English

English Department

English Department.

Staffing in 2021:

Mrs Lyndie Balfour (HOD English): Year 9RW, Year 10 Accelerate, Level 1 Senior English (alternative class with only Internal Assessments), Level 2 and Level 3 NCEA.
Mr John Bishop: Year 10, Level 2 Senior English (alternative class) and Level 2 NCEA English.
Mrs Judith Drabble: Year 9FO, and Year 10 English (a small Learning Support class).
Mr Joseph Jackman: Level 1 NCEA English
Mrs Tracy Russell: Level 3 NCEA English.
Mr Kieran Spring: Year 9CO and 9Rg, and Level 1 NCEA English.

English 2021

English is a compulsory subject between Years 9 and 12. Our English results are reported to the Board of Trustees annually and we are proud of the fact that year after year our school’s English NCEA results are well above the national statistics for boys at Decile 5 schools. Commendable statistics include our Maori and Pasifika students. Our Excellence and Merit results are also extremely high. Most years we gain Scholarships. These results are, in part, due to a fine junior programme.

Junior Programme and meeting Students' Needs

Junior Programme and meeting Students’ Needs

Assessing students’ abilities and adjusting programmes to meet students’ needs and abilities are vital. The Assistant Principal leading the Curriculum, Mrs Russell, administers Progress and Achievement Test (PAT) results twice yearly. She works with Mrs Versey, HOD Learning Support Department, to provide important information to staff, such as Specific Learning Difficulties. Year 9 diagnostic data identifies “at risk” and “extension” students also. Our Junior English Programme is designed to prepare students for NCEA and to become life-long learners. Most Year 9 classes are not streamed so Differentiated Learning practices are important. In 2021 we have four mixed ability Year 9 classes. Our Year 10 classes are streamed into one large Accelerate Class, two mid-band classes, and a small Learning Support class. The students from the Year 10 Accelerate Class continue to achieve high standards in their future years in reading and writing. When tracking these students, we see high levels of achievement gained once NCEA is commenced, and several utilize their study of Macbeth to gain high grades in Internal Assessments such as ‘Connections Across Texts’. The Scholarship programme later builds on the work done in this Accelerate Class.

Teaching practice is based on the Year 9 and 10 Teachers’ Handbooks, which have common summative assessments for all ten NCEA standards: ‘Written Texts’ has sub-sections: novel, and short texts (short story and poetry) to ensure that a wide variety of literature is taught. Junior Examinations are important. Three ‘Written Texts’ (a short story, poem and novel) and an ‘Oral/Visual Text’ are assessed in class assessments at the end of each unit of work during the year and again in the College Examinations. The College Examinations are two hours and include Written Texts, Visual Oral Text and Unfamiliar Texts (students read and assess the effects of language features in an unfamiliar piece of prose and a poem.) These assessments model the NCEA External Examinations. Mrs Drabble writes separate Year 9 and 10 Learning Support Exams and reports on these, aligning them to our College Exam.

Junior Assessments are used for a variety of reasons. To improve students’ learning, in-class summative assessments are used as both assessment of what has been learned, and as a teaching tool for future units. The class assessments and the College Examination identify students who need future support or extension. Year 9 and 10 class assessments are combined with the Examination grades when selecting the next year’s classes. We use a consistent Examination structure so trends and tracking can be seen.

Senior English Programme

In conclusion our department is dedicated and determined to improve students’ performance: to encourage young men to love reading, to enjoy expressing their ideas in a range of writing styles, to empower them with skills in oratory and to express their ideas visually, so that they leave school as well-rounded St. John’s Men.

Mrs Lyndie Balfour (HOD English)

Level 1 - English

18 Achievement Standards Credits are studied: 8 External Assessed and 10 Internally Assessed.

90849 1.1 | Show understanding of specific aspects of studied written texts, using supporting evidence | 4 | External

908501.1.2 | Show understanding of specific aspects of studied visual or oral texts, using supporting evidence | 4 | External

90052 1.4 | Produce creative writing | 3 | Internal

90857 1.6 | Construct and deliver an oral text | 3 | Internal

Level 1 - Senior English (Alternative Course)

Level 1 credits are all Internally Assessed; therefore students studying this alternative course do not sit the External Examination. This course is designed for less academic students.

90052 1.4 | Produce creative writing | 3 | Internal

90053 1.5 | Product formal writing | 3 | Internal

90857 1.6 | Construct and deliver an oral text | 3 | Internal

90852 1.8 | Explain significant connections across texts using supporting evidence | 4 | Internal

Level 2 - English

18 Achievement Standards’ Credits are studied: 8 Externally Assessed and 13 Internally Assessed

91098 2.1 | Analyse specific aspects of studied written texts, supported by evidence | 4 | External

91099 2.2 | Analyse specific aspects of studied visual or oral texts supported by evidence | 4 | External

91101 2.4 | Produce a selection of crafted and controlled writing | 6 | Internal

91102 2.5 | Construct and deliver a crafted and controlled oral text | 3 | Internal

1104 2.7 | Analyse significant connections across texts, supported by evidence | 4 | Internal

Level 2 - Senior English (Alternative Course)

This course will be Level 2 Achievement Standards which are all Internally Assessed; students do not sit the External Examination. This course is designed for less academic students. GATEWAY students may select this course.

91101 2.4 | Produce a selection of crafted and controlled writing | 6 | Internal

91102 2.5 | Construct and deliver a crafted and controlled oral text | 3 | Internal

91103 2.6 | Create a crafted and controlled visual and verbal text | 3 | Internal

91104 2.7 | Analyse significant connections across texts, supported by evidence | 4 | Internal

Level 3 - English

This year there are two courses. The following course is taught by Mrs Russell.

21 Achievement Standards’ Credits are studied: 8 Externally Assessed and 13 Internally Assessed. This is an academic course designed for students planning to go to University.

91472 3.1 | Respond critically to specified aspects of studied written text(s), supported by evidence | 4 | External

91473 3.2 | Respond critically to specified aspects of studied visual or oral text(s), supported by evidence | 4 | External

92475 3.4 | Produce a selection of fluent and coherent writing which develops, sustains, and structures ideas | 6 | Internal

92476 3.5 | Create and deliver a fluent and coherent oral text which develops, sustains, and structures ideas | 3 | Internal

91478 3.7 | Respond critically to significant connections across texts, supported by evidence | 4 | Internal

The following course is taught by Mrs Balfour with 22 credits.

91472 3.1 | Respond critically to specified aspects of studied written text(s), supported by evidence | 4 | External

92474 3.3 | Respond critically to significant aspects of unfamiliar written texts through close reading, supported by evidence | 4 | External

92475 3.4 | Produce a selection of fluent and coherent writing which develops, sustains, and structures ideas | 6 | Internal

91478 3.7 | Respond critically to significant connections across texts, supported by evidence | 4 | Internal

91479 3.8 Develop an understanding of literature using critical texts. 4 credits Internal.