English

English at Easington Academy is an immersive experience, exposing students to classics such as Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’, to the more modern works of Willy Russell’s ‘Blood Brothers’’ and the poetry of Maya Angelou.

Students will journey through the literary canon, beginning in Medieval England with Beowulf and Geoffrey Chaucer before travelling to 11^th century Scotland to experience the tragic downfall of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Pupils can meet brooding romantic heroes like Wordsworth and Blake before arriving in the victorian period with Brontë and Browning, then embarking on a festive encounter with Dickens’ reformed miser, Ebenezer Scrooge. The journey concludes in the modern era where they explore 1930s America and the unlikely friendship of George and Lennie in Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’, followed by the social inequality of Edwardian England with Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’, as well as a range of poetry from diverse and exciting voices.

Students study a rich and challenging curriculum. From engaging with ideas from a wide variety of texts to opportunities for self-expression and creativity in both spoken and written contexts, studying English at Easington Academy nurtures self-expression and reflective thought. Throughout the key stages, students will encounter a range of literary genres and forms, ranging from Jacobean drama and courtly love poetry to a whole host of non-fiction diaries, essays, letters and autobiographies. We take a cross-curricular approach, encouraging students to think about the social, political and historical context alongside developing their own voice. As well as following the curriculum, students will be encouraged to read for pleasure, experiencing a diverse range of literature as a platform for exploring new ideas, developing critical thinking skills and learning more about the world around them. Students will be inspired by great thinkers such as activist Martin Luther King, environmentalist Greta Thunberg and suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst. 

Our ‘Keys to Success’ literacy programme ensures students learn the fundamental skills to help them progress not only in English but across the whole curriculum. Students enjoy English because it is varied, fast-paced and fun. Every student is inspired to believe in their potential and to aim high. They acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language. Throughout their academic career here, students develop the ability to write accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. We endeavour to ensure all students become competent orators, including: making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate. 

It’s not only English lessons that are exciting at the academy: we also offer a range of extra-curricular activities that reinforce and extend a love of English. ‘Blind Date with a Book’ is our weekly reading club open to KS3; students can select a book to take home and enjoy reading, however, all of the books are wrapped up to hide their front covers. By focusing on the themes of the story, rather than the cover, students can engage with texts that they otherwise might not have thought to read. In our weekly sessions, we discuss the books we are reading and take part in creative tasks relating to reading. In Debate Club, students discuss the issues of the day and hone their arguing skills, while we also offer Reading Bingo: a termly challenge where students are encouraged to read as many books from as many different genres as possible and can earn house points for their house by doing so.  Furthermore, all KS3 students are also emailed extra-curricular reading booklets which link with their unit of work in English, allowing students to enjoy reading seminal and canonical literature at home. 

As well as clubs, we also have exciting scheduled events throughout the year. The culmination of this is our Reading Rocks week, which coincides with World Book Day. This week entails a host of extra-curricular activities from completing a literary virtual escape room, to our huge book swap shop!