And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts" (As You Like It – William Shakespeare)
The English Faculty at St Clair High School is a vibrant hub of activity. The staff are committed to the delivery of the various components of the English syllabus – we are responsible for areas of writing; reading; speaking and listening meaning that we are responsible for developing each student’s confidence to be a good communicator.
On a formal level the faculty rises to meet the challenge of helping each student, irrespective of background and ability, to maximise individual talent and capability. Our aim is to equip each student to be a functioning communicator in society by focusing on such broad aspects as; the ability to develop and communicate ideas; how to use information; coming to an understanding of social, cultural, geographical and historical contexts which form our society; being creative; being analytical; being confident in using language and being creative and productive in the use of technology.
On an informal level the faculty wants students to enjoy the study of English. We want them to be willing to experiment both verbally and in writing with language. We want them to have fun and understand that stories and written text from the past and from media other than television, has relevance and can in fact be entertaining!
The faculty is innovative in the delivery of lessons particularly pertaining to drama and media. Our Studio is a hive of activity on a daily basis where students can be seen not only using a variety of technology but also giving dramatic performances and learning stage craft with our movable stage blocks. The students enjoy the costume facilities and the opportunity to be creative in a practical learning situation. You don’t have to be in The Studio though, for practice in improving verbal communication. All teachers focus on encouraging students to be confident in speaking, particularly in voicing opinions and giving points of view. Many an argument and discussion can be heard emanating from the rooms in the English area.
Recently we have turned our attention to give further formal assistance to those students who come from a non English speaking background and it is exciting to hear the improvements made in their ability to communicate effectively in a language other than their native tongue.
Students also have the opportunity to participate in the production of the School Magazine which is undertaken and completed by the faculty.
Our lessons are often loud and dramatic - always exciting!
Our area is an alive space in the school – we use visual and auditory stimulus to enthuse the students not only in the classrooms but in the area that makes up the English Faculty area. Students love our music which plays regularly into the corridors at lunchtime!
"All the world’s a stage