At KS4 students will follow the Eduqas GCSE specification for English Language and English Literature, as a means to continue to foster their love of literature and language, and ensure that skills for work, life and further education are prioritised.  Students will work towards developing an informed ‘critical voice’ in response to the literary fiction and non- fiction texts they explore using close analysis of a writer’s choice of language, form, and structure; referring to the contexts, themes, characterisation, style and literary quality of texts, and drawing on knowledge and skills established at KS3. 

GCSE English Literature - They will build and refine their appreciation of the English literary heritage through close studies of different text forms such as drama, prose, poetry and Shakespeare. They will study key classic GCSE set texts such as ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by William Shakespeare interlinked with a selection of poetry since 1789, including that of the Romantic movement from the set anthology, as well as ‘An Inspector Calls’ by JB Priestley and ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens, demonstrating knowledge of the purpose, audience for and context of the writing, where appropriate, including its social, historical and cultural context and the literary tradition to which it belongs, to inform evaluation. 

GCSE English Language – They will study literature and extended literary non-fiction high-quality, challenging texts from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries as a means to refine their critical reading, comprehension and comparative skills. They will be encouraged to reflect critically and evaluatively, explaining and illustrating how language, form and structure contribute to the effectiveness and impact of the text.