English
The Hylands’ English department aims to foster a love, appreciation and understanding of both literature and language throughout Key Stage 3, preparing students with the skill set and ability to approach the rigours and requirements of the GCSE and A Level courses.
We feel that it is essential for our students to leave the school with the reading and writing skills necessary to allow them to enter the ever changing face of the twenty-first century workplace and all that that entails.
GCSE English Language
Students undertake a two-year course following the AQA GCSE English Language and the AQA English Literature. The English Language provides opportunities for students to acquire and develop skills that are then applicable to their wider studies and, later, in the workplace.
They will gain reading skills that allow them to infer and deduce meanings from a wide range of language texts as well as summarise, explore, and analyse them. Students are also expected to write with precise technical accuracy, showing that they can develop arguments, write creatively, and consider purpose, form, and audience.
GCSE English Literature
The study of Literature means engaging with a broad range of texts. It will help students develop a critical awareness of themselves and changing society, as well as an appreciation of other societies and cultures. Although this course still reflects the study of traditional texts such as English Literary Heritage and Shakespeare it also consists of contemporary texts and authors. Students are encouraged to learn through multi-modal references such as films and modern adaptations and interpretations.
Students will study a range of pre and post 20th century novels, poetry and plays. Some of the texts studied are: 'An Inspector Calls', 'Romeo and Juliet', 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' as well as poetry by a range of poets from both the literary heritage and contemporary cannons. All the texts are aim at enriching our students' reading experience and broadening their contextual knowledge of different societies and cultures.
Key Stage 3 English
At Hylands we want our students to become empathetic, critical explorers who are skilled in communication. Our students will be able to access texts and effectively communicate in a variety of forms as we build competency in spelling and grammar and expose our students to a rich range of vocabulary.
We want our students to become independent, considered, reflective thinkers when interpreting texts and ideas. We want them to discover and develop voices to enable them the freedom to express their creativity.