Our students follow a creative, challenging and varied course in English, culminating in all of our students taking both English and English Literature at GCSE, and many of our students choosing English and media studies at A Level.
In each of the first three years, Key Stage 3, students study a range of units of work covering poetry, prose fiction, media, non-fiction, drama and grammar. Each year group works enthusiastically on a play by Shakespeare: year 8 work on "Macbeth"; year 9 work on "Romeo and Juliet"; year 10 work on comedy, which may include "A Midsummer Night's Dream" or "Much Ado About Nothing" or "The Taming of the Shrew".
At GCSE, texts include Shakespeare's "Hamlet", "The Woman in Black" by Susan Hill, "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck, "An Inspector Calls" by J.B.Priestly, "Lord of the Flies’’ by William Golding and poetry by Ben Jonson, Robert Browning, Gerald Manley Hopkins, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Carol Ann Duffy, Seamus Heaney, Simon Armitage, Gillian Clarke and a wide range of international authors from across the many cultures of the English speaking world. Students also study and write non-fiction and media texts and take part in discussion, debate and drama.
At A Level, current texts include: Shakespeare's "The Tempest", Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie", F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" the poetr of Heaney and Montague. A2 students will study Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre", Jean Rhys' "Wide Sargasso Sea ", and Jennifer Johnstone's "The Illusionist" , all relating to the theme of women in society. John Donne's poetry , Ibsen's "A Dolls' House " and Osborne's "Look Back in Anger" complete the study of A2 Literature. Our students' coursework is demanding and original and in each year several assignments have achieved full marks.
We have a number of extra-curricular clubs, such as Literacy Club, coursework clinic and the flourishing poetry club, see the CreativityBlog to read some poetry written by members of the poetry group hosted by our own poet in residence Grainne Tobin.
Shimna's Published Authors
Our English department includes several published authors. Former members of staff Grainne Tobin and Shirley McMillan have published and performed their poetry and have also had work broadcast on radio. Ellen McVea and Noreen Doran were both members of the writing team which produced the new textbook for GCSE English used in schools and colleges across Northern Ireland. Noreen has also worked on Key Stage 3 textbooks for the revised curriculum.
Staff
Noreen Doran-Lahey
Jeff Armstrong
Sophie Astruc
Mairi McCurdy
Ellen McVea
Timothy Rea
Noreen Salters
Our students follow a creative, challenging and varied course in English, culminating in all of our students taking both English and English Literature at GCSE, and many of our students choosing English and media studies at A Level.
In each of the first three years, Key Stage 3, students study a range of units of work covering poetry, prose fiction, media, non-fiction, drama and grammar. Each year group works enthusiastically on a play by Shakespeare: year 8 work on "Macbeth"; year 9 work on "Romeo and Juliet"; year 10 work on comedy, which may include "A Midsummer Night's Dream" or "Much Ado About Nothing" or "The Taming of the Shrew".
At GCSE, texts include Shakespeare's "Hamlet", "The Woman in Black" by Susan Hill, "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck, "An Inspector Calls" by J.B.Priestly, "Lord of the Flies’’ by William Golding and poetry by Ben Jonson, Robert Browning, Gerald Manley Hopkins, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Carol Ann Duffy, Seamus Heaney, Simon Armitage, Gillian Clarke and a wide range of international authors from across the many cultures of the English speaking world. Students also study and write non-fiction and media texts and take part in discussion, debate and drama.
At A Level, current texts include: Shakespeare's "The Tempest", Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie", F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" the poetr of Heaney and Montague. A2 students will study Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre", Jean Rhys' "Wide Sargasso Sea ", and Jennifer Johnstone's "The Illusionist" , all relating to the theme of women in society. John Donne's poetry , Ibsen's "A Dolls' House " and Osborne's "Look Back in Anger" complete the study of A2 Literature. Our students' coursework is demanding and original and in each year several assignments have achieved full marks.
We have a number of extra-curricular clubs, such as Literacy Club, coursework clinic and the flourishing poetry club, see the CreativityBlog to read some poetry written by members of the poetry group hosted by our own poet in residence Grainne Tobin.
Shimna's Published Authors
Our English department includes several published authors. Former members of staff Grainne Tobin and Shirley McMillan have published and performed their poetry and have also had work broadcast on radio. Ellen McVea and Noreen Doran were both members of the writing team which produced the new textbook for GCSE English used in schools and colleges across Northern Ireland. Noreen has also worked on Key Stage 3 textbooks for the revised curriculum.
Staff
Noreen Doran-Lahey
Jeff Armstrong
Sophie Astruc
Mairi McCurdy
Ellen McVea
Timothy Rea
Noreen Salters