The National Curriculum in English develops the subject through the areas of speaking
and listening, reading, writing, spelling and handwriting. Children are constantly
exposed to good quality books, stories and poems.
The English National Literacy
Strategy forms the basis for much of
the English taught in the Primary
School. It provides a
systematic approach to the teaching
of reading and writing, drama and
speaking and listening.
In the Foundation Stage and Key
Stage 1 children develop their ability to tell stories
and express themselves through structured play. The young reader is given a rich
and stimulating selection of reading material to share with the teacher and others.
Children have opportunities to write in different forms and for
different purposes. These include stories, letters, lists, captions and diaries
and the celebration of the written word is found in classroom displays.
The approach at Key Stage 2 extends the spoken and listening skills of children
by their involvement in group and individual presentations and discussions. The
range of reading available is progressively wider and includes more challenging
material such as autobiographies, letters, aspects of mass media and literature
from outside the child's immediate experience.
The good practice of using the
Resource Centre is extended
throughout the Primary School as the children become independent readers
and researchers. Throughout the school, children keep a record of their own reading.
Secondary School students make extended contributions to group or
class discussions and also improvise roles from stories and poems. At IGCSE level
they express opinions with increasing sophistication. Topics for discussion vary
widely and involve the development of argument and evidence. Activities include
formal debate and speaking to a range of audiences.
Reading materials for Secondary age students are increasingly
diverse and include character descriptions, film scripts and reviews. Students write in a variety of styles for
different audiences and purposes. This includes more developed critical and imaginative
responses to literature including letter writing, scripts, reports, stories and
analysis. Presentation skills, including the use of computer applications, are
given a high priority.
The IB course exposes the students to a wide range of world literature
and requires skills of critical analysis and in-depth understanding of themes,
characters and styles.
