English

Teaching Staff

• Mrs S. Thompson - Head of Department
• Mr M. Houston
• Mrs O. Keenan
• Mrs P. McCarroll
• Mrs J. McLoughlin
• Mrs H. Shields

Aim:

The aim of the English department is to help and prepare each child to take a positive place in the modern world throughout his/her experience in the study of English language and English Literature. As required by the National and Revised Curriculum equal attention is given to: Talking and Listening, Reading and Writing and Drama.

Talking and Listening:

We feel that this is an integral part of the teaching of English and may include individual, paired and group work, role play, classroom drama and would require the use of audio-visual equipment. In addition pupils will be encouraged within the school to develop skills in spoken English.

Reading:

Reading encourages pupils' interest, understanding and enjoyment in all forms of literary, non-literary and media materials. All pupils from Years 8-12 must keep a reading log and parents are made aware of the need to encourage children to read books other than the prescribed texts.

Writing:

Pupils are trained in the various genre of writing and increase their control over the forms needed to meet their purposes. They are given encouragement to show an interest and enjoyment in writing in a rich variety of forms, showing awareness of purpose and audience.

Catch-Up Programme:

This year an English assistant has been engaged to support teachers with pupils who are underachieving with English and Literary skills. Presently this scheme is being funded by the SELB and it is hoped that funding will continue for at least another year.

Content includes:

Key Stage 3:

Years 8 and 9 have 5 periods of English per week. Year 10 have 6 periods.
Examples of out topics at Key Stage 3 include:

Students sit Key Stage 3 exams at the end of Year 10.

GCSE:

At GCSE we offer CCEA English Language and CCEA English Literature.

GCSE English Language:

Students will develop their reading and writing skills through studying and creating a range of functional and imaginative texts. Students will also study spoken language and develop speaking and listening abilities.

Unit 1: Personal Writing and Reading Multi-Modal Texts - 20%
Unit 2: Functional Writing and Reading Non-fiction - 20%
Unit 3: Speaking and Listening - 20%
Unit 4: Studying Spoken and Written Language and Writing Creatively - 40%

GCSE English Literature:

Unit 1: The Study of Prose - 25%
Unit 2: The Study of Drama and Poetry - 50%
Unit 3: The Study of Linked Texts - 25%

Entry Level:

Year 11 pupils whose Key Stage 3 results were no higher than level 3 will follow a similar programme of continuous assessment to those working at Key Stage 4. They will be encouraged to enter alternative examinations to GCSE such as the Entry Level Certificate in English offered by CCEA. This ensures that all pupils will, by the end of Year 12, have a formal recognised qualification in English.

AS/A-Level:

At AS/A2 Level we offer CCEA English Literature.

AS Level:

Unit 1: The Study of Drama
Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra
Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar named Desire and The Glass Menagerie
Unit 2: The Study of Poetry written after 1800 and the Study of Prose 1800-1945
Poetry - Dickinson and Hopkins
Prose - Wuthering Heights

A2 Level:

Unit 1: The Study of Poetry 1300-1800 and Drama
The Pardoner's Tale
King Lear and Burial at Thebes
Unit 2: The Study of Prose - theme-based
Jane Eyre, Wide Sargasso Sea and The Illusionist

Extra-curricular Activities

Theatre trips are often arranged to coincide with texts studied at GCSE or A Level. Theatre groups also visit to explore and perform texts with students at Key Stage 3.

In 2011-2012, there have already been a number of Extra-curricular activities that the English Department have been involved in and are going to participate in, including:

• Yr 8 Pantomime - Jack and the Beanstalk @ Opera House Belfast
• Yr 9 The Night Before Christmas @ Newry Town Hall Friday 16/12/11 (Kalidoscope Theatre) based on the poem of the same name by Clement Clarke Moore
• Yr 10 - Cinemagic Cross Community Project, funded by IFI. Newry High School and the Abbey Grammar schools are partners in this. The project involves the screening of four films which deal with the issues of prejudice. The young people view the films, discuss the issues and write a review of each film. Two pupils from each school are then chosen to go to a film camp in the summer, to make a film of their own.  Sept/Dec 2011/Jan/March 2012.
  Films:
  Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Sept 2011
  Remember the Titans Dec 2011
• School Pantomime, Frankenstein 13^th,14^th,15^th December 2011
• YEAR 8 READATHON OCT 2011 raised £523
• Year 9 Read-On term 2

Charity Activities

The English Department traditionally run Readathon and Read-On events with years 8 and 9 respectively. These involve sponsored reading to raise money for childrens' cancer organisations. Readathon is the Malcolm Sergeant and Roald Dahl Cancer Foundation for Children and Read-On is for children from Northern Ireland specifically.