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English

Year 12 english1English is a subject which encompasses a vast number of different texts, topics and themes which can tap into our students’ interests and passions; our curriculum is constantly evolving to ensure that we are addressing issues most relevant to our students and reading texts which represent both classic literature and more modern writers. The study of English is vital in allowing students to grow into modern citizens who can engage with the world around them and understand a range of experiences, cultures and time periods which have been preserved and explored through literature. 

While many students consider English to be relevant only if they are interested in careers in publishing or teaching, we aim to show them that the subject allows them to develop skills which can be taken into any area of their lives; it is scientifically proven that people who read are better able to empathise with others and show greater tolerance and respect for all members of society. Through our text choices at all stages of the English journey, we aim to ensure that students appreciate the challenges faced by people all around the world and we hope that all students see some aspects of their own experiences reflected in the books and extracts they read.
 
As a department, we are passionate about developing a love of reading in all students and have developed a curriculum which not only demonstrates our enthusiasm for reading but which will inspire all students to read more widely and with more confidence. We also have a strong belief in enabling students to express themselves eloquently, not only in written form but also verbally, and so oracy, debate and discussion is integral to the design of our curriculum. More confident students will fly through classroom debates, but our less confident students will be supported in these elements of the curriculum through scaffolded approaches to debate and frequent paired and small-group discussions.
 
In English, reading around the subject and engaging with literature in a wider sense is really important. All students are issued with a student booklet at the start of each academic year which contains an extensive reading list to offer suggestions of engaging, high-quality books which students can read for pleasure; they can also liaise with Mr Tilbrook, our librarian, who can help them to find books which suit their interests. All our schemes of work will offer ‘top reads’ which tie in with the topic being studied in class and students should also keep an eye out for ‘If you enjoyed this…’ slides displayed during their lessons which may offer suggestions for further reading if they have enjoyed the text studied in class. 

 

 

Key Stage 3

Our Key Stage 3 English curriculum will allow all of our students to not only develop an enjoyment and appreciation of a wide range of diverse literature, but will also help them build communication skills which will be integral to their success as they move through the school and beyond. With a focus on oracy skills, honed through regular debate and discussion, we hope our students can find the confidence to express their own views and opinions and share these with others. Through the topics studied at Key Stage 3, our students will encounter a huge number of exciting and inspiring texts and authors; they will have the opportunity to explore key social issues as well as gain a secure foundation in a variety of literary forms and styles. These skills and conversations will support them throughout their GCSE studies and, hopefully, into A Level English Literature. 

In Year 7, students will gain a strong foundation in comprehension, inference, analysis and creative writing skill through a comprehensive study of a range of different forms. They start the year with a journeys unit, allowing them to explore different non-fiction forms exploring a range of cultures and experiences and which also provide a springboard for their own non-fiction writing; this also builds on the work they have completed in their summer project which introduced them to a range of texts about journeys. Our knowledge about language unit charts the development of the English language and storytelling tradition, as well as allowing them to explore their own idiolect and how language forms our identities. Term 3 incorporates an exploration of magic in literature, tracking the presentation of magic from the medieval stories of King Arthur and Merlin, along with evil ‘hags’ and ‘loathly ladies’, through to the Salem Witch Trials and finally into modern texts such as The Wizard of Oz and Harry Potter, where magic is romanticised. In Terms 4 and 5, students will study dystopian fiction, a hugely popular genre with young adult readers, primarily through a single novel study; we have a range of novels available in the department and teachers will select the novel which best suits the interests and strengths of their individual class.

The Year 8 curriculum builds on the skills studied in Year 7 but encourages students to apply these to more challenging texts and concepts. In Term 1, students complete a new Shakespeare unit, this time using Romeo and Juliet as a central play which they can compare to other texts in order to explore Shakespeare’s key themes. Term 2 covers our most popular unit – ‘women’ – in which our students study texts by inspirational female authors and activists. Term 3 introduces students to poetry as they study a collection of poetry, compiled by the English department here, which includes key themes and introduces them to slam poetry, which is always a firm favourite! Finally, their Key Stage 3 experience concludes with the study of two popular and entertaining units: first, Gothic literature, with a focus on ‘The Lie Tree’ by Frances Hardinge, which builds the skills required for studying prose from the Year 7 dystopian unit, but developing an understanding of the conventions of another significant genre; secondly, we will read a modern play called ‘The Facility’, a modern re-telling of the Greek classic ‘Antigone’ written to resonate with the modern world.

Topics Covered

Year 7 

  • Journeys
  • Knowledge About Language
  • Magic in Literature
  • Dystopian Fiction (2 Terms)
  • Shakespeare

Year 8 

  • Romeo and Juliet
  • Women
  • Poetry
  • Gothic Fiction (1.5 Terms)
  • The Facility (1.5 Terms)

Timetable

Over a fortnightly timetable students receive:

  • 5 hours in Year 7 / 6 hours in Year 8 of guided classroom learning
  • 2 x 20 minutes of guided independent homework 
  • 1 hour of independent reading, supported by teacher

Enrichment and Extra Curricular

To Read

To Watch

To Listen

To Research

What to do and To Visit

Year 9 - Foundation Year

During their Foundation Year, students will be able to build on the skills and knowledge developed at Key Stage 3, while exploring more challenging and thought-provoking texts which address issues and concerns in modern society. For example, our Human Rights unit provides students with the opportunity to explore injustices across the world and the way these have been discussed and presented in a range of non-fiction texts: they will be able to analyse the famous ‘Misogyny speech’ delivered by Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard, unpick speeches delivered by Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks during the Civil Rights Movement and read an extract from Trevor Noah’s autobiography which details the challenges of growing up during Apartheid in South Africa. Our short stories unit provides students with the opportunity to read and enjoy a large number of stories covering a range of themes key to literature; not only will this unit provide them with high-quality stories to enjoy, but it will also allow them to explore effective techniques used by authors which will develop their creative writing skills too. A firm favourite in this unit is the graphic short story ‘The Last Woman on Earth’. These two units are complemented by whole text studies: ‘The Poet X’ by Elizabeth Acevedo and ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell; studying Orwell’s classic allows them to explore the idea of literature as a political form which can be used to reflect on social concerns (and will support history students with their topic about Russia) while ‘The Poet X’ is a verse novel exploring the challenges of growing up in modern society for a teenage girl. Oracy skills continue to be at the heart of our Foundation Year curriculum, helping students find their voice and articulate opinions about challenging topics and mature themes.

Topics Covered

  • Crime and Detection
  • Animal Farm
  • Short Stories
  • Poetry & Culture
  • The Poet X
  • Human Rights

Timetable

Over a fortnightly timetable students receive:

  • 7 hours of guided classroom learning
  • 2 x 30 minutes of guided independent homework

Enrichment and Extra Curricular

To Read

To Watch

To Listen

To Research

Find local book signings and author visits near you https://www.waterstones.com/events 
How can you use sentences? https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zxqnfg8/revision/1
How to use language effectively https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zsmf39q/revision/1 

What to do/Places to Visit

Key Stage 4

During Key Stage 4, students will prepare for two separate GCSE qualifications: English Language and English Literature. The skills required for their English Language exams have been established during Key Stage 3 and the Foundation Year, meaning that we can use Key Stage 4 to fine-tune these and apply them to the particular types of text which will appear on their GCSE examinations; students will be given the chance to read a wide range of articles and 19th century fiction extracts to help them understand the conventions of these forms and discuss how they would approach the accompanying exam questions. A key element of the English Language GCSE is the Spoken Language qualification; this is reported separately on the students’ examination certificates at the end of Year 11, but is a compulsory component in the English Language specification. This examination allows students to select a topic in which they are interested and about which they are passionate; the foundations provided during Key Stage 3 and the Foundation Year will hopefully give students the confidence to articulate their opinions and they may even choose to select something they studied lower down the school to tackle independently. For their English Literature qualification, students study one post-19 drama text, one Shakespeare play, one 19th century novel and a collection of poetry; these texts are selected from the exam board’s shortlist by the class teacher to ensure that they are best-suited to the strengths and interests of their students. While we are preparing students for final exams during this period and are following a national specification, we are still able to explore topics and issues important to our students through the texts we select for practice questions (both for English Language and English Literature), meaning that this integral part of our English curriculum is not lost. While challenging, the Key Stage 4 curriculum allows students to develop key skills such as empathy, communication and compassion and the emphasis on paired and group work ensures that students have the opportunity to work both independently and collaborate with others. 

Exam board/Qualification:   Edexcel - English Language
                                                AQA - English Literature

  • English Language - 1 paper: 1hr 45 mins, 1 paper: 2hr 5 mins at the end of Year 11. Students will also complete a Spoken Language assessment in Year 10.
  • English Literature – 1 paper: 1hr 45 mins, 1 paper: 2hr 15 mins at the end of Year 11

Topics Covered

Year 10

  • Literature: 19th century prose: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde/A Christmas Carol
  • Language: Paper 1 skills (19th century fiction reading and imaginative writing)
  • Literature: modern drama: An Inspector Calls
  • Language: Paper 2 skills (20th/21st century non-fiction reading and transactional writing)
  • Literature: anthology poetry: Love and Relationships/Power and Conflict/Worlds and Lives

Year 11

  • Literature: unseen poetry
  • Literature: Shakespeare's play: Macbeth
  • Language: Paper 1 and Paper 2 revision
  • Literature: 19th century prose, modern drama and anthology poetry revision
  • Language: Spoken Language Endorsement

 Timetable

Over a fortnightly timetable students receive:

  • 7 hours of guided classroom learning
  • 3 x 30 minutes of guided independent homework

Enrichment and Extra Curricular

To Read

To Watch

To Listen

To Research

What to do/Places to Visit

Key Stage 5

The A Level English Literature specification is an exciting one which allows students the opportunity to study literature through the ages; whilst divided by genre (poetry, prose and drama), students study both a modern and pre-1900 text for each genre, meaning they gain a true understanding of the evolution of English Literature. For example, students will study a Shakespearean tragedy (such as Othello or Hamlet) as well as a modern tragedy (such as A Streetcar Named Desire) and explore how the genre has changed and developed over time. The texts studied at A Level are gritty and tackle a wide range of universal experiences from different perspectives; they will challenge students, but in a way which helps them develop both emotional maturity and the ability to understand a world beyond their own. The pace is slightly slower during Key Stage 5, allowing more time for students to delve deeper into their core texts and engage in academic debates and discussions, taking a lead on the ways in which they wish to tackle their A Level studies. The coursework component is a fantastic opportunity for students to explore their own interests and passions within English Literature; they have the freedom to select texts which they wish to write about, and they are responsible for constructing their own coursework title, meaning they have ownership over the themes, contexts and ideas covered in their essay. Students are encouraged to be more independent than ever during their A Level studies, preparing them for life after school and the autonomy they will experience. A Level English Literature will also prepare them for the future by helping to create students who are sensitive to others’ opinions and the world around them and who are also able to articulate their own thoughts and ideas in an academic manner.

Exam board/Qualification:    Edexcel   A Level  English Literature

  • 2 papers x 2hr 15 mins, 1 paper x 1hr 15 mins at the end of Year 13 – 80%
  • 3000 words coursework – 20% during Year 13

Topics Covered

  • Contemporary poetry
  • Other drama
  • Prose comparison – two texts
  • Shakespeare 
  • Named poet/poetry movement
  • ​Coursework
  • Revision of Y12 units

Timetable

Over a fortnightly timetable students receive:

  • 10 hours of guided classroom learning
  • 10x 60 minutes of guided independent homework

Enrichment and Extra Curricular

To Read

To Watch

To Listen

To Research

To Visit

Careers

We have a wealth of information on our Careers page - Please click here to visit. 

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29/04/24

We are proud to announce this year's production will be James and the Giant Peach! 🍑Rehearsals are underway, and we can't wait to bring this beloved story to life on stage. Keep your eyes peeled as we will be sharing sneak peeks of rehearsals in the coming weeks!#RoaldDahl pic.twitter.com/umRTEJFoC0

09/04/24

With Earth Day less than two weeks away, here are some ways to be more eco-friendly and better look after our Earth!#EarthDay pic.twitter.com/2wpO09fPoq

21/03/24

Spring has sprung at Invicta and yesterday our Year 7 and 8 POP Photography students enjoyed the first day of spring by focussing on natural textures!#Photography pic.twitter.com/VXK4Zh7tNz

20/03/24

KS2 enjoyed participating in language workshops on Tuesday morning, focusing on German, French and Spanish with some students from pic.twitter.com/seA6XOjMYz

20/03/24

KS2 enjoyed participating in language workshops on Tuesday morning, focusing on German, French and Spanish with some students from pic.twitter.com/seA6XOjMYz

14/03/24

Today is International Day of Mathematics🎉 At Invicta, we're passionate about empowering our students with the boundless potential of mathematics both in and outside the classroom! Join us as we discover the magic of numbers in everyday life! pic.twitter.com/uhDfB1ToUy

12/03/24

Last week marked a significant moment in Invicta's history as we gathered for our whole school photo, a rare event that takes place only once every 7 years. Here are some behind-the-scenes photos from the day, showcasing the infectious excitement and sense of community! pic.twitter.com/Y5RDLffV0C

08/03/24

Today we are capturing a moment in time with a whole school photo!📸 pic.twitter.com/Hya2nGJX2H

04/03/24

Students had a fantastic time during last week's POP sessions (Personal Opportunities Program)!We saw students engage with a host of new and familiar favourite activities including, Chess, Coding, Minecraft, Photography, Yoga, Crochet, Nature Walks and so many more! pic.twitter.com/bSmEMQ0Yo5

29/02/24

Our upcoming non-uniform day supports FIGS, our parent-teacher association. The theme is "Be Active!" It's a day to dress sporty and promote physical activity and wellness.Let's show our support for FIGS while staying active and healthy!#NonUniform pic.twitter.com/MZ6ljDx4TN

26/02/24

I had a lovely morning visit to today. The year 8s have been studying the movement & some of the specific stories I explore in my book, of Kent. It was lovely to talk about who grew up in pic.twitter.com/e5GiWrX4zb

22/02/24

I had a lovely morning visit to today. The year 8s have been studying the movement & some of the specific stories I explore in my book, of Kent. It was lovely to talk about who grew up in pic.twitter.com/e5GiWrX4zb

21/02/24

World Book Day is just over 2 weeks away now!What are some of your favourite books that you've read so far this year, who are your favourite authors... We'd love to hear your thoughts on reading, books and literature!#WorldBookDay pic.twitter.com/tZnX6Fd8WS

21/02/24

Join us for fab line up of Live Talks for 4-9 Mar delivered by at https://t.co/3zmmUzLLnQ pic.twitter.com/G7sQFjiTQf

19/02/24

Join us for fab line up of Live Talks for 4-9 Mar delivered by at https://t.co/3zmmUzLLnQ pic.twitter.com/G7sQFjiTQf

19/02/24

Last term, our Year 9 photographers explored aperture, depth of field and composition in their work to create these stunning photographs of miniature cars, inspired by the works of Kim Leuenberger! pic.twitter.com/jYOG8pXoS1

06/02/24

We currently have several vacancies available including a Teacher of MFL Spanish, a Receptionist and a Careers Advisor.If you are looking to join a friendly and encouraging team, please submit an application using the link below!https://t.co/Wp92LBuZXj pic.twitter.com/mLyLvveSza

30/01/24

Last week marked the Primary Literacy Challenge! Thanks to all the teams who attended, we hope you had a great time! See you at our Primary STEM challenge next term! Congratulations to for winning! 🏆🎉 pic.twitter.com/ILU5YmABv1

30/01/24

A reminder to students and parents that next Monday, 5 February is a non-uniform day and students are encouraged to wear something blue or nature-themed if they have items in their wardrobe to support and raise awareness for The Marine Conservation Society 💙 pic.twitter.com/bNElZCXC2h

29/01/24

Today our little Shaun The Sheep was seen greeting students whilst proudly wearing the team colours! Congratulations to the team for playing an absolutely phenomenal match!🏆 pic.twitter.com/7rUrFd2EBx

25/01/24

🥘🔪🍅Just over a week to go before entries close for Young Cooks 2024. 🍅🔪🥘 Don't miss the opportunity to enter, and be part of an amazing educational and inspirational cooking experience! ENTER NOW! https://t.co/8990CZdWr5#YoungCooks pic.twitter.com/reZwRtXJia

25/01/24

🥘🔪🍅Just over a week to go before entries close for Young Cooks 2024. 🍅🔪🥘 Don't miss the opportunity to enter, and be part of an amazing educational and inspirational cooking experience! ENTER NOW! https://t.co/8990CZdWr5#YoungCooks pic.twitter.com/reZwRtXJia

18/01/24

The Year 6 Dance Workshop booking are closing tomorrow! So make sure you book your space!Students will have the opportunity to work in teams as they create a short dance routine, exploring the world of Alice In Wonderland through movement!https://t.co/DJyRN2jRDA pic.twitter.com/5X3M0vBuAB

15/01/24

Our Year 6 Dance Workshop is NOW live on our Eventbrite page!Come join us as we explore the world of 'Alice in Wonderland' through movementTo book your space head to the link below - please note spaces are limitedhttps://t.co/xmRo0FXeOr pic.twitter.com/mR0r60j5j1

03/01/24

We have several Teaching Vacancies currently available for subjects including English, Science, Business & Economics and Mathematics.If you are looking for a new opportunity and would like to join our team, please have a look at our vacancies below:https://t.co/Wp92LBuZXj pic.twitter.com/13osAiN2jE