At Spring Hill High School, the English department offers a range of courses to develop every child's skills in the subject area. The team are dedicated and assist all children in the school to achieve their educational goals, which enables them to progress in this subject. The school offers innovative, creative and engaging learning schemes which are personalised to suit every student's interests and their learning needs. The passion and enthusiasm from the team has proven to be inspirational to the students, as they have developed, progressed and achieved in the subject at all key stages.
Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3, the students will focus on developing their skills in English language, with aims to provide opportunities to introduce skills development and familiarity with GCSE paper formats; to promote targeted teaching and learning strategies for groups of students as a lead into developing skills and time management strategies that can benefit students in Key Stage 4; develop opportunities for tracking of progress at formative and summative level. The students will focus on different writing for different purposes, this will include looking at fiction and nonfiction texts as well as writing texts for the six main purposes (describe, explain, advise, argue, inform and persuade). Alongside this, each year group (7, 8 & 9) will study novels from the 19th, 20th and 21st century, with a focus on characterisation and changes, themes and plot, to a more advanced focus on developing skills on the analysis of language and structure and making links and comparisons between texts.
Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4, the students will focus on developing their skills towards the English Language GCSE examination. They will prepare towards both exam paper A and exam paper B, as well as completing the GCSE Spoken Language unit. Students will study a range of fiction and nonfiction texts from different literature. They will develop their skills to exam responses based around the 9 assessment objectives. The students will analyse the language and structure used and how the writer has tried to influence the reader through their choices. They will also analyse 19th, 20th and 21st century texts and comment on the writer's viewpoints and perspectives. Students will also develop their skills in creative writing with a descriptive and narrative writing style, as well as writing for different purposes, which is assessed for accuracy, with a focus on spelling, punctuation, grammar and structure.
Functional Skills
The school also offers a range of qualifications and courses in Functional Skills for students with specific learning needs. Each functional skills course is offered at different levels which ranges from Entry Level 1, Entry Level 2 and Entry Level 3. The main focus of the Entry level courses is to develop applied skills in English, enabling them to get the most from life, learning and work. Using separate tasks, it assesses, Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening and Communication.The students are also offered Functional English Level 1 and Level 2 which gives students practical skills for the modern world and helps them get the most from life, learning and work.The course aims to ensure students have good communication skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening. It assesses whether students can use these skills in everyday situations. The course provides realistic contexts, scenarios and problems drawn from everyday life, the community, the workplace or educational settings.
Assessment in English
Assessment: This will be ongoing through in class study and Pupil self assessment and peer assessment of work
There is an opportunity for pupils become certified in their study through the AQA Unit awards scheme
