Welcome to the English Department

"All books are either dreams or swords, you can cut, or you can drug with words."

(Amy Lowell)

Amy Lowell's view of the power which is shared by the English Department here at Cardinal Newman. Our students need to be able to both ‘cut’ and ‘drug’ with words and so we enable them to discover how to persuade, how to entertain, how to argue and how to inform. We give them opportunities to write about everything from Shakespeare to Shrek, and we expect the very best from every student who enters an English classroom. There are opportunities for students to create websites, to speak in debates, to see their work published and put on display, and to join our after school clubs. The site will show you something of what we do and who we are.

Peter Shears

Head of English

The Aims of the English Department are:

To help students develop and enjoy to the full their potential ability to use the English Language with a skilful sensitivity appropriate to the demands of real contexts and real audiences.

To provide students with a wide range of reading experiences and to show that literature and related media are major sources of enjoyment, insight and information.

To encourage and support students in their growth as creative, thinking individuals and as members of a christian community.

To develop in students the ability to think clearly and perceptively, to listen critically and carefully, to read with understanding and involvement.

To speak with clarity and to write with confidence and accuracy