Compelling and challenging texts are placed at the heart of our curriculum to inspire a love of reading, creativity and curiosity. The curriculum (Our Odyssey) is designed to include a breadth of knowledge and skills that will become more sophisticated as students move from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4, with the intention that those skills can be transferred into Key Stage 5. The main goal is to ensure a richness of curriculum that, while retaining a focus on the needs of exams, allows a broader discovery of learning. Our aim is to challenge all learners, regardless of their prior attainment, utilising creativity and curiosity which helps develop conceptualised responses to the key texts. We are particularly aware of the need to promote progress for all of our learners. A thematic approach allows us flexibility within the curriculum to explore significant dates in the calendar such as Holocaust Memorial Day, National Poetry Day and International Women’s Day. All offer an opportunity to enrich the skills embedded in the Schemes of Learning. We intend our learners to develop creative minds from a Catholic and global standpoint, questioning real world events with criticality.

The faculty was pleased with the two key strengths identified in 2021:

• “The English Department provides a lively, creative and collegial learning environment for both students and teachers”. English Review 2022.
• “Students are being offered good opportunities to take part in extra-curricular activities such as debating and public speaking competitions”. English Review 2022.

And have improved in other areas by:

• helping teachers promote the capture of the great discussions and contributions that students are offering.
• implementing the college’s pedagogy more consistently, continuing to incorporate the most successful strategies currently being used.