English

The department intends to encourage and extend an enjoyment, appreciation and understanding of English, and to create an atmosphere where pupils wish to learn.

Pupils should experience a variety of activities during a course of study and be given opportunities to discuss, argue and debate their views. Department staff will aim to show the benefits that language and literature have brought us, by way of well-chosen resources and careful comment.

The department enthusiastically pursues the following academic aims:

• to foster pupils' ability to read accurately and independently, and to distinguish between a broad spectrum of texts through extensive reading
• to develop pupils' ability to write clearly, accurately, imaginatively and analytically with a wide vocabulary in a variety of forms
• to develop pupils' knowledge about different kinds of English, and about language, by exploring the structure and origin of words
• to enable pupils to speak confidently in a range of circumstances, and to listen and respond appropriately
• to encourage pupils' informed personal responses, and to promote an awareness of, and respect for, other people's perspectives
• to create an environment where pupils enjoy their English lessons and increase in confidence orally and on paper

English should be invigorating and we, as English teachers at Eltham College, do all we can to ensure that every pupil enjoys their lessons and makes significant progress in their time with us.

The English Society, run by departmental staff for Sixth Form students, arranges a variety of extra-curricular opportunities. There are interview practice sessions for prospective Oxbridge candidates as well as preparation for the ELAT pre-interview examination at Oxford. The department also organises academics and guest speakers to address the students: in 2009-10 we have had Professor Jon Stallworthy and Dr Robert Douglas-Fairhurst from Oxford; Professor William Rowe from Birkbeck; contemporary poet Lee Harwood and critic Ian Brinton; Dr Sean McEvoy and Henry Claridge from Kent University addressing the Society on set texts and issues in contemporary literature.

The Wider Reading Group is aimed at all pupils who want to read far beyond the A-level syllabus.  Texts that have been discussed in the last year include: JG Ballard's High Rise, Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, Milton's Paradise Lost, Adolfo Bioy Casares' The Invention of Morel, Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis and Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day. 

Many pupils leave the school to read English at top universities.  In 2010 five pupils received offers from Oxford and Cambridge alone, with a great many others going to Russell Group universities to read the subject in the last three years. 

The department has a proud history of success in Debating. In 2009 two teams went through to the finals of the Oxford Union debating competition. Pupils also compete in the Cambridge and other national debating competitions. The Film Club is open to pupils from Years 10 to the Upper Sixth and aims to develop visual literacy.

In Years 10 we now (from September 2010) follow the IGCSE (Edexcel) English Language (A) course, with boys completing the qualification at the end of this year.  In Year 11 all boys do GCSE (AQA) English Literature.  This allows us time to read widely well beyond the confines of the syllabus.

In the Lower and Middle School there are opportunities for boys to be involved in writing for, and editing, the school magazine, as well as taking part in the Lecture Competition for Years 7 to 10.  We also run a Reading Certificate Scheme in Years 7-9 which encourages boys to read widely across genre outside the classroom; one lesson a week is assigned to personal reading.  In Years 7-9 we have common half term assessments which ensure that by Year 10 all pupils have covered the range of skills required for IGCSE/ GCSE.  There is a weekly Scrabble Club and lunchtime assistance for those who find certain aspects of English challenging.

The Department is committed to developing creative and expressive writing. During the Autumn term we have had a Writer in Residence working with Years 7-11. In 2009 the young playwright Kenny Emson helped pupils with their writing alongside classroom teachers, ran a lunchtime club and presented a Creative Writing Evening in December; some of the best work was collected in an Anthology.

Matthew Pollard (Head of English) joined Eltham College in January 2008. He has an MA from King's College, London, a PGCE from Cambridge University and a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Newcastle.

The other members of the department are Keith Barron (Senior Master), Tom Mitchell (Head of PSHE, Key Stage 4 co-ordinator & also Drama), Matthew Hamblin, Cath Green (part-time, Key Stage 3 co-ordinator) and Emily Hardy (part-time).

Reading lists for all pupils from Year 7 to Upper Sixth are available here.