Dunottar School > Senior School > Curriculum > English

English

English lessons at Dunottar aim to stretch and challenge every pupil to realise their potential, and to inspire a love of reading and writing, equipping pupils for life beyond school. We pride ourselves in a modern, fresh, flexible curriculum where methodology and materials are continually reviewed and updated.

Mrs Kerry Lewis, Head of English

At Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9), pupils have the opportunity to study a range of contemporary and classic poetry, drama and prose using both traditional media and iPads. In Year 7, the nonfiction unit is based on a news app which pupils can access on their iPads. In a post-unit questionnaire, one Year 7 pupil commented, ‘It has definitely made me more aware of the world around me, and I find that really interesting’.

As pupils progress into Year 9, texts are GCSE standard to ensure a challenging yet stimulating foundation for GCSE studies. GCSE English language and English literature are studied by all pupils, with excellent results in both subjects.

Year 9 pupils have been ‘exploding’ quotations from Jane Weir’s GCSE poem, ‘Poppies’, looking for deeper meanings to strengthen their written responses.

Beyond the Classroom

Our ‘book bingo!’ initiative and library club encourage pupils to explore different types of literature and read as widely as they can, whilst visiting speakers and writing competitions can inspire their creativity. Co-curricular involvements include a student eMagazine, a debating club and theatre visits.