What's it all about?

English and English Literature are both core subjects within the school curriculum. At St Cuthbert’s we guide students through the study of great literary texts, the power of the spoken word and the exploration of their own creativity.

Every Year 7 student is enrolled onto the Accelerated Reader Programme, enabling us to both celebrate a rich culture of reading for pleasure and to accelerate progress in reading and understanding. Our Learning Resource Base has an excellent range of books for readers of all abilities; we constantly update the stock to reflect the interests of our students and purchase the very latest bestsellers. We offer reading support for reluctant and struggling readers both through our ‘Reading Ambassador’ scheme, and other sessions led by LSAs and some of our older students.

Whenever the opportunities arise the department gives students the opportunity to watch live theatre productions. There are also annual celebrations on World Poetry day and National Book Week marked by special assemblies and activities encouraging students to get involved in these national events.

All students will sit GCSEs in English Literature and English Language.