Literature “returns you to otherness, whether in yourself or in friends, or in those who may become friends. Imaginative literature is otherness, and as such alleviates loneliness.” Harold Bloom
The study of English is the basis of all knowledge in the English-speaking world, because without a command of expression, both spoken and written, and without the ability to comprehend, it is all but impossible to make any progress in any form of academic study.
The English department aims to equip girls with the skills to become confident in written and spoken English and to engender a life-long love of reading.
From the beginning there is a focus on both language and literature and texts include novels, plays and poetry. Girls are introduced to a variety of periods, from classical to modern and examples range from Shakespeare plays to modern stories such as Anne Fine’s The Flour Babies.
At all levels English is delivered through a variety of teaching methods and materials, including ICT. There are many opportunities to explore beyond the confines of the syllabus: there is a well stocked library and dedicated quiet reading room, and extra curricular clubs include two reading groups and a debating society. There are regular theatre trips including a visit each year to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford.
The subject is available as part of our core curriculum as two GCSEs, English and English Literature.
At A level the AQA English Literature course is offered. This allows pupils to study a range of texts, both post 1900 and pre 1900, in the three main forms of novels, poetry and drama.