Today’s Shiplake Spotlight is brought to you by Miss Jess Hearn, who will be Head of English from September. Miss Hearn talks about how finding meaning and challenging the words others say and write, can help us to form opinions and interpret the world, way beyond our own experiences.
English is about understanding how humanity has shared experiences, ideas and thinking over time – it’s about what it means to be a human. For me, it's the most interesting subject you can teach. It can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the subject is ‘just’ reading and writing. While the study of English does of course underpin academic attainment across the curriculum, its benefits go far beyond the classroom, through promoting intellectual curiosity and encouraging students to make sense of the world.
Words matter. They have the power to incite hate, anger and division. However, they can also be used to unite communities, to stir emotion and to find a sense of meaning in experiences. In the digital world, the right words can mean the difference between being misinterpreted or being successful in conveying your ideas and opinions. When we read a novel, a poem or a play, we are transported to another world, and offered a new perspective, be it from the author or the characters in the text. When we discuss that same novel, poem or play with peers, we are exposed to a variety of interpretations and ideas, all of which are valid, and all of which enhance my understanding and views. I can teach the same text for five years and still be surprised by an original observation made by a student. Writing and reading is therefore how we communicate and understand our world. What could be more interesting than that?
Our bespoke curriculum in Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9) is rich and rewarding, intended to foster a lifelong love of the subject and of reading. Stories underpin our curriculum, allowing creativity and imagination to flourish. Literary texts of the past influence contemporary works; therefore, the texts we teach seek to balance the classics with more modern works. Year 7s arrive at the school and are immediately transported into the world of Tolkein. This is complemented with the study of Harry Potter and culminates with students producing their own quest adventure. Year 8 explore the lives and experiences of others through the autobiographical writing of Anne Frank, Roald Dahl and Nelson Mandela. Year 9 are introduced to the influence of Aristotle’s Rhetoric through the study of speeches by Alexander the Great, Elizabeth 1, Martin Luther King and Malala to name but a few. Through exposing students to the gold standard of the subject, we are encouraging them to reflect this in their own writing.
In Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11), students discover a wide variety of poems, short stories and non-fiction extracts from a range of cultures and experiences through the iGCSE anthology, as well as classic Literature such as Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and Shakespeare’s Macbeth. They are given the opportunity to refine their analytical skills, and begin to understand the importance of developing their own critical voices. We offer two GCSEs, in the form of Literature and Language, giving students a rich and varied curriculum during their two years of study.
Students who go on to study English Literature at A Level are expected to pull their weight. Through seminar style lessons, the dynamic between teacher and student becomes collaborative, with intellectual exchange fuelling our study of drama, prose and poetry. Students are encouraged to weigh-in and offer their opinions to each other and their teachers. We choose texts we are passionate about in order to transfer that enthusiasm onto our students in a supportive manner, offering clinics and 1-1 support sessions for those who need it. The more we can talk Literature, the better!
English offers so much to students, whatever their starting point. Our department aims to open their eyes to the rich world that Language and Literature has to offer, encouraging them to think beyond their own experiences and develop empathy for others. In a world where people are increasingly judged and scrutinised by the words they say and the words they write, and when those words can now be recorded, saved and shared, I cannot think of a subject that better prepares students for the future.
About Shiplake Spotlight
Shiplake prides itself on the huge array of subjects and co-curricular opportunities available to all pupils. There really is something for everyone to ignite enthusiasm, passion and creativity. At Shiplake, we encourage pupils to find their ‘thing’. The thing they can’t wait to get out of bed in the morning to do, the thing where they set themselves challenges and goals to get better, the thing that motivates and inspires them.
Each week, we will be bringing you a spotlight on an individual subject or co-curricular activity from our teachers, who for them, this is their ‘thing’. We hope their insights will spark some passion in you to learn something new, or simply find out more about what Shiplake has to offer.
