English Department.
Staffing in 2021:
Here is the info about the English classes:
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
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.
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 Louisa Berry (HOD 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 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
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
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
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.
