The English Department
An English Department has responsibility for one of the most important subjects on the school curriculum: the study of language (including the language of literature) used to communicate knowledge, experience, thoughts and feelings. The statutory aim of an English Department must be to deliver the subject effectively and successfully as part of the National Curriculum, enabling each student to achieve his or her full potential.
The English Department at Stowe School aims fully to develop each student's confidence and competence in speaking and listening, reading and writing, stressing the importance of fluency and the precise use of language in both spoken and written English. Teachers in the Department foster the taste and critical judgement of their pupils by encouraging the enjoyment and analysis of a wide variety of written, spoken and visual texts.
Head of Department, James Peppiatt
GCSE
Content
All Stowe candidates follow the AQA English Language Specification course.
Assessment
Candidates are prepared for one English paper that is scheduled for the second half of the Summer term of their Fifth Form year. The paper is designed to test candidates' reading and writing abilities. Reading is tested with reference to media texts and non-fiction texts. For the two separate writing assignments, candidates should be able to write in a variety of non-fiction genres, including to argue, persuade, explain and describe. This paper carries 40% of the total marks.
Controlled Assessments account for a further 40% of the total marks for the course. Four pieces of writing are required; two assess pupils' ability to write in difference genres, while the other two are analytical questions, which test their ability to analyse and evaluate material effectively.
The final 20% is awarded for various speaking and listening activities undertaken throughout the course.
Tiers of Entry
The Higher tier allows the award of grades A* to D. The Foundation tier allows the award of grades C to G. Most candidates at Stowe take the Higher tier English qualification and the separate Higher tier qualification in English Literature. A small minority may be entered for English at Foundation tier level. Some or all of these candidates may not be entered for the separate English Literature qualification.
English Literature
For the AQA English Literature Specification course, pupils are prepared for two Literature papers. The first of these assesses their understanding and appreciation of poetry. In the second paper, pupils write on two texts, which may be prose or drama, or one of each. One text will be modern prose or drama, while the other will explore other cultures. These examinations are worth 75% of the overall mark.
Controlled Assessment accounts for a further 25% of the total marks for the course. This assessment is roughly 2,000 words long, and requires pupils to explore and analyse an aspect of a Shakespeare play, making comparison with another literary work or collection of poetry.
A Level
The Course
The A Level English Literature course comprises reading, considering, discussing and writing about literary texts. Students who make a success of the course usually enjoy reading good literature in an alert and analytical manner. They are likely to have a high grade at GCSE in English and perhaps a further high grade in English Literature.
The intermediate AS qualification in English Literature is completed in the first year of the Sixth Form, with the final A2 examinations being taken at the end of the Upper Sixth year to complete the full A Level qualification. As was the case at GCSE in English Literature, the A Level qualification comprises both written coursework and written examinations.
The AS course comprises two units: a 150-minute written examination (LT1) on poetry and drama weighted at 60% of the AS; and coursework on prose fiction (LT2) weighted at 40%. One component of the coursework involves candidates composing and analysing their own creative work, based on a prose-text that they have studied, whilst the other requires candidates to compare the representation of an issue in two further prose-texts. In all, candidates study six texts for this AS qualification (a modern play, two volumes of poetry since 1900, and three works of prose-fiction).
The study of a further six texts is required for the A2 course in the Upper Sixth. The course involves a second coursework element (LT3: 40% of the A2) based on the study of poetry and prose where the emphasis is upon wider reading and personal response. There is also a 150-minute written examination (LT4: weighted at 60% of the A2 course) based on the study of pre-1800 poetry, Shakespeare and related drama.
Clubs and Societies
For details of the English Department Clubs and Societies, please see the 'Activities and Societies' section of the website.