The Department builds its success around the study of classic and contemporary works. Across Key Stage 3 runs a stand of literary heritage, with students studying Chaucer, Beowulf and other crucial texts alongside contemporary works, thus providing an understanding of the ways in which ideas and language have evolved. A Shakespeare play is studied in each year group, and while his work offers excellent opportunity for language analysis, the plays also afford opportunities for debate and reflection on contemporary society, for instance examining political machinations via ‘Julius Caesar’ or exploring attitudes to others with ‘The Merchant of Venice’.  

Plenty of opportunity is given to debate and discussion, and whilst lots of written work occurs, we also give students room to express understanding via multimedia projects, independent work, group work and by way of extension activities.  

We see reading as the bedrock of our subject and by working in tandem with the school librarian we encourage students to read widely. Essentially, we seek to inspire our students, encouraging them to look openly and outwardly at the world whilst also equipping them with the key skills needed for success at GCSE.  

St Augustine’s Priory teaches the OCR English Language and English Literature specifications. We prepare the students thoroughly and work hard to see that each pupil reaches their full potential. Students enter the GCSE exams with confidence, having honed their skills in critical thinking and analysis during the course. Details of texts and tasks can be found on the OCR website. 

The Department has a tremendous track record with writing competitions, whether with poetry writing, or essays on critical analysis.  Creative writing plays an important part in the work of the department.  Further to this, we frequently run workshops with professional poets and writers to take the students beyond the curriculum, to build confidence and to expand the possibilities afforded by the subject. Anthologies of creative writing are produced as ways of celebrating the talents of our students with the wider school community. 

Of particular importance to the Department, and the school, is The Veritas Times, our student run digital newspaper. Here, students sharpen their writing skills in work that is made public, and the paper also offers budding journalists a chance to explore topical issues and debates by writing pieces on matters important to them.  

We have hosted talks by BBC news readers, political journalists and university lecturers. These, coupled with trips and visits to theatre productions, plus our playwriting scheme run in conjunction with the Drama Dept, mean that the Department offers a rich and varied set of experiences and opportunities for our students.  

  The Veritas Times and Scribe are  here:  https://theveritastimes.sapriory.com/ 

The English Department offers opportunities for stretch & challenge in a number of areas. Students across the phases of the school work together to run The Veritas Times, the school's digital newspaper. Asides from researching and writing their own articles on both school-based matters and international current affairs, the students can take on editorial roles. 

In order to develop critical thinking and to foster a love of poetry, we run Poetry Workshops with professional poets visiting to run workshops that have resulted in anthologies of the students' writing being produced. 

We have recently begun a podcast that explores poetry, and this takes students beyond the curriculum, helping them access and discover a variety of writers.

The Department supports students with entries to competitions. We frequently have success in poetry competitions, and we also produced the winner of the GSA Creative Writing competition. We are always on the lookout for ways in which students can get their ideas and their writing into the wider world.