The aim of the English department is to inspire enjoyment and enthusiasm within pupils for the English language and a wide range of literature. Through passionate and dynamic teaching, we nurture pupils throughout their time at Warwick, encouraging them to become perceptive readers, confident speakers and talented writers.

At Warwick, we are privileged to have a committed, caring and experienced team of teachers. The English department are ambitious in their outlook and believe in the opportunities study of the subject can create for pupils, cultivating their communication skills but also ensuring they are engaged with and curious about the world around them.

We are fortunate in our well-stocked bookstore and in our close links with the library, where young adult fiction, contemporary drama and novels, and well-chosen literary criticism offer all pupils opportunities for reading for pleasure and academic engagement. The department and the library are dedicated to fostering a love of reading amongst the pupils, that we hope will be life-long. Our proximity to Stratford Upon Avon and fast connections to London enable us to run a wide variety of trips to the theatre as well as exciting extra-curricular trips with other subjects.

In Years 7 to 9, the department encourages a great variety of reading, writing, and speaking, whilst introducing pupils to the inexhaustible richness of our literary heritage in English. The work prepares students for the OCR GCSE in English Language and Literature, undertaken in a two year course with final Summer examinations in Year 11.

At Sixth Form, we are excited to offer two A Level subjects to pupils: OCR A Level English Literature and AQA A Level English Language. When studying the Literature course, pupils find the range of texts from different historical periods especially stimulating. Through lessons centred around discussion and debate, there are plenty of opportunities for them to find their voice and engage with challenging concepts. The Language course gives pupils the chance to study not just the written but also the spoken word, producing their own creative writing and learning about how English has been used throughout time and across the globe. We are proud to offer rigorous support and experienced advice for pupils applying for English at university.

In English, pupils’ talents find many outlets. The Literary Society has welcomed many prestigious speakers: Professor Hermione Lee, Martin Bell, Professor Sutherland, Professor Stallworthy and Professor Jeremy Treglown have all spoken at the school in recent years. We have also invited writers such as Charlie Higson, Marcus Sedgwick and Alex Scarrow to speak to the younger pupils. We have a long history of popular Book Clubs, creative writing clubs and competitions; all of these and more make English one of the most lively and successful departments in the School. Year 7- 9 pupils in our Creative Writing Club have produced a new magazine Wordsmyth showcasing their work.

We look forward to welcoming your child to Warwick and providing him with opportunities for self-discovery and intellectual challenge in English.