At AESG, it is our intent that all girls secure a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of English language and literature by studying experts in the craft. We intend that all girls understand and use the power of language – the power of the voice and, ultimately, utilise this knowledge to empower and position them as ambitious, principled young women who shape the future as global changemakers.
Therefore, we position the reading of ambitious, challenging texts centrally - at the very heart of each lesson.
Building a Culture of Excellence and High Aspirations for All
Ultimately, we believe in the principles of limitless expectation, high aspiration and optimal achievement for all girls and, as such, we seek to remove any of the obstacles that stand in the way of this achievement. Girls with lower starting points are not offered a watered-down curriculum, but rather are supported to access suitably challenging work through modelling, scaffolding, frequent deliberate practice and exposure to a plentiful diet of cultural capital.
At AESG, the pursuit of excellence for every girl, every day is at the very heart of the English team’s intent. We work tirelessly to ensure that all girls fulfil their potential as English scholars in a culture of achievement that is steeped in learning. We ensure that all girls participate fully and, most importantly, grow as compassionate global citizens with unparalleled personal values for themselves and others.
English Across the Key Stages at AESG
English Literature
To study English Literature is to study human nature: how we think, how we act, what motivates us as individuals and the importance and difficulties of our relationships with others. The journey the students begin at the very start of Key Stage 3 culminates in the study of English Literature at A Level which incorporates history, art, culture, politics, philosophy, ethics, science, psychology, life, the universe and everything else!
Not only does the study of Literature at A Level increase the students’ understanding of the world around them, it teaches them to question it also.
English Language
Language is both a creative tool for expression and a means for social connection. By studying A Level English Language at A Level, students develop a critical awareness of the world around them, utilise their communication and analytical skills, and learn how to adapt their skillset for various mediums.
The course offers students a clear continuity from GCSE in areas such as creativity, exploration of unseen texts, and application of linguistic terminology. Through a varied, diverse and rich programme of study, students develop a deep knowledge of how English language works and become skilled as both producers and interpreters of language.
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Curriculum Enrichment
Students are offered a range of Enrichment opportunities and experiences that add to their understanding of the world around them and their connectedness to it. Theatre and lecture trips enrich students’ understanding of texts beyond what is required of the examination specifications and are an important part of the wider curriculum experience of English students at AESG.
Opportunities include:
- Theatre visits
- Shakespeare Live Screenings
- Lecture Visits
- Writers in residence
- Literature and Language Leaders working with younger students
- KS5 English Language work with Prep School students
- Youth Speaks Competition
- Poetry by Heart Competition
- Mock Trials
- Creative Writing Club (competitions across the Key Stages)
- English Study Clinics
