ENGLISH
Department Vision
The English Department at Wilmington Grammar School for Boys provides an enriching and aspirational student experience, providing cultural capital and transferable skills. Students are given access to a learning journey, with knowledge and skills building on prior learning. We aim to develop a highly supportive classroom environment, where all students have the opportunity to enjoy English and have the confidence to achieve their full potential. We will produce well-rounded learners that are enabled and encouraged to achieve truly excellent and aspirational outcomes.
Year 7
Year 7
Topic | Learning Outcome | |
Term 1 | Introduction to Secondary English: Texts through Time Introduction to Secondary English: Key Skills | Introduction to the literary timeline, exploring literary canon and the evolution of English, through an exploration of key eras in literature: Medieval, Renaissance, Romanticism, Victorian. Contextual consideration of changing expectations of genders. Introduction to the skills of reading and comprehending, finding and using quotations, as well as analysing an extract. |
Term 2 | Texts in Context: Class Reader – The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Where the World Ends, The Bone Sparrow | Reading a whole novel. Students will explore plot, character and setting, as well as relevant symbolism and allusion, with – where relevant – considerations of gender, conflict, political systems, human rights, prejudices, and examples of prolepsis (foreshadowing) and analepsis (flashback). There will also be development of student understanding of different narrative styles, and writer’s techniques and intentions. |
Term 3 | Literary Heritage: Myths and Legends | Introduction to ancient mythologies’ and legends’ themes: power, gender and hierarchy. The moral messages of the tales will be considered in a modern context, as well as writer’s techniques and intentions. Relevant allusions and symbolism will also be explored. Students will also be introduced to the terms tragic hero, hamartia, hubris. |
Term 4 | Narrative Techniques: Class Reader – Boy, The Bone Sparrow, My Name is Mina, War Horse | Reading a whole novel. Students will explore plot, character and setting, as well as relevant symbolism and allusion, with – where relevant – considerations of gender, conflict, political systems, human rights, prejudices, and examples of prolepsis (foreshadowing) and analepsis (flashback). There will also be development of student understanding of different narrative styles, and writer’s techniques and intentions. |
Term 5 | An Introduction to Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing | Introduction to Shakespeare, reading of key scenes, develop understanding of a play and the key themes of gender, love, hate and jealousy. Introduction to Shakespeare’s language and form. There will also be a focus on stagecraft and examples of prolepsis (foreshadowing) and analepsis (flashback), and writer’s techniques and intentions. |
Term 6 | Pre-1900 texts: The Poetry of William Blake: A selection of poems | Introduction to poetry with a focus on Blake. Students will explore Victorian society through these poems: class divisions, prejudices, political systems (capitalism, patriarchy), Victorian London and the industrial revolution, and the Romantic movement. Students will consider a range of poetic techniques across the poems. Introduction to the poetic forms: sonnet, ballad, free verse, etc. |
Year 8
Year 8
Topic | Learning Outcome | |
Term 1 | Evolution of Genre: Survival | Reading of extracts from survival texts, exploring the history and conventions of the genre throughout the 18th-21st centuries. Students will consider political systems and their effects on society, relating these to the settings in which the texts are set and written, including potential dystopias. Links will be made to the themes of gender, class division, symbolism and allusions, as well as conflict, and writer’s techniques and intentions. |
Term 2 | Pre-1914 Prose: A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens | Reading the whole novel. Introduction to Victorian context – class, status, gender – considering the political aspect of Dickens’ social commentary and the prejudices inherent in this era, as well as the Victorian writing style and the Gothic genre. Students will explore plot, character and setting, as well as relevant symbolism and allusion, with – where relevant – considerations of conflict, political systems, class division, prejudices, and examples of prolepsis (foreshadowing) and analepsis (flashback). There will also be development of student understanding of different narrative styles and writer’s techniques and intentions. |
Term 3 | The Gothic Genre: A range of pre- and post-1914 texts | Reading of extracts from Gothic texts, exploring the history and conventions of the genre. Students will revisit the key context of the Victorian era, alongside the themes of gender and conflict. There will also be a focus on symbolism and allusions, narrative styles and writer’s techniques and intentions. |
Term 4 | Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet | Introduction to Shakespearean tragedy, reading of key scenes, develop understanding of a play and the key themes of gender, love, revenge and violence. Continuing to develop students’ understanding of Shakespeare’s language and form, revisiting the terms tragic hero, hamartia, hubris. There will also be a focus on stagecraft and examples of prolepsis (foreshadowing) and analepsis (flashback), and writer’s techniques and intentions. |
Term 5 | Post-1914 novel: Class Reader – Animal Farm, Of Mice and Men, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time | Reading a whole novel. Students will explore plot, character and setting, as well as relevant symbolism and allusion, with – where relevant – considerations of gender, conflict, political systems and class divisions, Marxism (AF), dystopia (AF), human rights, prejudices, and examples of prolepsis (foreshadowing) and analepsis (flashback). There will also be development of student understanding of different narrative styles, and writer’s techniques and intentions. |
Term 6 | Post-1914 Poetry: Introduction to the poetry of Carol Ann Duffy, Simon Armitage and a variety of cultures. | Students will consider a range of poetic techniques across the poems, symbolism and allusions, as well as identity and different experiences in different cultures. Introduction to the poetic forms: sonnet, ballad, dramatic monologue, free verse, etc. |
Year 9
Year 9
Topic | Learning Outcome | |
Term 1 | Edexcel GCSE English Literature: Frankenstein, Mary Shelley | Reading of extracts or full novel. Students will explore the links to Victorian context, and Gothic and Romantic conventions. Introduce the importance of paternal role models and themes of prejudice and neglect. Revisit the terms tragedy, tragic hero, hamartia, hubris. Students will explore plot, character and setting, as well as relevant symbolism and allusion, with – where relevant – considerations of gender, nature versus nurture, conflict, human rights, prejudices, and examples of prolepsis (foreshadowing) and analepsis (flashback). There will also be development of student understanding of different narrative styles. |
Term 2 | Multi-cultural Writing: A range of fiction and non-fiction across Asia, Africa and the Caribbean | Reading of extracts from a range of cultures, including Asian, African, African American and the Caribbean writers, communicating through a range of forms: novels, versed novels, essays, autobiographies, poetry, speech transcripts, etc. Students will consider themes of prejudice, gender, race, conflict, human rights, as well as utopian and dystopian allusions, broader allusions and symbolism and the use of rhetoric. |
Term 3 | Edexcel English Literature Preparation: War Poetry | Introduction to war poetry, its historical context and the theme of conflict. Students will consider a range of poetic techniques across the poems, as well as symbolism and allusions. Introduction to the poetic forms: sonnet, ballad, free verse, etc. |
Term 4 | Analysing Modern Texts: Lord of the Flies, William Golding OR To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee | Reading of the whole novel. Exploration of the key themes of prejudice and community in TKAM and chaos and disorder in LOTF. Pupils will focus on developing their academic essay writing. Students will explore plot, character and setting, as well as relevant symbolism and allusion, with – where relevant – considerations of gender, conflict, political systems, human rights, prejudices, Bildungsroman, and examples of prolepsis (foreshadowing) and analepsis (flashback). There will also be development of student understanding of different narrative styles. |
Term 5 | Analysing Modern Texts: Lord of the Flies, William Golding OR To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee Enrichment Module: Spoken Language | See Term 4 Reading of extracts from a range of speeches, using transcripts. Students will consider themes of prejudice, gender, race, conflict, human rights, as well as utopian and dystopian allusions, broader allusions and symbolism and the use of rhetoric. |
Term 6 | Introduction to the key GCSE Skills | Students will begin to approach text extracts and writing tasks to practice the skills of GCSE English Language. Relevant themes include rhetoric, utopia vs. dystopia, key historical context to access reading, etc. There will also be a focus on narrative styles in order to approach structure questions and the paper 1 writing task. |
Years 10 & 11
Year 10
Topic | Learning Outcome | |
Term 1 | Conflict Poetry: An Introduction to Conflict Poetry Imaginative Writing: An Introduction to Imaginative Writing | Students will be introduced to poems of varied culture and subject matter, reinforcing their previous understanding of poetic techniques and analysis. The topic will provide them with the skills and writing frames to analyse and compare poems, considering the significance of contextual influences. Students will be introduced to the GCSE style of imaginative writing, which draws on experiences that are real or imagined. This introduction encourages students to think creatively, while reviewing their application of spelling, punctuation and grammar. |
Term 2 | Post 1914 Literature: An Inspector Calls Conflict Poetry: Continued | We look at J.B Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, with a particular focus on connecting text with context. Our exploration of the text encourages students to reflect on the author’s purpose and intent when writing the text. Our assessment introduces students to long-form essay writing, with a focus on quality of expression.Students will be introduced to poems of varied culture and subject matter, reinforcing their previous understanding of poetic techniques and analysis. The topic will provide them with the skills and writing frames to analyse and compare poems, considering the significance of contextual influences. |
Term 3 | 19th Century Novel: Jekyll and Hyde | Reading a whole novel, analysing language and narrative structure. Students will synthesise textual knowledge and awareness of quotations, commenting on key themes such as reputation, secrecy, evil, religion and friendship. |
Term 4 | 19th Century Novel: Jekyll and Hyde Mock Revision | Reading a whole novel, analysing language and narrative structure. Students will synthesise textual knowledge and awareness of quotations, commenting on key themes such as reputation, secrecy, evil, religion and friendship. English Literature: An Inspector CallsEnglish Language: Imaginative Writing |
Term 5 | English Language Paper 1: Section A (Science Fiction) | Implementing reading and comprehension skills to succeed in English Language Paper 1: Section A. This will include close-textual analysis of language and structure and conceptual evaluation of Theme, Idea, Event and Setting. |
Term 6 | Spoken Language Endorsement: Film of Book Presentation Revision of Key Skills | Students prepare and deliver their Spoken Language Endorsement assessments. This is core aspect of the English Language course that must be completed to pass English Language. Key knowledge and exam techniques from across year 10 is revised in the final few weeks. This includes poetry comparison, Jekyll and Hyde extract questions and approaches to Imaginative Writing. |
Year 11
Topic | Learning Outcome | |
Term 1 | Shakespeare: Macbeth Transactional Writing: An Introduction to Transactional Writing. | We study Shakespeare’s Macbeth, applying our understanding of dramatic conventions (such as tragedy) and the importance of context. By the end of the course, students are able to comment on detailed language analysis, but are also able to exemplify a strong conceptual understanding of theme. A combined focus on SPaG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) and FLAP (form, language audience and purpose) equips our students to write in a variety of real-world contexts. |
Term 2 | Shakespeare: Macbeth | We study Shakespeare’s Macbeth, applying our understanding of dramatic conventions (such as tragedy) and the importance of context. By the end of the course, students are able to comment on detailed language analysis, but are also able to exemplify a strong conceptual understanding of theme. |
Term 3 | English Language Paper 2: Section A | Implementing reading and comprehension skills to succeed in English Language Paper 2: Section A. This will include close-textual analysis of language and structure and conceptual evaluation of Theme, Idea, Event and Setting. |
Term 4 | Revision | This period of time will focus on detailed revision of knowledge and exam technique. This will include preparation and feedback from the second set of mock assessments. |
Term 5 | Revision | This period of time will focus on detailed revision of knowledge and exam technique. Knowledge will be contextualised using exemplar material and practice papers. |
Term 6 |
Post 16 at WG6
Year 12
Topic | Learning Outcome | |
Term 1 | A Streetcar Named Desire (Paper 1) A Thousand Splendid Suns (Paper 2) | To develop a complex understanding of A Streetcar Named Desire, connecting analysis to context and dramatic conventions (AO1, 2, 3). Our students learn to interpret writer’s purpose with sensitivity and express their ideas in a confident and articulate manner. We gain a comprehensive understanding of Hosseini’s text, reviewing the implementation of key themes such gender inequality, religion, war and family. The text is framed by complex contextual issues, such as the invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, and used as a springboard to explore key issues such as sexism, racism and global politics (AO1, 3, 4). |
Term 2 | A Streetcar Named Desire (Paper 1) A Thousand Splendid Suns (Paper 2) | To develop a complex understanding of A Streetcar Named Desire, connecting analysis to context and dramatic conventions (AO1, 2, 3). Our students learn to interpret writer’s purpose with sensitivity and express their ideas in a confident and articulate manner. We gain a comprehensive understanding of Hosseini’s text, reviewing the implementation of key themes such gender inequality, religion, war and family. The text is framed by complex contextual issues, such as the invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, and used as a springboard to explore key issues such as sexism, racism and global politics (AO1, 3, 4). |
Term 3 | Poems of the Decade (Paper 3) Wuthering Heights (Paper 2) | We aim to establish excellent knowledge of all poems from the ‘Poems of the Decade’ collection, ensuring students are aware of poetic voice, purpose and key language and structural analysis. In doing so, students are equipped with the skills to interpret poems from an unseen perspective. An ability to compare is engendered throughout the topic, in preparation for paper 3. (A01, 2, 4) Students will read and analyse Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Understanding of knowledge and contextual influences is essential and is returned to throughout the course. As with ATT, analysis of narrative style and genre underpins exploration of the text. Students also begin the two prose texts, in preparation for the assessment. (AO1, 2, 3 ,4) |
Term 4 | Poems of the Decade (Paper 3) Wuthering Heights (Paper 2) | We aim to establish excellent knowledge of all poems from the ‘Poems of the Decade’ collection, ensuring students are aware of poetic voice, purpose and key language and structural analysis. In doing so, students are equipped with the skills to interpret poems from an unseen perspective. An ability to compare is engendered throughout the topic, in preparation for paper 3. (A01, 2, 4) Students will read and analyse Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Understanding of knowledge and contextual influences is essential and is returned to throughout the course. As with ATT, analysis of narrative style and genre underpins exploration of the text. Students also begin the two prose texts, in preparation for the assessment. (AO1, 2, 3 ,4) |
Term 5 | Revision/ Mocks Exams/ Exam Feedback | Learning from terms 1-4 will be synthesised, ensuring that knowledge can be applied in exam conditions. |
Term 6 | Introduction to NEA: The Handmaid’s Tale Paper 2: Revision | Through reading and analysis of The Handmaid’s Tale, students are introduced to a text option for the NEA. Through reflection on exemplar material, an introduction to secondary criticism and planning frameworks, students begin the planning process. (AO1,2,3,4,5) Students revise knowledge and prepare for assessments through detailed planning for Prose: Paper 2. |
Year 13
Topic | Learning Outcome | |
Term 1 | Othello (Paper 1) English Victorian Verse (Paper 3) | To develop a complex understanding of Othello connecting analysis to context and dramatic conventions (AO1, 2, 3). Our students learn to interpret writer’s purpose and consider the significance of alternative interpretations. Students develop knowledge and an analytical perspective on a variety of Victorian poems, preparing to write an essay about two poems in exam conditions. As well as understanding poetic conventions of the time, students must also develop comprehensive connections to context (AO1,2,3) |
Term 2 | Othello (Paper 1) English Victorian Verse (Paper 3) | To develop a complex understanding of Othello connecting analysis to context and dramatic conventions (AO1, 2, 3). Our students learn to interpret writer’s purpose and consider the significance of alternative interpretations. |
Term 3 | NEA: Drafting Coursework | Students are expected to showcase exceptional knowledge of their chosen texts, developing a confident and comprehensive essay style. Students will be able to implement all assessment objectives through a mature and critical style (AO1,2,3,4,5). |
Term 4 | Paper 1 Revision: A Streetcar Named Desire Paper 2 Revision: Prose | Revision and final exam preparation Revision and final exam preparation |
Term 5 | Paper 3 Revision: Poems of the Decade Paper 2 Revision: Prose | Revision and final exam preparation Revision and final exam preparation |
Term 6 |
Related Careers
The major strength of success in English is the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Good communication is vital in all careers and a high level is expected by employers in all professions.
- Teaching
- Journalism
- Media
- Law
- Communications
- Information
- Civil Service
- Publishing
- Theatre Management