We begin our GCSE journey from Year 7, as English teachers and GCSE examiners, we truly believe preparation for GCSE English starts from now and not in KS4 (Year 10/11).

• We teach skills in Year 7, 8 and 9 which give our students a stronger foundation to access the demands of the GCSE English language and literature course.
• We aim to expose students to a wider range of challenging literature, and broaden their literary horizons.
• We teach students how to explore the writer’s craft and explain the writer’s choices as they would be expected to do so at GCSE level.
• Students study a range of fiction: Shakespeare, plays, novels, poetry, modern texts and dramas, and a range of non-fiction: autobiographies, news articles etc.  
• Students are taught how to write creatively- experimenting with figurative language and structural devices, whilst matching their language and structure to their purpose, audience and form.
• We simultaneously embed and sharpen students’ skills in spelling, punctuation and grammar throughout our teaching.