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Morpeth School

English Department

Head of Department: Grainne McNeill (acting)

The English team currently consists of ten very experienced English specialists, four of whom hold other positions of responsibility within the school. There is a Head of Department, a Deputy Head of Department with responsibility for Key Stage 4 and a Key Stage 3 post-holder. English is taught for four lessons a week, except in Year 7 where all pupils have 5 English lessons a week and in Year 8 pupils have 3 lessons per week. Pupils are taught in classes of 30 at Key Stage 3 and in groups of 24 at Key Stage 4.

Co-operative work in English

The department has nine classrooms and one large work room/office. Each full time English teacher has their own classroom base equipped with an interactive whiteboard, TV and video. One room has 15 networked computers and access is freely negotiated.

Results and expectations

The department’s results have seen an impressive and steady increase year on year. We have very high expectations of all our pupils and we aim to enter every pupil for both English and English Literature GCSE. We are committed to mixed ability teaching, and recognise that to do this effectively the curriculum has to be planned carefully. We teach common shared units, to ensure progression and continuity of teaching and learning. The process of shared planning and preparation is key to our ethos. We organise the seating of pupils to support learning and to encourage equal opportunities. All pupils are tracked and intervention strategies are employed to support pupils who are underachieving. Most English lessons are supported by colleagues from the EMAG and Support Departments and we are lucky enough to have a full time English Teaching Assistant.

The curriculum

We are constantly reviewing our Key Stage 3 curriculum to ensure it meets national requirements, prepares pupils for the end of Key Stage 3 and the start of Key Stage 4, develops independent learning skills and, most importantly , to ensure that it is stimulating, challenging and enjoyable.

a rapping workshop

a rapping workshop

We run 2 very successful projects, involving approximately 120 pupils each year. The first is based around film making and the second around performance and poetry. For both of these projects, students work with experts in the fields of film making and poetry performance.

Homework at Key Stage 3 is a series of 6 week long projects, designed to develop independent reading, performance, script writing and creativity. We aim to reward hard work and achievement in these projects or in the class room. This year these rewards have included meeting the prestigious author Beverly Naidoo and taking part in workshops with representatives from the BBC.

Exam results testify to the continuing success of the department at Key Stage 4. Planning and teaching is carefully coordinated and shared ensuring excellence across classes. Again, every effort is made to reward hard work and achievement.

September 2009 sees the opening of the Cambridge Heath Sixth Form, situated in the brand new Wessex Centre, close to Morpeth School. The English department is looking forward to delivering a creative and engaging curriculum to A Level English Literature students and also to providing Functional Skills lessons to Key Stage 5 Diploma students.

The department is committed to extending the experience of pupils beyond the classroom. We organise many workshops and trips. We also run extra – curricular clubs for reading, debating, film making, creative writing and performance poetry, and regularly win prizes in London- wide and national competitions.

The department’s aim is to ensure that each child progresses in terms of literacy over their time at Morpeth, but also to make English the subject that they enjoy most.