The English Department consists of ten teachers, each with their own specialisms and interests which are reflected in our classroom teaching and in the many groups run as part of the school’s co-curricular programme. Although a diverse staff, we share a common love of language and of literature, which we aim to instil in our pupils. Our teaching draws on a wide variety of texts from the traditional canon and beyond, while simultaneously guiding and nurturing our pupils as original writers and public speakers. The English classrooms at Mill Hill School are a place of creativity and ideas, buzzing with life and energy.
Over the past year, the department has undergone a physical transformation to become a hub of reading inspiration. Wall art graces the main corridor, promoting authors and offering pupils suggestions of books to read. Books are regularly given to pupils as prizes through the department’s book vending machine, and pupils are encouraged to use the department’s reading corner and book swap boxes.
The Fourth Form course begins with a study of the theme of identity in poetry. We then move on to exploring Gothic writing, which includes a close study of Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black, during which we welcome actor Rupert Mason of Redheart Theatre to deliver his atmospheric renditions of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart and The Red Room by H.G. Wells. After this, pupils study Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, alongside a number of his sonnets, and the year culminates with an introduction to modern drama through Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers.
Creative writing and non-fiction writing are interspersed throughout the year and often taught alongside the set texts. During Fourth Form, the foundations and expectations of the IGCSE courses are embedded, readying pupils for the challenge of the Remove and Fifth Form years.
Throughout the year, pupils independently read a wide selection of books, inspired by our popular reading projects, focuses of which include Agatha Christie, Books to Screen and Blockbuster Books.
We follow the Pearson EdExcel IGCSE Language (A) and Literature courses in Remove and Fifth Form. As part of this, pupils study non-fiction reading and writing, as well as creative writing, and An Inspector Calls, Macbeth and a selection of prose extracts and poetry. Each qualification is assessed by two pieces of coursework (worth 40%) and an examination (worth 60%).
In the Sixth Form, we follow the AQA A Level English Literature Specification A course, which is taught by two teachers concurrently. The course comprises the study of Shakespeare’s Othello, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and Feminine Gospels by Carol Ann Duffy, alongside some unseen prose and poetry.
The English Department has a rich and varied co-curricular offering including the longstanding English Society, Creative Writing Club, A Level Book Club, English Magazine, and Scholars Clubs. We offer a range of trips throughout the year, making use of the wealth of London’s cultural and literary offerings (memorable moments have included having a masterclass and cake with Frederick Forsyth and meeting Catherine Tate after a performance of The Enfield Haunting), and we also host events with guest speakers to enrich and enliven the study of English. In recent years, we have been thrilled to welcome Sophie Hannah, Joanne Harris, Felix Francis and Tanika Gupta.
For the past two years, we have been honoured to host productions of Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing by Moving Parts Theatre Company.
