English Staff

Mr P Samways (Head of Department)
Ms G Alden
Mrs C Burnett
Ms G Paul
Ms L Peters
Mrs R Severino
Mr D Shirley
Mr D Soltysik
Mrs E Teal
Miss O Turner
Ms E Walker

The English Department

Our Vision

The overarching vision for Presdales English department is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping students with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.

Our Aim

We aim to ensure that all students:

read easily, fluently and with good understanding
develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
appreciate a rich variety of literature in all its forms
write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate
to promote empathy and social responsibility by providing opportunities to address ethnic, sexual, religious, political and other forms of bias
to enhance their love of literature by providing opportunities for literary experience
to examine the media and to understand how it influences our lives
to use independent research to enhance class based learning

Key Stage 3

Summer Reading Lists 2025

Year 7 and 8 Summer Reading List

Year 9 Summer Reading List

In Key Stage 3, our English curriculum is designed to open students’ minds to the power of language and literature and their own potential to communicate their own opinions and narratives. We recognise the importance of encouraging students to have confidence in their own voices and ability to communicate ideas and interpretations. With this aim, we choose texts and topics to engage our students with literature and inspire them to create their own texts. All years study a wide range of texts and develop their skills in reading, oracy and fiction and non-fiction writing so that they can build their knowledge and express themselves with increasing confidence and articulacy.

Students are re-grouped into stream 1 and stream 2 at the end of the first half term. Stream 2 has slightly smaller classes and follows an adapted curriculum to provide additional scaffolding and support with literacy.

In Year 7 class texts include Coraline, High-Rise Mystery and Macbeth. Students also read a range of extracts from the detective genre including Sherlock Holmes, Sally Lockhart and Miss Marple. They create their own detective characters in the creative writing unit, write poems, letters, reports and speeches, develop oracy skills through discussion and presentations and analyse a selection of poems. Media is introduced through a unit on fairy tales on film.

In Year 8 the core texts are Malala, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, and The Exam, a modern play for young people, and a range of poems from the English literary cannon. Students develop their understanding of how writers create tension and drama as well as how to develop these aspects in their own creative writing, poems or scripts. They will also develop skills in persusaive non fiction writing including articles and speeches. They will also consider diversity in the film industry through a study of Disney.

In Year 9, students read Divergent and Much Ado About Nothing as well as a selection of extracts from dystopian novels such as The Hunger Games and Delirium. Poetry study is developed through comparing poems on similar topics and oracy skills are developed through structured discussions and debates as well as group presentations. Students write articles, opinion pieces, speeches, poems and dystopian short stories and explore characters from 19th century novels including Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Pride and Prejudice. Media literacy is developed in the Power of the Media unit, using the film The Truman Show to explore the impact of reality television and social media.

We use Accelerated Reader and Reading Plus to monitor and improve reading fluency and confidence.

Key Stage Three Reading Programme

Reading for enjoyment is at the heart of the KS3 curriculum. We choose class texts carefully but also encourage students to make and share their own choices to enrich their reading journey. Our reading programme allows students to develop active reading strategies whilst also being exposed to a wide and diverse range of fiction texts. Students have allocated reading classes every fortnight where they read texts intended to stretch and challenge them, whatever their reading ability. Students use their ZPD score to ensure that their chosen text is pitched at an appropriate level.

We run a popular Book Club in the Library and an annual Creative Writing Competition. We also take part in national readathons and writing competitions.

Key Stage 3 Recommended Reads

Year 7 Curriculum Map

Year 8 Curriculum Map

Year 9 Curriculum Map

GCSE

Students will study for two GCSEs, following AQA’s English Language and English Literature specifications. They also take the Spoken Language Endorsement, a qualification assessing their speaking and listening and oracy skills.

All students follow a common curriculum which has been built into a programme of study outlined below:

English Language

The English Language GCSE consists of two examination papers. Paper 1, Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing, develops students understanding of how writers use narrative and descriptive techniques to engage the interest their readers. Paper 2, Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives, develops on this and examines how different writers present a similar topic over time in non-fiction writing.

You can find more about AQA GCSE English Language here: https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/specifications/AQA-8700-SP-2015.PDF

Spoken Language and Endorsement

Speaking and listening and oracy tasks are integrated into lessons. Every student will work towards completing a three-minute presentation on a topic of their choice. This will be a separate endorsement to the English Language GCSE and will be graded as a distinction, merit, pass or a fail.

English Literature

The English Literature GCSE also comprises two examination papers. Students will be assessed with extract-based questions and essay-style responses. This course fosters critical analysis skills and encourages consideration of authorial intent alongside contextual factors.

Core texts:

An Inspector Calls, J B Priestley
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare
Poetry Anthology: Love & Relationships, AQA Various

You can find more about AQA GCSE English Literature here: https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/specifications/AQA-8702-SP-2015.PDF

Year 10 and Year 11 Curriculum Map

A Level - English Lit

English Literature

Entry requirements: GCSE grade 5 in English Language and English Literature

Students will study eight texts at A Level and develop the ability to analyse and evaluate what they have read whilst honing their own communication skills.

Assessment

A Level Unit One: Drama (Examination 30% weighting)
• Section A: Shakespeare
One essay question from a choice of two on a Shakespeare play
• Section B: Other Drama
One essay question from a choice of two on a modern drama
A Level Unit Two: Prose (Examination 20% weighting)
One comparative essay question from a choice of two on iconic novels

A Level Unit Three: Poetry (Examination 30% weighting)
• Section A: Contemporary Poetry
One comparative essay from a choice of two on an unseen poem written post-2000 and a named poem from Poems of the Decade
• Section B: Poetry Collections

One essay question from a choice of two on a collection of pre-1900 poetry

A Level Unit Four: Coursework (20% weighting)
One extended comparative essay on two texts. Here students are given considerable independence

Career Opportunities

A Level English requires a candidate to use high level analytical skills and apply them to various written texts. A traditional A Level, it is well regarded by all universities and is an excellent preparation for any Arts based degree. Ultimately English Literature is an excellent subject for those considering future careers such as journalism, law, teaching or the Civil Service.

A Level - English Lang & Lit

English Language & Literature

Entry requirements: GCSE grade 5 in English Language and English Literature

Students will study a 20th century play and prose texts, including novels and fictional writing. They will develop their ability to analyse and explore the work of published writers in addition to developing their own creative skills as writers. Whilst the examination texts are studied in class, the coursework module provides the opportunity for students to choose their own texts as a basis for their writing.

Assessment

A Level Unit 1:
Voices in Speech & Writing (Examination 40% weighting)

• Section A – Comparison of an unseen prose non-fiction text with an extract from the studied anthology
• Section B – An extract based question on the 20th century drama text

A Level Unit 2:
Varieties in Language & Literature (Examination 40% weighting)

• Section A – Unseen Prose Non- Fiction Texts: one essay question on an unseen prose nonfiction extract
• Section B – Prose Fiction and Other Genres: one comparative essay on two prose fiction texts, Great Expectations and The Great Gatsby

A Level Coursework (20% weighting)

Students will select two texts to study (one fiction and one non-fiction) and will produce two assignments (two pieces of original writing and one analytical commentary)

Career Opportunities

A Level English requires a candidate to use high level analytical skills and apply them to various written texts. A traditional A Level, it is well regarded by all universities and is an excellent preparation for any Arts based degree. Ultimately English Language & Literature is an excellent subject for those considering future careers such as journalism, law, teaching or the Civil Service.

A level English Enrichment

English A level resources and links

On this page you will find links to a range of resources to help you to find out more about English, carry out your own research and enjoy the world of literature. Scroll down for information about wider reading, online courses, writing competitions and ideas for literary days out. You can also find out about the support, lectures, podcasts and other opportunities available for A level students at some universities.

What can I do at home?

Read a local or broadsheet newspaper – The Hertfordshire Mercury, The Times, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph or The Financial Times, if you have any of these at home. Remember the school library has newspapers and magazines too.

Widen your reading – borrow challenging novels, biographies etc. from the school or local library to try new genres and authors. Ask the librarians or your English teachers for advice or use some of the sites below to help you to branch out and choose new reading material.

Talk about what you are reading – try reading the same book as a friend or family member so that you can discuss your opinions.

Watch programmes about literature and the arts – BBC4, BBC2 and Sky Arts are useful places to begin. BBC2 broadcasts Front Row each week and there are often documentaries about writers on BBC4. Hearing critics talk about the arts can really help to widen your critical vocabulary and powers of analysis and to develop a fluent writing style.

Listen to radio programmes about literature and the arts to keep up to date with books, plays and poetry – BBC Radio 4 broadcasts an arts magazine programme, Front Row, every weeknight and Saturday Review on Saturday evenings. Open Book and A Good Read focus on books and publishing. Poetry Please introduces you to a wide range of poems and poets.

Go to the theatre:

If it is possible for you to do so, going to see a play in the theatre is a wonderful experience and the best way to learn about the impact of live drama on an audience. Look at the listings at your local theatre or try London theatres. They can be expensive but many offer some cheaper tickets, especially for young people. Shakespeare’s Globe on the South Bank in London charges only five pounds to stand up in the yard and some of the seats are reasonably priced if you book early. The National Theatre, also on the South Bank, often has tickets at fifteen pounds if you book early. The new Bridge Theatre at London Bridge is committed to offering cheap tickets to young people and has a great opening season programme.

The National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company and some other companies now broadcast productions to cinemas, including Hertford Theatre, Broxbourne Civic Hall, Welwyn cinema and some branches of Odeon, Cineworld and Vue. This is a great opportunity to see world-class productions at a reduced price and often with a better view of the stage! The broadcasts often include interviews with the cast and creative team and introductions to the play to help you to find out more.

http://ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk/

https://www.rsc.org.uk/whats-on/in-cinemas

Links:

Explore the links below to find out more about writers and literature at your own pace.

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/

Bristol University offers these tutorials on common grammar errors and improving your writing style.

https://www.theguardian.com/books

The Guardian newspaper has a section for books on its website that is well regarded for its up-to-date reviews, news and comment. The newspaper also produces podcasts on books which you can find on this site.

https://www.bl.uk/discovering-literature

The British Library is near King’s Cross station in London and has regular temporary exhibitions (Harry Potter in 2017-18) and a free permanent gallery where you can see original manuscripts from Dickens and Bronte as well as Jane Austen’s writing desk and Shakespeare’s First Folio.

The website has some excellent resources on its Discovering Literature microsite, including videos, digital documents and information on topics such as Charlotte Bronte’s early writing, crime in Victorian literature, Juliet’s language and An Inspector Calls. The site is divided into 20th Century, Victorians and Romantics and Shakespeare.

http://www.victorianweb.org/victorian/index.html

The Victorian Web is a useful site for background information on a variety of issues in Victorian society – useful for studying the nineteenth century novel.

https://www.poetryarchive.org

The Poetry Archive is a live site supported by the British Council, containing recordings of poets reading their own work. It’s a great place to find new poems and research their writers.

Literature festivals are a great way to see your favourite writers and find out about current trends in fiction and criticism. This site (click on Calendar or A-Z at the top) lists some of the most well-known festivals. The Cambridge Festival of Ideas and Cambridge WordFest is reasonably close to home but the most famous festivals are at Hay-on-Wye, Cheltenham and Edinburgh. Some festivals have websites where they post videos of author interviews.

http://www.literaryfestivals.co.uk

https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/units/faculty-english-language-and-literature

The University of Oxford publishes some lectures series as audio podcasts. Of particular interest for A level might be the lectures on Shakespeare, Literature and Form and Poetry with Simon Armitage.

https://readdurhamenglish.wordpress.com

Durham University English Department publishes this site with audio recordings and blog posts related to English Literature lectures from their undergraduate course.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts

BBC Arts keeps you up to date with the latest TV and radio programmes and news on literature, drama and film. The microsite http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0374bx8 is focused specifically on books.

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/categories/literature-courses?all_courses=1

FutureLearn is a learning platform where universities and other education institutions run online courses for anyone aged 13 and over. The site covers all sorts of topics, including Literature, and each course provides a programme of videos and learning activities for a set number of weeks. Recent courses have included general introductions to Shakespeare as well as specialist courses on Hamlet, Othello and Much Ado About Nothing. All you need to do is register and sign up. The courses run for a specific period but they tend to cycle round again so don’t worry if you miss the one you’re interested in. You can interact with other learners using the comments tools if you would like to (take care with what/how you post online if you decide to do this) or just complete the learning without posting your ideas.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjz6LNDQOWaCkQegAHxyo2g

RSC Education YouTube channel – videos about specific plays but also about Shakespeare’s language and staging.

http://www.shakespearesglobe.com

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre is a replica of the original Globe on Bankside in London. Their website has a wealth of information about the plays, original staging, actor and director insights etc. Look on their education pages for interviews and fact sheets about a range of different aspects of Shakespeare’s works.

https://www.rsc.org.uk/shakespeare/

The Royal Shakespeare Company is dedicated to producing Shakespeare’s plays and continuing to make them enjoyable and accessible for modern day audiences. Their website includes lots of information about his life and works as well as videos and further details about recent productions.

Text Detectives and Shakespeare Unplugged are useful if you want to find out more about how actors and directors stage the plays:

https://www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-resources/bbc-live-lessons

https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust looks after the houses associated with his life in Stratford-upon-Avon. They also produce educational resources including a blog, videos and a podcast about different aspects of his life and works.

https://www.bronte.org.uk/the-brontes-and-haworth

The Bronte Parsonage Museum is the house (now open to the public) in Yorkshire in which Charlotte Bronte and her family lived. The website includes resources on her life and works.

https://dickensmuseum.com

The Dickens House Museum is near King’s Cross Station in London and is well worth a visit. Their website includes information on his life and works.

University academic support and opportunities:

Many universities offer lectures, subject taster days and summer schools for Sixth Form students. Most are likely to be free of charge. You don’t have to be considering applying to that particular university in order to attend. Explore some of the opportunities on the pages below:

University College, London

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students

King’s College, London

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/visit

University of London

http://www.london.ac.uk

Hertfordshire

http://www.herts.ac.uk/about-us/events?mode=results¤t_result_page=2&results_per_page=5

Oxford

https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/visiting-and-outreach/outreach-events?wssl=1

Cambridge

https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/events

Writing competitions – some of these are for fiction and some for essays. Most are annual events so if a page gives a closing date in the past, check back later for next year’s deadlines.

http://www.newn.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduates/newnham-essay-prizes/

Newnham College, an all-female college at the University of Cambridge offers a prize each year for an essay by a female Year 12 student inspired by Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own.

https://ypn.poetrysociety.org.uk/poetry-opportunities/keats-shelley-memorial-association-essay-prize/

Keats-Shelley prize for an essay by a 16-18 year-old on the Romantic poets.

https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/english-literature-and-creative-writing/literary-lancaster/lancaster-writing-award/

Lancaster University runs a competition with categories in fiction, criticism, script-writing and poetry.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/new-partners-short-story-awards#heading-the-bbc-national-short-story-award-with-cambridge-university-nssa

The BBC has a short story award for adults and a separate one for young people 14-18. There is also now a Young Critic Award aimed at 16-18 year-olds, in association with the University of Cambridge.

https://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/competitions/competitions-forward-emagazine-student-critics-competition/

Forward Poetry Student Critic competition for 14-19 year olds.

http://www.walterscottprize.co.uk/young-walter-scott-prize/

This prize is yearly and is dedicated to historical fiction.

Curriculum Maps

Extracurricular Activities

Extra-curricular activities

A KS3 English club
In combination with the library we organise a separate reading club and paired reading programme for KS3 pupils
Drama Club
We offer numerous theatre visits and theatre companies visit the school. In addition there is an annual visit to the Globe Theatre
Poets and authors visit the school.

Year 7 Trip to Shakespeare’s Globe

When Shakespeare wrote “All the world’s a stage”, I wonder if he had the Globe Theatre in his thoughts at the time…

On the 25th January, Year 7 embarked on a trip to the Globe Theatre in London. The day was freezing cold and we were certainly noisy (sorry teachers and members of the public: What can I say? – We were excited to be there!) and then it occurred to me that if it felt like this for us now, then imagine how it would have felt to the audience members all those years ago watching Shakespeare’s plays performed. In my opinion (and I’m sure some of my friends will agree with me) the stage seemed to stand out the most upon entering the theatre. It caught my attention because it looked so grand and impressive and I could imagine how it would have looked when it was originally built.

Poppy Higgs

I really enjoyed the globe theatre trip because it was interesting and fascinating. My favourite part was looking at the props and ‘behind the scenes’; I got to see how all of the actors use special effects, for example: how they hang an actor from the neck – they use a harness so they are hung from their back! I mostly enjoyed just looking around. I did find that the Globe itself was quite impressive since it was so old (a new one was rebuilt in 1997 but it was close enough). I would like to spend more time in the actual theatre. I thought it was great so I would definitely go and watch a performance!

Emily Shaw

Year 11 Bridging Work

Diversify your Reading List