Introduction

          The English Faculty is characterised by a strong sense of collaboration and enthusiasm for our subject and our pupils. It makes a major contribution to the life of the school as a whole in terms of both academic and creative achievements so that all students can achieve their potential in a supportive, positive and enjoyable environment.

          The Faculty’s main aim is to achieve the highest possible standards for all our pupils and in our classrooms every child really does matter. We maintain an inclusive ethos that is underpinned by a diverse and engaging curriculum for the students and a diverse teaching range for the teachers.

           Every English classroom is fully resourced with an interactive whiteboard and projector. Additionally we have our own suite of computers. We enjoy an excellent working relationship with a very active and exciting school library and have incorporated formal links with the library in the curriculum provision at Key Stage 3. Teacher’s workstations, interactive

whiteboards and projectors are integrated into classroom practice as an invaluable resource for the modeling of responses to reading and writing tasks. However, our most effective resource is a team of excellent English teachers who are passionate about the subject.

          Many members of the team are directly involved in the Training School status of the school and are involved in leading workshops for a range of audiences. We continue to develop our skills and embrace opportunities to extend our practice through collaboration and training both within and outside of SJL; a number of English teachers have been involved in Teacher-Led Development projects in association with the University of Cambridge to reflect on and challenge our practice.

          The skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening underpin all our teaching and learning in English and it is through our innovative approaches to the development of these skills that we are best able to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

          We hope that students will enjoy their work in English, we certainly do!