Friday 9th March 2012
Congratulations to Sarah Gardner who was crowned classical winner of Next Brit Thing 2012 earlier t...
Read full news story...Thursday 2nd February 2012
Charlie Vasiliou has reached the final of the Young Drummer of the Year competition, after fighting...
Read full news story...Tuesday 31st January 2012
The Department for Education published the school performance league tables this week....
Read full news story...Who are we?
There are six full time teachers in the English Department, and one who teaches part time. Between us we teach across a wide age range, enjoy producing plays, taking students of all ages on frequent theatre visits, reading and writing (as you would expect).
Ewan Craig: Head of Department since 1998; Senior A level examiner (with OCR); sometimes produces plays.
Delphine Ruston: Part time, and richly experienced. Unusually for an English teacher, Delphine also has a degree in Photography.
Gary Booth: Has done all sorts of ‘extras’ over the years, including being a Head of Department and a Head of Year. He has produced a great many plays. Musician and painter, Gary is also a trained librarian.
Paul Telfer: Much published and produced author, currently of the country’s best guide to UCAS Personal Statements. Many memorable drama productions, both in and out of School. Especially interested in creative writing.
Susan Rea: Also Head of Learning Support Department, and a very experienced teacher at all levels. Previously in publishing.
Tim Pender: Head of Drama; teaches Theatre Studies as well as English; produces many plays, assists with others, and runs our Drama competitions.
Helen Blakemore: Expert and committed teacher at all levels with significant international experience. Interests include travel and theatre.
Everyone up to the age of 16 studies English, of course, ending up at GCSE level. In fact, English lies at the heart of Yarm's curriculum, in the sense that the linguistic skills developed are essential in almost every subject. So the teachers in the English Department view good listening, accurate clarity of spoken expression, and well developed reading habits as being as important (and exciting) as good writing.
Everyone is entered for both English Language and English Literature GCSEs at the end of 5th Year. From 2010, we will be following the CIE International GCSE Syallabuses for English and English Literature. It is one of our clearest aims to ensure not only that all of them achieve at least grade C in both of these, but also that the vast majority manage to emerge with top grades.
There is certainly an emphasis on Literature at all levels, reflecting our conviction that the ability to read intelligently and sensitively, and the use of the imagination, are essential ingredients in a full and humane education.
English in the Sixth Form
A-level English is a popular choice in the Sixth Form. It is entirely devoted to Literature, with much emphasis given to individual judgement, critical skills, and enjoyment.
The syllabus we follow (OCR) offers a wide and interesting range of texts for consideration, equally balanced between drama, novels and poetry. As well as preparing some texts for exams, students also have opportunities to follow up and develop their own reading preferences (Coursework), and for creative and imaginative work.
More than one in three of our Sixth Form students opts for English A level, so that three teaching sets are needed in both the Upper and Lower Sixth Forms. In recent years, the vast majority of students have achieved A or B grades, and a significant number of these achieve A* grades.
On average, between eight and ten students per year go on to study English at undergraduate level, whether as a single subject, or as part of a Combined Honours option.
It is a primary aim of the Department to encourage the development of confident, precise, imaginative and independent intellects in all our students, whatever results they actually achieve at the end of the A level course.
What else can we offer?
Of course, we aim to enjoy ourselves, and not only in lessons; theatre trips (in recent terms: to Manchester, Darlington, London, York, Newcastle, Leeds, Harrogate and Middlesbrough), A level Conferences, Study Days on particular texts, and other literary outings (e.g. Upsall Castle, Haworth).
The teachers in the Department also produce (and sometimes even write!) the School's drama productions, of which there are at least three or four per year, to suit different ages and tastes. You don't have to be a specialist at all to give acting a try, although if you want to take on a more challenging part, there will be opportunities for you.
In the last couple of years we have staged hugely enjoyable annual House Drama Competitions, Antigone (Year 10 production), Romeo and Juliet (Sixth Form production), Macbeth (Year 7 production), The Whole Truth (Year 8) and 100 (Year 11), annual Duologues Competitions for all ages, a magnificent Les Miserables (Schools’ Edition), as well as a challenging staging by the Theatre Studies Group of Stephen Berkhof’s The Crucifiction. Still very much alive in the memory are recent productions of Our Country’s Good, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Wizard of Oz, The Tempest, and an excellent, student-produced version of Chatroom. No one could possibly forget the intimate intensity of Amadeus, which maintained the developing reputation for first rate studio drama of which we a very proud.
The pictures you see on this page are taken from a selection of these memorable evenings.
We also hold other literary events from time to time, such as a 1780's moorland picnic, and an Independence Day American Literature celebration.
New ideas are always occurring to us, and we like you to come up with suggestions so be ready for the unexpected.
