English
KS3
The English Department follows its own curriculum in Years 7-9, which while relating in essentials to the National Curriculum allows us the freedom to choose our own texts and to work on Language/Literature based topics. These include a Ghost Anthology, The Beginning of the English Language, My Autobiography, The Eva Smith Police Dossier, The Grandparent Project and the Coram Boy,Twelfth Night and Romeo and Juliet Projects. All these allow scope for research and for extended writing in a variety of modes. All produce work of the highest standards of content and presentation.
KS4
All students in Channing follow courses in English and English Literature and are, provided the course requirements are met, entered for both subjects at GCSE (Higher Tier).
Students are taught in form groups, which are also mixed ability sets.
The syllabus followed is OCR. Their English and English Literature courses are designed to be complementary and we can therefore integrate them and teach them simultaneously. The students read a wide range of literary, non-literary and media texts, including Shakespeare and other pre-twentieth century material. Literary texts are chosen for their merit and cover all genres.
The final assessment is made through a combination of formal terminal examinations and oral and written coursework completed throughout the two-year course.
The GCSE builds on the basic skills acquired in the first three years. Our objective is good examination results; our aim to produce women strong in oral and written expression who are also enthusiastic, confident and independent readers.
KS5
English Literature is a very popular choice at at A Level in Channing, and we have a remarkable success rate. The course followed is that offered by Edexcel with its combination of coursework and formal examinations. The students are taught in seminar groups, and are encouraged to participate in textual analysis and discussion. Most students opt to proceed to A2 after completing the AS section of the course.
Outside the Classroom
The English Department contributes to the cultural life of the school in many and various ways. In the Lower School, our annual Readathon raises both the profile of reading and substantial sums for children's cancer charities. The two annual Spoken Poetry Competitions are entertaining and hotly-contested occasions and we make a very strong contribution to school drama; in the last five years the Department has staged whole school productions of Twelfth Night, Dr Faustus and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
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Extramurally, each year group is taken to at least one quality production at a London theatre every year, and Year 8, in addition, to a Workshop at the Globe. The Sixth Form have many excursions arranged for them to a wide variety of theatrical productions and experiences.
In the Sixth Form, too, there is a long-standing and perennially popular Book Group (not just for English students), which meets about three times a term and encourages the reading and discussion of remarkably heterogeneous literary texts. We have also had many distinguished authors who have come to speak to the students, including Salman Rushdie, William Boyd, Kasuo Ishiguro, Hilary Mantel, Tracy Chevalier and Sarah Dunant.
