English at Brambletye is about:
- learning to read, write, listen and speak
- expressing your thoughts and feelings through writing and speaking
- learning the ‘nuts and bolts’ of spelling and punctuation
- developing an understanding of the world around you and developing the comprehension skills to make this happen
- taking part in debate and discussion
- learning about the most widely spoken language in the world
From choosing their first reading book to studying and performing Shakespeare…from writing a small poem to producing a critical essay based on a text studied in class…from jokes and jingles to the analysis of poetry…from playing third shepherd in the Pre-Prep Nativity to taking the lead role in a major school production…
All these activities reflect the progression that we expect our children to make in developing those four key skills of reading, writing , listening and speaking.
Practical activities include:
- creative writing leading to publication in Brambletye’s own ‘Pink Pages’
- learning a poem for our annual Verse Speaking Competitions
- reading and reviewing books for the Brambletye Reading Award
- participation in at least one dramatic production per year as well as form assemblies: recent productions have included Oklahoma!, The Tempest, The Likes Of Us (the first ever school production of this early work by Rice and Lloyd Webber) and The Chrysalids
- writing workshops with a variety of professional writers: these have included John Foster, Anthony Masters, William Nicholson, Kit Wright, Paul Cookson, Val Biro and Jane Hissey
- regular theatre outings including an annual visit to the Globe
There is so much more to tell! Ask your child what they are reading, what they are writing, what they are doing in the classroom…They will be learning…and above all, they will be having fun!
Jeff Gallagher (Head of English)