English

The English Department at Ellesmere we aim to instil a love of the English Language in each pupil and give them the confidence of true expression then we will equip them with skills that will see them through all their learning in life.

Children are taught the full range of English skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening, encompassing the key stages of the National Curriculum. In Years 3-6, English is taught by class teachers who are supported by teaching assistants and specialist English staff. Throughout the school children who may benefit from extra literary help can opt for extra lessons in individual or small group sessions from our specialist Support Department.

The Department fosters creativity, scholarship and the arts of reading and writing for pleasure. Novelist, Holly Hewitt, Professor of English Literature, Oliver Hennessey or any member of the current Year 9 Kindle Club would bear witness to the stimulation and excitement they have experienced in the course of their studies at Ellesmere.

In oral communication too, the English Department has a long and proud history of success. An Old Ellesmerian studying at Birmingham University recently reported: "The English Speaking Board examination I did in the Sixth Form at Ellesmere was one of the most important elements of my preparation for higher education."

The list of Ellesmerians taking first and postgraduate degrees in English Literature grows with every generation of Sixth Formers which passes through, but this is by no means the only measure of the Department's success. Those who arrive at Ellesmere lacking confidence in their abilities but who leave with the skills to support their continuing development and the confidence to communicate their ideas effectively are equally reliable indicators of the Department's energy and commitment.