Home > School Life > Senior School Curriculum > English
English
Head of Department: Mrs C Hopkins
Mrs J Berry
Mrs C Bollington
Mrs J Davies
Ms J Dewar
Mrs C Everitt
Mrs T Lennie
Mrs F Marquand
Dr S Sullivan
Mrs S Willis
Questions about English at Dame Alice
What do you look for in the entrance examination?
It is important that a candidate is able to demonstrate the
ability to handle English with some fluency and accuracy, and that she
should show promise and a sense of adventure when writing about herself
and the world around her.
Do you believe in setting?
Within the environment
of a selective-entry school, we believe that every girl has something
to contribute to, and to gain from, a 'mixed' class in English, and
therefore we do not 'set'. We do, however, organise a 'focus group' in
Year 9 and beyond for well-motivated girls who find themselves in need
of more close attention than that which is available in the wider
classroom situation.
Will my daughter study Shakespeare?
Our policy is
that girls should study a Shakespeare play in every school year. 'Study' involves short performances, discussions, and creative
activities as well as formal learning and reading. Plays studied in
Years 7 and 8 are A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Merchant of Venice.
In subsequent years the play is selected by the English teacher and may
vary between groups.
Will she be taught grammar?
Yes. In addition to
the normal four lessons of English per week, girls in Year 7 have one
lesson, taught by the Headmistress, dedicated to the basics of grammar,
spelling and punctuation. In Years 8 and 9 these skills will be further
honed within the five English lessons per week.
Will my daughter have homework?
Homework is an important part of our course. We expect girls in
Years 7, 8 and 9 to undertake one half-hour session per week; this may
involve writing essays or exercises, undertaking research, reading
passages in advance, or other kinds of preparation for lessons. In
Years 10 and above, homework time increases to meet the
What if she doesn't read very much?
We have a
large Fiction library with reading available at all levels; other
sections of the library are equally extensive. There is a full-time
Librarian, and girls are regularly taken to the library as part of
their English lessons in Year 7. Frequent additions are made to the
stock at the request of the readers. Girls are encouraged to 'report
back' on their private reading in various ways.
Will she be given the chance to write poetry?
She
will be encouraged, and indeed expected, to do so. English is an
important 'communications' subject, but we also believe passionately
that children have a right to imaginative and creative expression.
Creative work is featured in the School Magazine every year. Girls in
Years 7, 8 and 9 will participate in a Poetry Writing competition
arranged to coincide with National Poetry Day in the Autumn Term.
What use do you make of Information Technology?
The English and ICT Departments work closely together to
develop the key skill of using Information Technology. Girls are
encouraged to use word processing, page design and information
retrieval technology wherever appropriate. All facilities are available
within school. There is a growing collection of CD-ROMs alongside the
extensive English component in the audio-visual library.
What other activities are there?
The English Department is responsible for a Public Speaking
Competition each year, in which all girls take part. There is a lively
Junior Debating Society, which meets frequently, and a Poetry Reading
Competition takes place in the Summer Term. Theatre trips take place,
usually for the more senior girls, and there is a Sixth Form English
Society which runs in conjunction with the other Harpur Trust schools.
A Journalism Club offers all girls the opportunity to work
collaboratively as part of an Editorial Team.