English
How do Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets allow young people to look inward and find answers for themselves about their own lives in the 21st Century?
Leeds, Bradford, Hull and East Yorkshire Code
Course Information
All secondary trainees receive 2 hours of subject training per week, led by a highly experienced subject leader, who has a strong track-record of outstanding results in schools in the GORSE Academies Trust. You will develop and deepen your English subject knowledge. The sessions are interactive and evidence-informed where we will explore key elements of secondary English teaching. You will develop as a reflective teacher of English and will be required to explore the latest research and developments in the teaching of English whilst also practically implementing your knowledge and understanding of this research within the lessons you plan and deliver.
The English subject knowledge sessions are designed to complement the central training you receive from the GORSE SCITT. During our subject sessions, we will work towards embedding your knowledge of key pedagogical areas such as cognitive science, retention, metacognition and behaviour management but we will explore these through the lens of the practical teaching of English.
Meet the English Subject Lead
Andrea Edmonson
The teaching of English in secondary schools is an incredible privilege. It is a highly rewarding role, and it has the scope to significantly enhance the life chances of the young people we serve. Through the study of English and quality-first teaching, students develop fundamental reading, writing, speaking and listening skills – all of which are critical to their success both in school and later life. The study of English exposes young people to a wide range of thought-provoking, enjoyable and inspiring Literature which will encourage learners to challenge the status quo, engage with the world around them and develop an appreciation of the beauty of language through the exploration of the writer’s craft.
As teachers of English, we have a deep-rooted passion for uncovering and exploring implied and abstract meaning within texts and using this to uncover the possible intentions of writers. We are also fascinated with ‘playing’ with words and language as writers ourselves with a view to showcase our creativity, imagination and using words as a form of expression. The study of English has aspects that are attractive and enticing to all young people whether that is through debate and discussion, writing narratives or poems or exploring texts from a range of different genres and from across a range of different time periods. Young people recognise the importance of our subject and as teachers of English we have a huge responsibility to ensure we foster and inspire a love of English through inspirational and engaging teaching and learning that meets the needs of all learners.
The GORSE SCITT subject training in English aims to develop and enhance trainee teachers’ English subject knowledge across all key phases. We begin by exploring what high quality English teaching and learning looks like within the classroom and how we convey the importance of our subject to young people by carefully considering the ‘why’ and purpose of every lesson and ensuring we make ‘Every English Lesson Count’ (Allison & Tharby: 2017). We consider the knowledge and skills students may have already developed in English in primary school and how we can build and deepen this knowledge during the KS3 years whilst also considering how to support learners who may not yet be ‘secondary ready’ in terms of their reading and writing abilities. We explore how to develop students’ oracy, reading and writing skills whilst also developing the English ‘teacher toolkit’ of our trainees in relation to key pedagogical areas such as: scaffolding, modelling, explicit teacher instruction and assessment for learning and feedback. We also spend several sessions exploring how to teach poetry, Shakespeare and the novel at both KS3 and KS4 level in an engaging and enticing manner to fill your students with awe and wonderment. Later sessions are also dedicated to navigating exam board specifications and exploring examination rubric, so trainees gain confidence to deliver lessons catered for a variety of specifications.
