English

At Ancora House School, we have a number of experienced English teacher specialists who are practised in delivering the Key Stage 3 curriculum and the new English Language and Literature specifications in line with mainstream schools.

There is close liaison with home schools for all students across Key Stages 3, 4 and 5. For those students working towards GCSE and GCE qualifications we will ascertain which exam board their home school uses and aim to provide targeted support in their specific programmes of study.

In terms of reading and writing, we aim to develop skills according to individual needs. Students are encouraged to engage with fiction and non-fiction and to recognise that reading and writing are both valuable life skills and enjoyable diversions. Speaking and listening is also an important area of exploration. Pupils are encouraged to find their own voice and to contribute at a level they feel comfortable with; we provide a variety of tasks which aim to help develop confidence in this area. In addition, drama and media projects are sometimes offered to help engage students and enhance learning.

The school has access to a wide range of English Language resources suitable for different academic levels and learning styles, plus the many set texts and anthologies that are studied in preparation for English Literature examinations across all exam boards. We keep updated about changes in the curriculum and adjust our teaching accordingly.

The English department aims, where possible, to develop personalised learning opportunities through connecting with individual student interests; we find this engages even the most reluctant readers, writers and speakers. We have high expectations of what can be achieved in English and endeavor to make sure that each pupil reaches their potential in this subject.

Useful Websites

Useful link to help students become familiar with 19th century non-fiction and increasing students' reading speed.

https://diseasesofmodernlife.web.ox.ac.uk/

Shakespeare

https://teach.shakespearesglobe.com/

Macbeth and Literature

https://www.bl.uk/teaching-resources/discovering-literature-teachers-toolkit-macbeth

https://www.bl.uk/teaching-resources/discovering-literature-teachers-toolkit

Closing the Word Gap

https://www.teachitenglish.co.uk/wordgap-activities

Closing Vocabulary Gap

https://www.theconfidentteacher.com/category/closing-the-gap/