Prep School
English
Fostering a love and appreciation of literature lies at the heart of everything the English Department sets out to do. We aim to provide an exciting curriculum, which is largely based on the National Curriculum but which also extends well beyond its boundaries.
By the time they leave in Year 8, all children will have encountered examples of some of the best prose and poetry written in the English language. Children are taught to write accurately in a range of styles for different purposes. They are taught to express themselves clearly when speaking and to listen bother carefully and critically when others are talking. LAMDA is offered as an extra-curricular activity and Recite, our annual verse speaking competition, is always greeted with huge enthusiasm.
The English Department aims to:
- Provide a rich and stimulating learning environment where speaking and listening, reading and writing are integrated
- Enable children to develop the necessary skills to speak clearly, fluently and confidently, reasoning independently and taking account of their listeners
- Enable children to read a range of texts fluently, with pleasure and understanding, and with an increasing ability to comprehend subtlety of meaning and difference of style – giving them the opportunities to extend the use of their critical skills to a wider range of screen media such as television and film
- Develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
- Teach children to appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
- Enable children to write effectively for a range of audiences and purposes, using spelling, punctuation and grammar accurately and confidently
- Set high, yet attainable standards which take account of the needs and abilities of each child, whilst providing additional support for the less able and extension for the most able
- Provide opportunities for children to use ICT where appropriate.