Tring School

Mortimer Hill
Tring
Hertfordshire HP23 5JD
01442 822303
tringschool@tring.herts.sch.uk

Curriculum: English

We aim to develop

Pupils who are confident readers, writers and speakers and listeners. They can make sense of the world around them and contribute their ideas in a variety of ways.

English Teaching Facilities

The English Department benefits from a suite of rooms where specialists teach. The suite is well equipped with built-in projectors, visualizers, DVD players and a new media room. Adjacent to the classrooms is a central English Office for staff use. Pupils are actively encouraged to use the facilities of the very well resourced Learning Centre.

Curriculum

Key Stage 3

Teaching at Key Stage 3 is mapped against ‘Assessing Pupil Progress’ criteria which is now nationally used in the majority of secondary schools. Exciting and challenging schemes of work have been written for Years 7 and 8 and 9, which enable pupils to continue to improve their written, reading and speaking and listening skills. Pupils are taught in sets in Years 7, 8 and 9. For information on APP and how your child’s progress will be reported in English, please click on the link below:

Key Stage 3 Assessment in English

Reading at KS3

Click below for some useful information and websites:

Riveting Reads Booklist

Top Ten on the Web

Reading Support

KS3 Reading List (march 2011)

Overview and Deadlines

KS3 Overview 2011-12

Key Stage 4

GCSE English and GCSE English Literature will be delivered using the new OCR Programme of Study from September 2010 on. Schemes of work are also in place at this level and have been recently re-written for our new OCR Programme of Study. Our students approach their study of English in a variety of ways and mediums, which makes the materials taught not only accessible, but also interesting and exciting whilst encouraging them to develop as independent learners with a love of reading. Nearly every year students have the opportunity to go to the theatre to see a performance of a set text or visit poets/writers in forum to hear them speak about their work. Again, students are set according to ability in Years 10 and 11.

Revision resources

There are lots of revision resources on Moodle. Click on the link below:

Revision resources on Moodle

Years 10 and 11 Overviews

Click below:

Year 10 and 11 OCR English Overview (Sets 5)

Year 10 OCR Language/Literature Overview (Sets 1-4)

Year 11 OCR Language/Literature Overview (Sets 1-4)

Reading at KS4

KS4 Reading List (march 2011)

Key Stage 5

A2 Level English Literature is delivered using the AQA Spec B Programme of Study. The subject is popular, due to very good teaching and examination results and exciting ways of approaching the set texts. A Level students are all encouraged to benefit from the theatre visits and opportunities to attend lectures to hear poets/writers speaking about their work. Many of our students continue their study of English at university. From September 2011, we will be using the OCR English Literature Programme of Study for our AS students and ongoing students of English Literature.

Overview

Year 12 OCR overview

Year 13 AQA B overview

Reading at KS5

KS5 Reading List (march 2011)

Extra-Curricular

For the past 4 years students have taken part in the Citizenship Foundation Mock Trial Competition which takes place in a Magistrates’ Court. This year we also entered the Mock Bar Trial with our Key Stage 4 and 5 students. We have won our local heat on two occasions and students have risen to the challenge of competing against other schools and developing their speaking and listening skills and their knowledge of law.

Have a look at some photos from the National Mock Trial Competition 2010 by clicking on the image below

Final

Round 2

Round 1

Our Gerald Massey Poetry Competition is open to students across all year groups; here they are encouraged to write poetry for pleasure; creating their own work, even seeking publication for their written work through the competition. Several students have been very successful and managed to win a prize in more than one competition. More information on the Gerald Massey competition is below:

Click here for the:

Gerald Massey Poetry Competition 2011 - Winning Poems

Every year we run the Carnegie Reading Group with a number of students. This is always a popular club and students are keen to read the nominated novels and share their views through written reviews and discussion.

Writing and debating clubs are popular and in recent years our students have taken on the challenge of high profile competitions such as the Rotary Club and The English Speaking Union. We hope to enter more students for the Rotary Youth Speaks Competition again this year.