English
English at the Maynard is an exciting part of the school curriculum. In addition to a rich diet of classic and modern literary, dramatic, non-fiction and media texts, with a variety of stimulating written tasks and plenty of emphasis on wider reading, we offer our pupils a unique experience that they will never forget.
Our students like nothing better than active participation and they really rise to the occasion in collaborative tasks. A recent innovation, BBC School Report, is a cross-curricular project with the ICT Department, aiming to use the English language in a journalistic context. Spearheaded by newsreader Huw Edwards, the students work in groups creating video, audio and text-based news reports, and publishing them on the school website, to which the BBC links; it goes down a storm! Another popular cross-curricular activity, this time with the Mathematics Department, is a one-day workshop on "Treasure Island". Over the years, we have forged strong links with theatrical companies and regularly invite them to engage our pupils in lively workshops on dramatic texts. We also draw on the expertise of Dr Nick Walton of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon who runs stimulating sessions on the effectiveness of Shakespeare's use of language, themes and dramatic devices. Frequent theatre visits are another enriching part of our programme.
Further Information
More detailed information on each stage of the subject curriculum is available in the following downloads.
