English
‘If you are having fun, you are not learning’…….The English Department does not agree with Miss Trunchbull and believes that in HGS English lessons you can do both! We try hard to make this happen.
Staff
Mrs. S Atkinson (Head of Dept)
Mr. K Organ (2nd in Dept)
Miss. M Abdullahi (Teacher of English)
Mrs. A Ahmed (Teacher of English)
Mr. N Duck (Head of Careers & Teacher of English)
Mrs. S Mann (Teacher of English)
Mr. A Sanders (Teacher of English)
Aims
Our Vision: Cultured … Engaged … Informed
In addition to the above, the English Department aims to offer a challenging and diverse curriculum within a lively and supportive learning environment. We want our pupils to be confident speakers, writers and readers and would hope to foster and encourage a lasting enjoyment of literature that will enrich their life experiences. We want to enrich the lives of all our students, whatever their background, allowing them to participate in cultural experiences that are so often denied to them. We want to give pupils access to the language structures, conventions and knowledge which are necessary to enable them to take their places in public life and become lifelong learners who are engaged and informed citizens. As a result of this, our students will have acquired the knowledge to become happy and successful leaders who are a positive force for good in British society.
Course Calendar
Please click here to view the KS3 Course Calendar
Please click here to view the KS4 Course Calendar
Please click here to view the KS5 Course Calendar
Curriculum
Overview:
Our curriculum is designed to meet and exceed the requirements of the National Curriculum as well as the wider Assessment Objectives at GCSE and A-Level. Our units of learning, across the Key Stages, are underpinned by:
- developing rich knowledge of literary texts;
- enhanced awareness of critical lenses and how such lenses can affect our reading and understanding of a text;
- employ knowledge in a way that develops fluency of thought and unique agency of ideas.
The overview is summarised in the table below where the ‘intent’ outlines the purpose of our curriculum, the ‘implementation’ summarises the vehicles used to drive our purpose and the ‘impact’ we expect in enabling our students to become ‘cultured, engaged and informed’.
Key Stage 3:
Our aim in these years is to foster a love of literature as well as to ensure the pupils are equipped to express themselves with clarity and finesse, orally and on paper. In Key Stage 3, the development of the boys’ creative and analytical writing skills is driven primarily through the close study of our six core concepts – genre, language study, modern prose, poetry, pre-20th century texts and Shakespeare – complemented by creative writing, drama-based activities, practice in public speaking and debating, and work on grammar. Our pupils are encouraged to read widely and deeply through their weekly reading lesson in the Reading Room, where students are given the tools to develop volitional reading and engender within our students the habit of reading for pleasure.
By the end of Key Stage 3, our students are able to think more synoptically and conceptually about literature and will understand the common features of literary traditions and the ways in which they have been used, adapted and sometimes subverted over time.
Key Stage 4
At KS4 all students follow the AQA specifications in English Language and English Literature. Students are taught by subject specialists in six groups, comprising one accelerated set and five mixed groups.
AQA English Language:
- Paper One – Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing
- Paper Two – Explorations in pre and post-twentieth-century non-fiction
- Non-Examined Assessment – Spoken Language
AQA English Literature:
- Paper One – Pre-20th Century: Shakespeare and Pre-Twentieth Century Fiction
- Paper Two – Modern texts and poetry
In addition to the assessment objectives as stipulated by examinations boards, we continue to focus on in ensuring that our units enable our students in:
- developing rich knowledge of literary texts;
- enhanced awareness of critical lenses and how such lenses can affect our reading and understanding of a text;
- employ knowledge in a way that develops fluency of thought and unique agency of ideas.
Key Stage 5 – A Level English Language
A Level English Language invites students to explore the fascinating ways in which language shapes—and is shaped by—human experience. The Edexcel course examines how English is used in diverse contexts, from everyday conversation to global communication, and how it has evolved over time. Students develop a precise understanding of linguistic frameworks and apply them to authentic spoken, written, and digital texts.
They are encouraged to investigate language variation, identity, and acquisition, while considering the cultural, social, and historical forces that influence language use. Creative writing tasks and independent research projects allow students to craft original work and reflect critically on their choices.
This qualification fosters essential skills for higher education and beyond, including:
- Analytical accuracy in interpreting complex language data.
- Critical engagement with debates on power, gender, and diversity.
- Clear, persuasive communication, both academic and creative.
By studying language as a living, dynamic system, students gain insight into human interaction and thought. English Language sits comfortably alongside humanities, social sciences, and STEM subjects, and is highly regarded by universities and employers.
In preparation for university study, our A-Level course and enrichment activities align with Gatsby benchmarks. Our three core objectives ensure students are ready for the next stage:
- Developing rich knowledge of linguistic concepts and theories.
- Enhanced awareness of critical perspectives and how they shape interpretation.
- Employing knowledge to develop fluency of thought and originality in analysis and writing.
English: Taking You Into The Future
English at HGS might provoke pupils in numerous ways. Least measurably but most importantly, it might incite a lifelong love of reading and a sensitivity to the power and subtlety of language. More practically, the skills it hones in and through reading, writing and thinking are essential in academia and the workplace. A growing number of students go on to read English at leading universities annually before pursuing careers in academia, the arts, law, the city, and numerous other areas.
