Course Content

Year 7

Term 1

• Short Stories and Grammar for Writing: Students will study a range of short stories. They will also be introduced to the school’s approach to grammar.

Term 2

• Biblical Allusions: Western literature is suffused with references to the Bible; in light of this, students will learn about recurring biblical tropes, such as ‘Original Sin’ and ‘Loss of Innocence’. Please note that these stories will be taught from a literary perspective as opposed to a religious perspective.

Term 3

• Myths and Legends: Similarly, Western literature is indebted to classical mythology; as such, students will learn about the myths and legends that pervade literature.

Term 4

• Introduction to Shakespeare: Students will be introduced to the works of William Shakespeare through the study of a selection of his finest sonnets.

Term 5

• Travel Writing: Students will learn about the conventions of travel writing, which they will use to produce their own engaging pieces of writing.

Terms 6

• Spy Fiction: Students will learn about the precepts of suspenseful, enigmatic story-telling, which they will use to write their own stories.

 

Year 8

Term 1

• Gothic Writing: Students will learn about the distinct conventions of the genre through the study of a range of Gothic texts. This will culminate in students producing their own pieces of Gothic writing.

Term 2

• Macbeth: Students will study Shakespeare’s tragic tale of ambition in its entirety.

Term 3

• Victorian Literature: The Victorian era gave rise to some of the most iconic works of British literature. Students will study a range of these texts and will learn about the social and historical contexts in which they were produced.

Term 4

• The Romantics: The influence of the Romantics is still keenly felt today, from their iconoclastic outlooks to their reverence for nature and their yearning to convey intense emotional experiences. Students will study a range of poems from both the first and second-generation Romantic poets.

Term 5

• Newspaper Report Writing: Students will learn about the conventions of newspaper reporting, which they will use to write their own newspaper articles.

Terms 6

• The Novel: Students will study a class novel in its entirety.

 

Year 9

Term 1

• Romeo and Juliet: Students will study Shakespeare’s tragic love story in its entirety.

Term 2

• Fighting Words: It has been proven time and time again that speech really does have the power to transform the world. Students will study a range of influential speeches from throughout history.

Term 3

• War Literature: The tragedy of war has been the stimulus for some of the most powerful pieces of literature ever written. Students will study a broad range of these texts, with a particular focus on poetry from World War One.

Term 4

• Dystopian Literature: Dystopian texts have long since captivated readers; they allow us to vicariously explore our fears about society. Students will study excerpts from some of the most compelling works of dystopian literature ever written.

Term 5

• GCSE English Language Paper 1: In preparation for the Year 9 exams, and the forthcoming GCSE course, students will learn about the requirements for GCSE English Language Paper 1.

Terms 6

• Voices of Britain: Students will study a collection of poems exploring the diverse voices of the United Kingdom.