English at Wolgarston is based on the study of literature and all but those with the greatest difficulties with literacy are expected to continue the study of English Literature through to the GCSE exams in Year 11.

The ethos of the Department is based on mutual respect and respect for the ideas, and communication of those ideas, of others. 
 
The Year 9 Course
 
The Year 9 course completes work done in Year 7 and Year 8 preparing for SATs in May.  The course begins with an introductory study based on mostly non-fiction texts, which is launched in co-operation with the middle schools at the end of Y8. This is followed by Pen Portrait of another student.  A poetry study and study of a post-1914 novel completes the year.  In the spring term a play by Shakespeare is studied in depth and preparations for the SATs completed.  As soon as the SATs are over the GSCE course is started.
 
GCSE course 
 
· The majority of students take GCSE English and GCSE English Literature: OCR 1900 and OCR 1901 List 2
· These are separately graded, but the literature course-work overlaps and counts in both subjects
· Students are setted in groups according to their ability. There are 5 groups in each year half 
 
 
Examination Units

· Prepare students for Unit 1 (Foundation or Higher Tier) which is entitled Non-fiction, Media and Information, and Unit 2 (Foundation or Higher Tier) entitled Different Cultures, Analysis and Argument
 
Coursework units

· The GCSE course at Wolgarston is underpinned by the 4 coursework units.  (Literary Heritage and Imaginative Writing.) These are spaced over the five full terms of the course
· We do 2 tasks in Year 10 and 2 in Year 11
 
The scheme for GCSE begins at the end of Year 9 where three of the Opening Worlds stories are studied.  Year 10 usually begins with a block of work on poetry.  Students study the general principles of how poets communicate their ideas, building on the work done at KS3, by studying the GCSE Anthology.  This culminates in the Poetry Comparative coursework.  Shakespeare coursework is also commenced at this point.
 
After this, students focus on the skills required for Unit 1 which are tested in the Year 10 exams as a practice for GCSE.  These skills include Summary and Analysis of media texts and writing to argue, persuade, advise.  The second unit is drama study which includes the drama set text.  The drama set text is examined externally in May of Year 10.
 
The prose set text is normally introduced at the end of the summer term so that students can read it independently during the long holiday.  Study of this text along with preparation for mock exams involving analysis of the language and structure of remaining Literary Texts from Different Cultures and writing to analyse review and comment comes in term 4. The other writing task in Unit 2, writing to inform, explain, describe is introduced here.  Prose coursework is completed in term 3.  Mock exams in all aspects of the course take place in January of term 4.  Students are not expected to have completed study of the prose or poetry texts by this time.
 
Term 5 builds on mock exam experience and completes the course with study towards and completion of coursework to entertain (Imaginative Writing).  Some teachers manage to fit this into term 3 or 4.
 
 
Speaking and listening work

· Speaking and listening work of some kind is compulsory and is included in each block of work.  This need not necessarily be assessed for GCSE
· Assessed work is recorded on the department’s record sheets which are supplied by OCR.  Three pieces of assessed work must be counted for GCSE
· Speaking and listening work can be included where convenient, but a typical scheme must include a role-play or "hot-seating" from one of the literature texts.  Work experience (term 4) is a discrete work unit and the source of material for the extended individual work.  Students in need of boosting their marks or with gaps may catch up assessments early in term 5.  The third task must be a group interactive task
 
A-level Courses
 
Wolgarston offers AS and A2 courses in both English Literature and in English Language and Literature and both are very popular.
 
The Literature course involves in-depth study of both classic and contemporary texts in a modular form that allows students to re-sit modules to raise their grade if necessary. 
 
The Language and Literature course has a stronger technical focus and looks at the English Language in use.  Modules on the Spoken Word and on Creative Writing are included in the course.
 
Wolgarston is proud of the high standards achieved in English and of the many students that go on to study English at University.