English

Staff

-        Ms Dutton (Head of Department)

-        Mrs Mullan-Doyle (Head of KS3/Literacy Co-Ordinator)

-        Ms Cuffe

-        Mrs McConville

-        Miss Ward

-        Miss McGloin

-        Miss Guiney

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Vision    

Our English Department is committed to inspiring curiosity, cultivating confidence and equipping students to excel, both in their examinations and in their wider lives. It is our aim is to ensure that every pupil, regardless of starting point, leaves school ready to think critically, communicate effectively and engage meaningfully with a diverse world.

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Curriculum & Learning Path

At Key Stage 3, our programme is carefully designed to prepare students for the rigours of GCSE and beyond. All pupils embark on a broad and engaging reading and writing programme, exploring texts from a variety of cultures, traditions and genres. This ensures that our learners develop not just knowledge, but imagination and cultural literacy which is crucial for success.

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KS3 Pathway

Year 8: Term 1: New Beginnings – Personal Writing Unit; Term 2: Novel Study; Term 3: Poetry Unit

Year 9: Term 1: Gothic Creative Writing; Term 2: Novel Study; Term 3: Macbeth

Year 10: Term 1: Romeo and Juliet; Term 2: Protest Speech Writing; Term 3: Reading Non-Fiction and Media Texts

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Key Stage 4 Study

• GCSE English Language (CCEA)

• GCSE English Literature (CCEA)

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Post-16 Study

A-Level English Language and Literature (WJEC)

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Learning Journey & Student Support

We believe that proficiency in English underpins every subject and every future pathway. To that end, we provide:

• A dedicated vocabulary-development programme in Key Stage 3 using the Bedrock Learning platform which adapts to each student’s level, accessible from home and integrated into our learning culture.

• Regular home–school communication to keep parents/carers informed of progress, next-steps and opportunities for support.

• Opportunities for enrichment inside and outside of the classroom.

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Enrichment Opportunities

• Raise Her Voice – Our annual in-house public-speaking competition for girls, focused on crafting and delivering individual speeches.

• Post-16 Reading Mentors – Sixth-form pupils supporting and inspiring younger readers.

• Saturday School & Easter School – Targeted GCSE revision sessions delivered in collaboration with BSCR.

• Young at Art Partnership – Creative workshops and theatre visits arranged through Young at Art.

• Fighting Words Collaboration – Creative-writing workshops.

• Soroptimist International Public Speaking – Annual entry for female pupils to deliver speeches at Stormont.

• Children’s Books Ireland: Junior Juries & Virtual Author Visits – Opportunities for pupils to engage critically with contemporary children’s literature.

• Poetry in Motion – Pupils work with a local poet, with selected pieces published in a professionally produced anthology.

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Texts We Study

We encourage our pupils to engage with some of the most inspiring and thought-provoking texts:

• A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

• Tall Story by Candy Gourlay

• Boy by Roald Dahl

• The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf

• Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear and The Tempest by William Shakespeare

• An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestley

• A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

• In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

• The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

• Once in a House on Fire by Andrea Ashworth

• The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood