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Pupils

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English

We aim to provide challenging and inspiring lessons in which all students are fully involved in their learning.

Students will find themselves involved in individual tasks as well as group work and undertake a wide variety of learning activities. The school’s motto is ‘comprehensive excellence’ and we firmly believe in each pupil and student achieving their best.

We have a strong team of enthusiastic teachers who try to support students to get their best possible grades.

  • Mrs H King (Head of English)
  • Mrs E Colling (Deputy Head of English)
  • Miss E Cole (Teacher of English and Drama)
  • Mrs L Dreisin (Teacher of English)
  • Miss G O’Reilly (Teacher of English)
  • Mrs R Semenczuk (Teacher of English and Media)
  • Mr P Smedley (Teacher of English and Head of Media)

  • Mr O Wright (Teacher of English)

Key Stage Three

As a department, our philosophy is that KS3 English should develop students’ key communication skills (reading, writing and speaking) as well as helping them to appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage. We believe that the best way to help students learn is to engage and interest them in a range of different texts (both fiction and non-fiction). Across KS3, we aim to support students as they explore a range of different styles of writing, from various genres and writers.

Students learn about the following:

Year 7:

  • Genre Study: Adventure and Fantasy
  • Prose: Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
  • Poetry: Nature
  • Non-Fiction: What makes us human?
  • Drama: Pullman’s adaptation of Frankenstein

Year 8:

  • Genre Study: Dystopia
  • Poetry: War
  • Non-Fiction: The News
  • Drama: Shakespeare’s Richard III

  • Prose: Crossan's The Weight of Water

Year 9:

  • Genre Study: The Gothic
  • Drama: Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
  • Non-Fiction: The Language of Protest
  • Prose: Orwell’s Animal Farm
  • Non-Fiction: Crime and Justice in Victorian England

We aim to prepare students for their GCSE studies but believe that KS3 should not be a diluted version of Years 10 and 11. When assessing work, we focus on students’ attitude to learning (effort, independence, understanding, recall and ability to communicate) rather than grading work.  

Key Stage Four

English Language

The GCSE course provides students with a rich and varied experience. The language papers focus on the craft of the writer in seminal twentieth-century fiction and the comparative study of non-fiction writers and their viewpoints. Both papers include a writing question which requires pupils to adapt their writing to different purposes. Spelling, punctuation and grammar now comprises 20% of the overall GCSE English language qualification. Spoken language is still an important element of English but it is no longer assessed as part of the GCSE. It is a requirement of the exam board that all students complete the speaking task and video evidence must be provided. Students will receive a separate certificate for their achievement in speaking.

Exam Specification: AQA English Language GCSE (8700)

English Literature

The literature papers include the study of a Shakespeare text, a modern drama, a poetry anthology, a nineteenth-century text and unseen poetry.

Recommended Learning Links for GCSE

Exam Specification: AQA English Literature GCSE (8702)

Key Stage Five

Reepham College offers A-level English Language and A-level English Literature. Please refer to the college website and prospectus for more details.

www.reephamcollege.com/for-students-and-parents/subjects

Accommodation and Resources

  • The English department is situated largely in its own block and most of the main school lessons are taught there. A Level lessons are taught in the main college building. 
  • Each room has its own interactive whiteboard.
  • The department is well resourced with sets of class books for KS3, a range of revision resources for GCSE and an extensive range of text books and reading material for both A Level Literature and A Level Language.
  • We subscribe to www.englishandmedia.co.uk with students having full access to the back catalogue of resources on the website. We also subscribe to www.babelzine.co.uk which is a publication dedicated to the study of language and linguistics. This is particularly useful for our A Level students.

Extra-curricular Activity and Trips

We always look for opportunities to enhance students’ learning with experiences outside the classroom. Students have participated in activities such as workshops from local writers and theatre companies; theatre performances in school, Norwich, Cambridge and London; talks by famous authors such as Charlie Higson and Darren Shan; events for National Poetry Day and World Book Day; public speaking competitions and many extra-curricular revision classes. The department is passionate about developing reading and works closely with the library to support students in this.

* For detailed information on the English curriculum, please refer to the Parents’ Guide to the Curriculum.

Our Schools

Synergy Multi-Academy Trust comprises fifteen Norfolk schools serving children between the ages of 2 and 18. Our schools work collaboratively together to raise standards and provide education of the highest possible standard, offering the best of opportunities for pupils. The Trust was initially established in 2015. We believe that all of our schools have strengths and areas to develop, and that all can improve through sharing expertise and wisdom. The Trust understands that there will be excellent practice in each school, and that every school will be able to contribute to the development of the Trust as a whole.

Our Schools

Synergy Multi-Academy Trust comprises fifteen Norfolk schools serving children between the ages of 2 and 18. Our schools work collaboratively together to raise standards and provide education of the highest possible standard, offering the best of opportunities for pupils. The Trust was initially established in 2015. We believe that all of our schools have strengths and areas to develop, and that all can improve through sharing expertise and wisdom. The Trust understands that there will be excellent practice in each school, and that every school will be able to contribute to the development of the Trust as a whole.

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Reepham High School

Whitwell Road, Reepham,
Norwich, Norfolk,
England, NR10 4JT

01603 870328
office@reephamhigh.org.uk
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Synergy Multi-Academy Trust

Synergy Multi-Academy Trust comprises fifteen Norfolk schools serving children between the ages of 2 and 18. Our schools work collaboratively together to raise standards and provide education of the highest possible standard, offering the best of opportunities for pupils. The Trust was initially established in 2015. We believe that all of our schools have strengths and areas to develop, and that all can improve through sharing expertise and wisdom. The Trust understands that there will be excellent practice in each school, and that every school will be able to contribute to the development of the Trust as a whole.

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