Welcome to English at The Henry Beaufort School, where we ignite the imagination, foster critical thinking, and explore a diverse range of literature and non-fiction texts from the 19th century to the present day over the course of our students’ 5-year journey.
Our intention is to cultivate students’ creativity through writing, encouraging them to unleash their imaginations and craft narratives that resonate. We aim to nurture a passion for reading while honing the ability to critically evaluate and analyse texts, empowering students to engage thoughtfully with diverse ideas and perspectives.
At The Henry Beaufort School, our 5-year curriculum map ensures that students in year 7&8 are well-prepared to begin the study of GCSE English from year 9 onwards. Our 5-year curriculum map includes the study of a comprehensive range of literature and non-fiction texts that span centuries. From year 7 onwards, students’ study both timeless classics (such as ‘Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ in our Y7 ‘Glance at the Gothic module’ and Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in Y8) alongside contemporary works from influential figures such as Malala Yousafzai and Emma Watson, in our Y7 ‘Inspirational People’ module and Marcus Rashford’s ‘You are a champion!’, allowing students to draw inspiration from the achievements of these modern-day icons, as well as exploring the impact of social activism through literature. To view our full 5-year Curriculum Map, please click on the link below.
Our commitment is not only to academic excellence but also to nurturing well-rounded individuals with a profound appreciation for literature’s power to inspire, challenge, and provoke thought.
What will be assessed and when?
In Year 7 and Year 8, students will be assessed on comprehension, analysis and creative writing skills. This will be at the data drop points in the year – Y7 will be assessed in January, and Y8 will be assessed in both October & May.
In Y9, we begin the GCSE content. The English Language assessments will be as follows:
The Y11 English Language final GCSE exams are on the following dates:
Interventions
In order to support all students, reach their full potential, we run several interventions – particularly in Year 11 – to aid reading and writing skills. They are as follows:
‘English at The Henry Beaufort School allows me to develop my understanding of other people’s perspectives due to the diverse range of Literature we study.’ – Jasmin W, Year 11
Staff List:
Ms V Gist – Academic Leader of English (Working Days Mon/Tues/Wed)
Miss C Knight – Academic Leader of English
Mrs S Fradley – Subject Leader of English (Working Days Mon/Tues/Thurs)
Mr H Cameron – Subject Leader of English
Miss H Brown – English Teacher
Mrs V Herbert – English Teacher (Working Days Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri)
Mrs A Hartfield – English Teacher
Miss R Bean – English Teacher & Head of Year 10
Ms S Howard – English Teacher (Working Days Tues/Wed/Fri)
Links to Future Careers
Where Can English Language Take You?
English Language is a powerful subject that equips students with essential skills for the future. It develops confident communicators, sharp thinkers, and creative problem-solvers – these are qualities that are highly sought after in today’s job market. Careers linked to English Language are incredibly diverse, ranging from journalism, law, and publishing to marketing, teaching, and public relations.
It also provides a strong foundation for roles in business, politics, and digital media. Whether your child dreams of writing for a magazine, crafting compelling campaigns, or advocating in courtrooms, English Language helps them build the tools to express themselves clearly and persuasively in any field.
‘I like English as it can teach you vital life skills transferable to your career, such as collaboration and empathy.’ – Evie C, Year 11
‘In English, there’s an inviting atmosphere, where everyone is encouraged to share their views.’ – Isaac D, Year 11
‘The English Department go above and beyond to help students aim high for the grade that they want to achieve.’ – Emily T, Year 11
The subject content of the syllabus relates directly to the programme of study for Years 10 and 11 of the National Curriculum.
Students will be expected to produce a variety of fiction and non-fiction writing, demonstrating an awareness of the use of language in appropriate forms. Students will also need to acquire skills in information retrieval in response to a range of fiction and non-fiction texts, from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.
Examinations:
Paper 1: Responding to one literature fiction text and writing descriptively (Explorations in creative reading and writing).
Paper 2: Responding to non-fiction texts and writing to present a specific viewpoint (Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives).
Both papers will assess the skills of retrieving relevant information from a text; analysing language and structure of a text using appropriate subject terminology; comparing writers’ ideas and perspectives; evaluating texts critically; communicating and organising information effectively; writing accurately using a varied range of vocabulary.
Results:
We are very proud of our 2025 English Language results, which show an upward trajectory in our 5-year trend:
Provisional English Progress8 score: 0.6 (meaning, on average, students make over half a grade more progress than their KS2 scores predict)
AQA
100% terminal examination
9-1
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