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SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING - WEDNESDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2026 5 - 7pm
Curriculum
Subject aimIn English, all students are working towards excellence. Reading, writing and speaking are powerful tools for learning, self-expression and change. Through the study of English, students develop the knowledge, confidence and independence to thrive in school and beyond.
An excellent student of English reads widely and thoughtfully, writes with clarity and purpose, and speaks with confidence and respect. We want students to be ambitious, resilient and willing to engage with big ideas, different viewpoints and challenging texts.
Through great literature, meaningful communication and critical thinking, students are empowered to understand themselves, others and the world around them, and to shape the future with accuracy, precision and conviction.
Across all Key Stages, students develop reading, writing, speaking and listening, literary knowledge, critical thinking, vocabulary and independence. These strands are taught explicitly and revisited across the curriculum so that students build secure knowledge over time.
Students build from Key Stage 2 by reading increasingly challenging fiction, non-fiction, drama and poetry. They learn how writers create meaning, develop fluency and vocabulary, and write creatively, analytically and persuasively. Speaking and listening are developed through discussion, reading aloud, debate and presentation. Key Stage 3 English is taught in Years 7 to 9, with students receiving 6 hours per fortnight in Years 7 and 8, and 7 hours per fortnight in Year 9.
Students study GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature as discrete courses. Each subject is taught over 5 hours per fortnight. Students continue to develop reading accuracy, analysis, comparison, evaluation, creative writing, viewpoint writing and spoken communication. Assessment, DIRT and reteaching are planned carefully so that feedback leads to visible improvement rather than unnecessary workload.
Students can opt to study A Level English Language and A Level English Literature over 8 hours per fortnight. Students become independent analysts, writers and scholars, developing subject expertise, academic confidence and the ability to engage with complex ideas, texts, theories and critical perspectives.
Year 7
Students begin with "Myths and Characterisation", exploring how stories shape moral values, heroes, archetypes and consequences. They then study "Reading Non-Fiction - Equality", developing reciprocal reading, skimming, scanning, retrieval, inference and comparison through real-world texts about achievement, fairness and barriers. The whole-novel study of "Ghost Boys" builds reading stamina and introduces structure, perspective, juxtaposition, symbolism and moral message. In "Gothic Writing", students craft atmosphere, setting, tension and narrative control. The year ends with "Shakespeare's Heroes and Villains" and "Transformational Monologues", where students study dramatic voices, perform, redraft and speak with clarity and intention.
Year 8
Students begin with Dickens and characterisation, studying "Oliver Twist" and wider Dickens extracts to understand vivid character creation, social critique, context and reader response. They then write non-fiction on crime and punishment, using viewpoint, purpose, audience, tone, evidence, moral reasoning and the PLEASE structure. In "Protest Poetry", students explore how poetry can challenge injustice and give voice to the marginalised. They study "Blood Brothers" as modern drama, focusing on class, inequality, tragedy, staging and performance, before moving to "Romeo and Juliet" to develop knowledge of Shakespearean tragedy, fate, conflict, authority and dramatic method. The year concludes with "The Power of Voices", where students explore the history of English, accent, dialect, sociolect, idiolect, identity, code-switching, presentation and group discussion.
Year 9
Year 9 consolidates KS3 knowledge and prepares students for GCSE. Students begin with "A Christmas Carol", exploring Scrooge's transformation, Victorian context, poverty, responsibility and moral message. They then study selected extracts from "Julius Caesar", developing knowledge of Shakespearean tragedy, rhetoric, tyranny, manipulation, honour and political conflict. In "Dystopian Creative Writing", students craft original narratives about power, control and resistance, learning to shape setting, character, tension, perspective and endings. The modern drama unit introduces the RSC adaptation of "Noughts and Crosses", focusing on prejudice, privilege, inequality and dramatic method. Students then study "Identity and Conflict Poetry", building confidence in poetic method and comparison. The year ends with a transition to GCSE through cold reads of the AQA "Power and Conflict" anthology and Dennis Kelly's.
Year 10
English Language: Students begin with AQA Paper 1 fiction reading, using reciprocal reading and structured analysis to develop comprehension, language analysis, structure and evaluation. They then move into Paper 1 creative writing, focusing on narrative openings, atmosphere, focus, zoom, moment, shift and sentence control. Students then develop Paper 2 non-fiction reading and writing, learning to summarise, compare viewpoints, analyse language and write purposeful viewpoint texts. Following the Paper 2 PPE, students return to Paper 1 reading and writing before completing the Spoken Language Project, where they plan, draft, rehearse and deliver a speech.
English Literature: Students study the full AQA "Power and Conflict" poetry anthology alongside unseen poetry routines, building knowledge of story, message, method, context and comparison. They then study "DNA" by Dennis Kelly, exploring dramatic method, morality, peer pressure, leadership and consequence. Before the Year 10 PPE, students revisit anthology and unseen poetry. The final part of Year 10 focuses on "Macbeth", developing knowledge of Shakespearean tragedy, ambition, guilt, power, kingship, tyranny and whole-play argument.
Year 11
English Language: Students begin with Paper 1 mastery, refining reading routines for comprehension, language, structure and evaluation while developing controlled creative writing. After the Paper 1 PPE and DIRT, students move into Paper 2 mastery, strengthening summary, language analysis, viewpoint comparison and transactional writing. Following the Paper 2 PPE, final preparation is responsive and bespoke, with targeted revision of both papers, exam timing, proofreading, question routines and personal areas for improvement.
English Literature: Students begin with "A Christmas Carol" alongside a "Macbeth" rewind so that Paper 1 knowledge is secure before PPE1. They then move into Paper 2 mastery, revisiting "DNA", the AQA "Power and Conflict" anthology and unseen poetry. PPE2 assesses the full Literature Paper 2. The final phase is interleaved and responsive, securing "Macbeth", "A Christmas Carol", "DNA", poetry comparison, unseen poetry, thesis writing, whole-text references, context and exam routines.
Year 12
English Language: Students begin by building subject expertise in language levels, meanings and representations, including lexis, semantics, grammar, phonology, pragmatics, discourse and analytical writing. They then develop comparison, social group language, regional variation, global Englishes and gender, alongside evaluative writing and language discourses. Students learn how to write linguistically informed opinion articles and launch the Original Writing NEA in the summer term, with an introduction to Child Language Development.
English Literature: Students follow AQA English Literature B through two strands: Tragedy and Elements of Social and Political Protest Writing. In Tragedy, students study "Othello", Keats' poetry and "Death of a Salesman". In Political Protest, students study "The Kite Runner" and Blake's poetry. Students develop academic argument, genre knowledge, critical thinking, contextual understanding and comparison. The NEA is launched in the summer term through question development, independent literary research and planning.
Year 13
English Language: Students deepen their study of language through Language Change, Language and Technology, Child Language Development and full-course interleaving. They explore how English changes over time, how technology affects communication, how children acquire language, and how language debates operate in society. Students complete and refine NEA work, respond to PPE feedback and prepare for both A Level papers through targeted practice, theory retrieval, evaluation, comparison and exam craft.
English Literature: Students complete and interleave the AQA B course. In Tragedy, students revisit "Death of a Salesman", "Othello" and Keats through concepts such as power, gender, suffering, responsibility, endings and structure. In Political Protest, students study "The Handmaid's Tale" and compare it with "The Kite Runner" and Blake through power, oppression, gender, resistance, voice and violence. NEA drafting, tutorial feedback and final refinement continue alongside examination preparation.
The English faculty provide a diverse range of enrichment opportunities to help contextualise and bring the curriculum to life. Students have opportunities to take part in debate, film criticism, writing competitions, creative writing activities, theatre trips, live productions, visiting speakers and university-linked experiences. These opportunities support students in seeing English as a living subject connected to culture, identity, creativity and the wider world.
The study of English is excellent preparation for the workplace and Higher Education. It supports students to read critically, write accurately, think independently, communicate clearly and understand people and ideas. These skills are valued across many careers including law, journalism, publishing, marketing, public relations, education, event management, leisure, hospitality, tourism, administration, business, social care and the creative industries.
Leaders of English: Miss S Gibson and Mr M Storey
Please contact the English Faculty using the TMHS Enquiry form.
