Relationships Poetry cluster
Unseen Poetry
literal and inferential comprehension: understanding a word, phrase, or sentence in context; exploring aspects of plot, characterisation, events, and settings; distinguishing between what is stated explicitly and what is implied; explaining motivation, the sequence of events, and the relationship between actions or events
critical reading: identifying the theme and distinguishing between themes; supporting a point of view by referring to evidence in the text; recognising the possibility of and evaluating different responses to a text; using an understanding of writers’ social, historical and cultural contexts to inform evaluation; making an informed personal response that derives from analysis and evaluation of the text
evaluation of a writer’s choice of vocabulary grammatical and structural features: analysing and evaluating how language (including figurative language), structure, form and presentation contribute to quality and impact; using linguistic and literary terminology for such evaluation (such as, but not restricted to, phrase, metaphor, meter, irony and persona, synecdoche, pathetic fallacy)
comparing texts: comparing and contrasting texts studied, referring where relevant to theme, characterisation, context (where known), style and literary quality; comparing two texts critically with respect to the above
producing clear and coherent text: writing effectively about literature for a range of purposes such as: to describe, explain, summarise, argue, analyse and evaluate; discussing and maintaining a point of view; selecting and emphasising key points; using relevant quotation and using detailed textual references
accurate Standard English: accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar
Students can continue their study of English in sixth form through the IB: Language and Literature course. English will provide students with the skills to critically read, respond to, and produce texts. Studying English improves open-mindedness, intercultural understanding, and communication, all crucial in our modern world. The IB emphasises the importance of critical thinking, reflection, and understanding of culture. English Language and Literature develop these mindsets through a close reading of texts, being able to relate a text to its form, genre, audience, and context of production, and reading texts from a variety of sources all around the globe.
Journalism, Law, Publishing, Media, Teaching, Advertising, Public Relations
English is a perfect complementary subject for any career path.