We believe in developing our students’ abilities to listen, speak, read and write in a variety of different registers and contexts for varying audiences and purposes, to enable them to function effectively in society at large. We want our pupils to acquire a love of literature and enjoy reading with discrimination and understanding. We believe that our pupils should have an awareness of the wider cultural contexts in which literature is produced and some sense of the historical and contemporary development of English in all its forms and across all media.
The department uses a suite of five teaching rooms at the front of the school, all with the usual interactive/ media display kit, our drama room and stage and other larger spaces for junior drama, as well as the library to support reading and research activities.
The department is currently staffed by six full-time specialists who teach at all levels. All are committed teachers of Literature at Sixth Form level. Some also specialise in the delivery of drama. Each colleague makes a significant contribution to the work of the department as a whole, and all play an active part in the development of policies, schemes of work and resources. We hold regular department meetings and always include the sharing of good practice as an agenda item. We have a policy of open peer review of planning, record-keeping and assessment. The team is an honestly reflective, good humoured and supportive one to work within.
As a compulsory core for so much of a student’s time at school, our aim is to make the study, appreciation, and practical use of writing as varied and as lively as possible.
We do our best to support students who have an interest in personal creative writing, public speaking and debate, and the theatre. The Debating Society meets regularly with BSG and the Theatre Club visits Salisbury Playhouse each month.