English
At Junior King's we believe that, above all, English should be a creative and exciting subject. It is for our teachers to interest and inspire. We aim to show our pupils the rewards of bringing an experience into words, to make the way that language works a source of fascination and to match children to books, encouraging them to read for pleasure and to extend their ranges, reading above themselves and tackling as wide a range of literature as possible.
Every child is expected to have a reading book with them at every lesson. We also study class texts which range from poetry anthologies and play scripts, (including the works of Shakespeare) through to modern novelists such as David Almond, Michael Morpurgo and Philip Pullman.
Pupils are taught by class teachers up until Year 4 and, thereafter, by subject specialists.
A small number of pupils take the Kent Test 11+ exam but most are prepared for Common Entrance to public schools at 13+ or scholarships to King's and other independent schools.
Key areas addressed include Speaking and Listening; Reading (beginning with 'Jolly Phonics' in the Pre-Prep) and Writing. The English Department runs a weekly bookshop and hosts workshops by visiting authors. In recent years these have included Meg Rosoff, Matthew Sweeney and Kevin Crossley-Holland.
English has a vital role to play in children's development and we strive to reach the highest standards for each child in our care.
