English at Chadwick High School 

English is vital for communicating with others in school, the wider world and is fundamental to learning in all curriculum subjects. In English, students develop skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening that they will need to participate in society and employment. 

 Many of our students arrive with poor literacy or having experienced much failure in English, believing they ‘can’t read’ or ‘can’t spell’. Some arrive with a love of reading or writing but feel they are behind because poor attendance has meant there are gaps in their literacy or subject knowledge. Our intent is to develop their confidence, resilience and independence by assessing their skills and knowledge and providing learning to plug any gaps and teach them strategies to approach any areas they find challenging. 

The main aims of the English Curriculum at Chadwick High School are: 

• To allow students to become competent and accurate users of the English language, who can communicate clearly and effectively in a range of different situations.
• To nurture students’ creative skills in order that they can use language to produce new meanings and effects. 

• To enhance students’ cultural understanding so that they have a full and coherent appreciation of British and World Literature. 

• To develop students’ critical capacities so that they can analyse and evaluate a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts and become confident media consumers and communicators. 

• For all KS4 students to achieve an English qualification to support their next steps, whatever they aspire to achieve. 

We have smaller class sizes and teaching assistant support in all English lessons, which allows a personalised and trauma-based approach as students develop established relationships with staff so they can express themselves more freely and develop their skills, confidence and resilience in a supportive and highly differentiated learning environment.

All English classrooms have ICT facilities allowing students the option to word process their work in lessons and examinations, easing the process of planning, structuring and redrafting work, particularly for students with SEN needs. We also have reading pens and coloured overlays for use in lessons and examinations for students who struggle with the demands of reading longer texts.

We strive to provide opportunities for students to experience the wealth of live professional theatre in our local area whenever possible.

English Careers

GCSE English Language supports applications to both academic and vocational pathways. Most A Level and Level 3 courses or apprenticeships require a grade 4 in English Language. Most Level 2 courses or apprenticeships require a grade 3 and many Level 1 courses accept a grade 1 or 2 in English Language.

There are many careers for lovers of English: Digital Copywriter, Editorial Assistant, Journalist, English Teacher, University Lecturer, Speech and Language Therapist, Lawyer, Barrister.