‘Read to Learn’ is our mantra and we encourage much personal reading in order to prepare students for the world outside of Bishop Challoner. Overall, this is a fabulous subject, aiming to equip our students with academic excellence and a range of transferable skills.

Key Stage 5 (Years 12 & 13)

Examination Board: Pearson Edexcel

Students explore a varied range of texts and their associated critical theorists and writings that span Shakespeare to contemporary writers. The emphasis of the course is on the development and growth of independent, critical thought coupled with confident, sophisticated expression and a belief that literature is a vital means of understanding both current and historic culture and, of the human condition.

The course is designed to allow students to engage with a full range of writers and at Bishop Challoner we have chosen to study: Othello, A Street Car Named Desire, Dracula, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Less Deceived (Philip Larkin), and Poems of the Decade Anthology. Students also complete a coursework element (20%) which consists of a 3,000 word essay comparing two texts of the students choice.

Trips

The English Department is very active in booking regular theatre trips, although these differ from year to year depending on what is available and in performance. We also attend talks and workshops where possible. In recent years, we have seen productions of Othello at the National and the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, and we have watched an enjoyable performance of Six at the Vaudeville Theatre in conjunction with the History A’Level students. Additionally, a fun day out was an exhibition at the British Library.

Extra Curriculum

Sixth Formers are encouraged to assist the English Department in facilitating the department’s extra-curricular clubs for the lower school and the editorial responsibilities of Challoner Hive, the student newspaper.

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire" W.B. Yeats