English
"Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. They are engines of change, windows on the world, lighthouses erected in the sea of time.”
Barbara W Tuchman
Welcome to the English Department at Great Walstead School. Our vibrant and dynamic department plays a key role within the school and strives to foster a lifelong love of literature and language in our children.
From first steps into reading, writing and basic literacy in Nursery and Pre Prep through to the academic rigours of the Common Entrance syllabus at Senior School level, we are passionate about developing high standards of literacy and expression in our students. Sound and well-developed literacy skills allow students to access all other curriculum areas confidently, whilst exploring creativity and imagination through words and speech. It allows children to channel and challenge their personal expression.
It is easy to take our wonderful language for granted, our mother tongue is something we develop naturally, from a very young age. However to explore our language to its fullest potential widens our ability to express ourselves and our individuality more confidently and clearly.
Reading, writing and speaking, are of course, the main areas of focus in English. Technical and grammar skills are taught from an early age; children are given every opportunity to read and to discuss what they’ve read and have access to a well-stocked library.
The English Curriculum covers a wide range of necessary skills and offers children the opportunities to develop writing in a variety of genres. Children are encouraged to become readers, writers, poets and editors.
The English Department works closely with the Learning Support Department to ensure an integrated approach to supporting students with literacy needs.
When children enter the Senior School the academic focus intensifies as preparation for Common Entrance begins. The reading paper demands high levels of reader insight, language analysis and commentary whilst the writing paper is looking for structured writing, creative development and technical accuracy. Scholarship English requires a student to be widely-read, to show a flair for language and expression and to have the ability to analyse sophisticated text intelligently and objectively.
All children at GWS are given extra-curricular opportunities to enrich their English skills, whether in our annual Author Day, Poetry Day, Book Week, whole school English competitions, theatre visits, and many more.