English
At Park Academy West London (PAWL), we believe English is the best subject to study and immerse yourself in and we want all our students to think so too. The skills acquired and developed within English lessons have a positive impact that permeates a student’s entire curriculum. Students, throughout their seven years at PAWL, are provided with the opportunity to access, analyse and question high quality literature, whilst being able to debate, discuss and challenge perceptions and ideas. We have high expectations of our students – setting challenging schemes of learning in our rich curriculum – and wish to ensure that they are ready for life beyond the Academy’s walls. Alongside our curriculum we also offer opportunities for students to enjoy English through our extra-curricular clubs and activities. These range from a weekly book club, to public speaking events through guest speakers and workshops, competitions and theatre trips.
Our vision is to develop confident, hardworking and resilient individuals who aspire to achieve their full potential. We will do this by providing a challenging, positive, consistent and supportive learning environment for all students where achievements are celebrated and opportunities to develop are explored.
Throughout Key Stage 3, we seek to build on student knowledge year by year to guide students to understand that authorial intention is key to being able to critically appreciate a text. We have created a spiral curriculum that clearly demonstrates visible and necessary links between Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4, by supporting students to begin to comprehend and explore a series of fundamental, universal and timeless themes which influence us as members of society; for example, class divide, gender boundaries, abuse of power and relationships.
In Year 7, students focus on the concept of Exploration, focusing on developing their understanding of literature from other places and journeys.
In Year 8, our concept is Experience, where we focus on events and moments that shape us.
In Year 9, we focus on Expression, developing students personal responses and styles.
Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4, students will take two exams under English:
AQA English Language
Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing (1 hour 45 minutes) (50%)
Paper 2: Writer’s viewpoints and perspectives (1 hour 45 minutes) (50%)
NEA Spoken Language Endorsement
AQA English Literature
Paper 1: Shakespeare and 19th century novel (1 hour 45 minutes) (40%)
Paper 2: Modern Text and Poetry since 1789 (2 hours 15 minutes) (60%)
Our set texts, depending on their set, are:
Macbeth OR Romeo and Juliet; An Inspector Calls OR DNA, A Christmas Carol OR Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Conflict Poetry.
Key Stage 5
Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in English Literature (9ET0)
Paper 1: Drama (2 hours 15 minutes) (30%)
Paper 2: Prose ( 1 hour 15 minutes) (20%)
Paper 3: Poetry (2 Hours 15 Minutes) (30%)
Paper 4: Non examined assessment (20%)
Curriculum Maps
English Curriculum Map 2024-25