English

Head of Department: Jane Bathard-Smith. Email: jbs@epsomcollege.org.uk

The English department offers GCSE English and English Literature, AQA Specification A; this is a two year course that equips pupils to read attentively and to express themselves fluently in written and spoken English. Pupils read and analyse a range of texts, fiction and non-fiction, in preparation for their coursework folder and for the written examinations at the end of the course.  

In the 6th form, the Department has opted to follow the Cambridge Pre-U syllabus from September this year, with the first examinations in 2010. The course is linear: all examinations take place at the end of the two-year course. Assessment, although benchmarked against the existing A Level system of grades, will differentiate more precisely among the top candidates. There has been widespread support from universities, with the Russell Group acknowledging the strengths of the course even before QCA accreditation.

This is an exciting development for English at Epsom College. Cambridge Pre-U English is the ideal course for our intake of students, intellectually stimulating and coherent, clear in structure and purpose, and an excellent preparation for university studies. We firmly believe that this new course will offer our 6th formers an excellent grounding in the skills of critical reading, essay writing and practical analysis.

For more information about the Cambridge Pre-U English course, view the video on this page.