English & Media Studies

English

Lower School

Throughout the school, English is taught in three broad ability bands.

In Years 7-9 students study units based on poetry, prose, drama, media and narrative. We aim to provide a varied and stimulating curriculum, allowing students to develop and extend their experience in English.

Upper School

In Years 10-11 students follow the AQA GCSE syllabus.

Assessment for English Language and English Literature is based on final examinations with a huge emphasis placed upon exam skills throughout Year 10 and 11. 

English Language and Literature are both examined in May/June of Year 11 and as such are taught in tandem across the two year period. This allows students a greater flexibility in their study of English and allows the department to provide additional support within the curriculum through the use of HLTA staff and in Period 7 support activities.

Sixth Form

The department offers English Language, English Literature and a joint English Language and Literature course at A Level.

The English Literature course (Edexcel) offers students a diversity of texts drawn from a variety of genres and periods. We study Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ and Sarah Waters’ ‘The Little Stranger’ as part of a unit on supernatural prose texts. Students also study ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ and a collection of modern poems from the ‘Poems of the Decade’ anthology of contemporary poetry. Finally, students will analyse a Shakespeare play and the Romantic poets.

In English Language (AQA) students explore and investigate the ways that meanings are created in a diverse range of spoken and written texts. They study theories and concepts related to linguistic analysis and they look at child acquisition of language as well as the ways that language has changed over time.

The joint English Language and Literature course (AQA) provides students with an integrated approach to the study of both literary and non-literary discourse. They will apply linguistic frameworks when exploring and analysing texts such as ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, ‘The Great Gatsby’, ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, poetry by Seamus Heaney and an anthology about Paris. 
All of the A Level English courses include a coursework component.

Media Studies
GCSE and A Level

GCSE and A Level Media Studies challenge students to look at the media from several different perspectives.

It involves examining how the modern media industry works by analysing different media texts to consider how meaning is constructed for audiences.

During the GCSE and A Level course students study a wide range of texts, from television programmes and film trailers to social networking sites and magazines.

Upper School GCSE Media

In Years 10-11 students follow the WJEC/Eduqas syllabus.

Assessment for GCSE Media is based on final examinations with a huge emphasis placed upon exam skills throughout Year 10 and 11. There is a practical element to the course and students will be offered opportunities to produce their own practical pieces.

Media Studies exams are May/June of Year 11 and as such are taught across the two year period. This allows students a greater flexibility in their study of the Media course and allows the department to provide additional support within the curriculum and in Period 7 support activities.

 

Sixth Form - the department offers Media Studies at A Level.

The Media Studies course (WJEC/Eduqas) offers students an opportunity to develop a thorough and in depth understanding of the media’s role in contemporary culture and society, considering its economic and political importance.

Students will examine the key media frameworks, including media language, representation, media industries and audiences. Students will apply a range of media theories to these frameworks by focusing on a range of contemporary and historic media texts from advertising and marketing, film, newspapers, television, radio and video games.

Media Studies exams are in May/June of Year 13. There is a practical element to the course and students will be offered opportunities to produce their own practical pieces.