Faculty Leader: ​Lorraine Pickering

The English Faculty at Nova Hreod Academy aims to develop each child’s ability to listen, speak, read and write for a wide range of purposes and audience. We are committed to empowering each individual to use language in order to successfully communicate ideas, views and feelings. We provide students with an intellectual understanding of Literature and a secure command of the English Language so they are prepared for further education and the world of work.

Assessment for Learning is at the heart of best practice and in the English Faculty this is embedded in the teaching and learning experience.  We adopt a variety of teaching methods to reflect and respond to the individual learning styles of our students. Recognising that there are differing abilities, we provide suitable learning opportunities to match the challenge of the task to the ability of the student. Quality classic and modern texts are read to explore and develop ideas, issues and skills; we encourage a strong appreciation of reading. The use of film clips, drama activities and role-play all help to provide an enriched and creative curriculum.

There are opportunities to develop new skills outside the classroom. For example, our students have participated in inter-school poetry and speaking competitions as well as creative writing events such as ‘Fastest Story in the West.’ Students have produced a BBC school report which is broadcast online.  We work closely with other Faculties to highlight common skills, for example, Year 8 work with Drama and History when studying War Poetry. Our links with the Learning Resource Centre ensure students have every opportunity to meet and hear from established authors, poets and illustrators. Students have enjoyed workshops led by Ash Dickinson, Sam Enthoven and Joffre White, to name a few.

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 4

In years 10 and 11, students will study the following:

• An Inspector Calls, J.B Priestley
• A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
• Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
• The AQA Power and Conflict poems
• A range of fiction and non-fiction extracts from the 19^th, 20^th and 21^st Century

In addition, students will be taught how to:

• Write a range of different text types, including: descriptions, narratives, letters, leaflets, articles and speeches
• Analyse the language and structure of a text
• Compare texts
• Summarise texts
• Retrieve key information from texts
• Evaluate texts