English & Media Studies

English

The English Department is committed to fostering a love of Literature and wider reading, encouraging students to think critically and creatively, to reason, to ask questions and to explore knowledge beyond the classroom. We strive to inspire our students with a stimulating and broad approach, celebrating their locality – Tower Hamlets, and incorporating World Literature and texts across the Literary canon. Our purpose is to inspire and equip our students and staff to make a journey of exploration and to take joy in their choices, their stories and the stories of others. 

While meeting the requirements of the National Curriculum, and ensuring students are rigorously prepared for their examinations, we ensure our curriculum is not limited by assessment criteria instead teaching Literature because of its inherent worth, and the body of socio historical and cultural interests beyond. We are passionate about empowering our students and originality, independence and creative writing are highly valued and celebrated within the classroom. Literature is frequently used as a means of discussing current affairs and issues of gender, religion and identity in distinct historical and geographical contexts. We strive to empower our students through a love of literature and language. 

English is the cornerstone of success across the curriculum and into the wider world of education and work.

Enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities 

• Diverse voices theatre workshop
• ‘Slambassadors’ poetry competition
• Tower Hamlets creative writing competition
• Poetry society workshops
• KS3 and KS4 Poetry club 
• Theatre and lecture trips

Subject Overview and Curriculum Map

Subject Overview

• Key Stage 3 Overview and Assessments
• Key Stage 4 Overview and Assessments

Curriculum Map

• English Curriculum Map

Department

To contact the English Department please email: english@central.towerhamets.sch.uk .

Media Studies

The Media department is devoted to fostering and developing enquiring minds, critical thinking, creativity and analytic skills in students. Our students will be driven by the quest to acquire knowledge and understanding of a range of current media issues. The department aims to model good practice by engaging with challenging and relevant media content as part of our everyday practice, and so encourage Media students to engage with current affairs and products that provoke thought around representation, audience consumption and interaction, as well as institutional and regulatory issues.

We are committed to delivering a broad but detailed programme of study and enrichment programmes, across all Media platforms, that will help learners develop appreciation and critical understanding of the media and their role both historically and currently in society, culture and politics. We look at European and American products to explore political, economic and social ideologies. Our students will be able to identify, define and evaluate British Values as constructed in media texts and the contexts in which they are produced and consumed. As such, they will be able to make informed arguments, reach substantiated judgements and draw conclusions about media issues. Students will develop practical skills through our provision of opportunities for creative media production.

The basics of the theoretical framework is introduced at KS3. It is embedded from KS4 and students critically evaluate theories at KS5. A Level students are positioned as consumers and as producers of the media and lead on creative programmes outside of the classroom to allow for challenge in the context of the industry.

Enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities 

• Visits to the BFI for workshops and exam sessions.

• Visits to the cinema, particularly attending schools’ film festival.

• Workshops at The Guardian, The Telegraph and other mainstream Media institutions

• Q&As with Media practitioners

• International trips to explore the media landscape in other countries and how they impact global consumption and the industry. 

Subject Overview and Curriculum Map

Subject Overview

• Key Stage 3 and 4 Overview and Assessments

Curriculum Map

• Media Studies Curriculum Map

Department

To contact the Media Studies Department please email: mediastudies@central.towerhamlets.sch.uk.