Welcome to the English Department at Frederick Bremer. Through their study of English at Frederick Bremer, we aim to nurture confident English learners who leave school with a range of skills that will support their success in further study, the workplace and in life.
At the heart of our teaching is the determination that all our pupils should become confident readers and writers as well as critical thinkers and articulate, thoughtful speakers.
We encourage pupils to bring their own lived experiences to the classroom and have their voices heard. We have worked hard on our curriculum to ensure it offers a broad and diverse experience of Literature across time and from around the world.
Syllabus
By the end of Key Stage 3, students should know:
- How to craft a short story effectively
- How to write analytically about a text
- How to read with confidence
- How articulate personal opinions about a text
- How to respond to their peers’ and teachers’ feedback
- How to listen effectively and respond to their peers
- Their personal tastes and interests in English
Each year at KS3 students study: a Shakespeare play, a genre writing unit, a modern novel, a poetry unit and a short stories unit. We have a three year KS3 curriculum, to ensure students have time to develop their foundational skills and enjoy a wide range of text forms before they begin their GCSE course.
At the very end of Year 9, pupils study four poems from the ‘Worlds and Live’s GCSE poetry collection as a means of applying their understanding about poetry to the GCSE course.
Over the course of their GCSE course in Year 10 and 11, pupils work on:
- Developing their analytical writing skills
- Developing their creative writing skills
- Reading with confidence including tackling ‘unseen’ texts.
- How to form original, structured and evidenced opinions about a text
- How to listen sensitively and build on the views and ideas of others
- Expressing a critical, evaluative view on a text
- How to proofread and edit their work accurately
- How to tackle exam style questions and respond under timed conditions
Set Literature Texts: Since 2023, Year 10 students have been studying ‘Worlds and Lives’ poetry in place of ‘Power and Conflict’. The other GCSE set Literature texts are: JB Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’, Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ and Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’.
Staff List
Ms Harrild – Head of English
Ms Tillyer – 2nd in charge of English
Ms Kyriakou – Stretch and Challenge Coordinator and English Teacher
Ms Kenny – English teacher and Head of Year 11
Ms Kibbler – English teacher (maternity leave)
Ms Goddard – English teacher
Ms Walcott – English teacher
Mr Brillantes – English teacher
Ms Raja – English teacher
Key Information
Exam Board: AQA
Course Structure:
KS3 – 4 lessons per week
KS4 – 4 lessons per week
Pupil grouping: Pupils are in taught in mixed ability groups.
Homework
KS3 – Homework is set twice per half term.
KS4 – Homework will be set every week.
Assessments
KS3 – Pupils will complete an assessment at the end of each unit.
KS4 – Pupils will have weekly in-class ‘mini-tests’ to support exam skills, as well as weekly opportunities for extended writing. Formal assessments will take place each half term, inclusive of scheduled mock exams.
Materials used throughout the subject
KS3 – We use a range of resources to support our units of work- class set texts, PWPs, video
KS4 – As above. In addition past pacers, English dept videos on key areas of learning, website recommendations and CGP KS4 revision books are sold in school
How can you help your child?
Check in on their homework on google classroom and ensure they complete on time
Encourage them to develop a love of reading – regular library visits and asking them about what they are reading all help.
Encourage them to read regularly and widely- including current affairs and the news. If possible take them to the theatre.
What careers can this lead to?
English skills are applicable to each and every career you can imagine- whether your job requires excellent communication verbally or in writing, or requires you to think critically, then the skills your child has developed in English study will come in very handy!
Resources
Pupils may also like to use any of the following websites to help further their knowledge:
Spark notes
BBC Bitesize
Mr Bruff
Mr Everything English
LitCharts