Everyone needs to be proficient in English.   Not only is it the key to gaining expertise in all other subjects, it is vital for communication in life.   Therefore we aim to develop students’ speaking and listening skills as well as improving their standard of reading and writing.

We take English beyond the classroom.   Our students enjoy theatre visits, which adds to their understanding and enjoyment of the curriculum. We have for many years entered students into competitions such as ‘Youth Speaks’ with success and many have had their poems published in anthologies.   ICT has had a positive impact on students’ learning and we have incorporated this into several units of work, especially now we have the use of projectors and an interactive whiteboard in the department.

The Literacy Strategy and the National Curriculum give us a clear focus for our teaching and learning in Key Stage 3 and enable us to plan exciting and innovative lessons to which all students access and enjoy. Lessons are also planned to target the Assessment Focuses at Key Stage 3, which help prepare pupils for the SATs exams. In Key Stage 4 students follow the WJEC specifications for GCSE English and Literature, which offer a wide range of interesting and stimulating texts for study. Booster and Revision classes at Key Stage 3 and 4 are on offer to help pupils achieve their potential.