English
English at Cockermouth School aims to set high expectations for students by providing a varied, challenging curriculum that develops students’ proficiency in the four core areas of Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. Our intention is to equip students with the knowledge required to succeed in the wider world. Students achieve this through following a research-informed, progressive curriculum that develops their knowledge about fiction, non-fiction, reading, writing and sets high standards in regards to spoken language skills in order to help our students thrive in society, both at school and in their lives beyond compulsory education. Students begin their journey through the subject by being introduced to genres and concepts that underpin study throughout the Key Stages. Universal themes form a thread that connects text choices and informs understanding of material encountered both in school and in life beyond formal education. The material studied is drawn from texts with local, national and international relevance and includes diverse voices from across time and different cultures. Grammar is taught explicitly through Years 7, 8 and 9 and is also used to teach a range of written genres and forms. Vocabulary development is supported through the units as an integral part of the reading and writing process. Comprehension is enhanced through the use of Reciprocal Reading strategies that build on those skills used in school for those who receive reading intervention. Students experience regular opportunities to write at length, read whole texts, revisit knowledge, revisit texts and read for pleasure and comprehension. All students follow the same curriculum with support being put in place to enable access to learning outcomes. Underpinning all of the above is a belief in the power of English to enrich and empower students’ lives through exploration of plays, novels, non-fiction, grammar and writing for different purposes and audiences. Additionally, extra-curricular events, such as presentations and workshops by authors, add to the real-world relevance of the subject for the students.
Key Stage 5
At Key Stage 5 we offer both A level English Language and A level English Literature.
English Language
Students follow the AQA A Level English Language specification. The first term introduces students to the metalanguage required to undertake the course. Students study grammar, pragmatics, lexis and semantics, graphology, discourse and phonology. This framework is used to analyse a range of different linguistic areas of study: gender, social groups, regional variation and occupation. The texts used for this analysis are written, spoken or multi-modal. Students also learn about how to analyse texts in terms of how representation creates meaning and they develop the skills required to construct discursive essays and challenge theory. The subject is, by nature, discursive and students debate issues both verbally and in written form. Year 13 also includes new units of study that focus on producing Non Examined Assessment work in the form of an independent investigation and an extended creative task that explores the process of writing. Students also learn about child language acquisition, the use of English across the globe plus how language has changed over the last 400 years.
For more details on the A Level English Language specification, use the following link:
AQA | English | AS and A-level | English Language
English Literature
Students follow the Edexcel A Level English Literature specification and study three key elements of English Literature in preparation for their exams. They study a range of modern poems from Poems of the Decade, An Anthology of the Forward Books of Poetry, which they begin to compare with unseen poems as the year progresses; they study a modern play, from either a comic or tragic genre, and they study two prose texts, linked by a single theme. During Year 12, students also prepare for a Non Examined Assessment which is an extended comparison of two texts in the form of a 2500 – 3000 word essay. The students can devise a task on two set texts studied in class or can work more independently on texts of their own choice, and are given guidance on the most appropriate approach in regular tutorials. Over the spring and summer terms, students will research their chosen texts and their essay, as well as develop their verbal skills in regular tutorials. In Year 13, students consolidate and extend their learning by applying their skills to new texts. They study poetry and drama, engaging in a detailed study of an individual poet and studying a Shakespeare play. Their study of Shakespeare requires them to apply a range of critical opinions to the play they are studying, using an anthology of short essays provided by the exam board.
For more details on the A Level English Literature specification, use the following link:
Edexcel AS & A level English Literature 2015 | Pearson qualifications