English

The Middle School’s English program has been designed to provide a smooth transition from Primary English programs to the more academic focus present in the later years of schooling.  

Year 7

The Year 7 program is anchored in the foundational skills necessary for success in High School English. The dynamic program includes a weekly focus on literacy skills with a consistent homework program that aims to develop routine language, literacy, and comprehension practice. Students also engage in the fundamentals of the QCAA curriculum by exploring and creating a wide range of written, spoken, and visual texts. Within these units, students master the fundamentals of analysis, persuasion, and imaginative writing and speaking.

Year 8

The aim of the Year 8 program is to build on the foundation established in Year 7. As with earlier years in English education, literacy remains the cornerstone of the curriculum with students moving to Cambridge’s ‘Connecting English’ textbook as the basis for their literacy learning and homework program. This is crucial in order to develop effective homework patterns and an excellent foundation in vocabulary and literacy skills. In the classroom, Year 8 students explore media, novels, film, archetypes, poetry and more to continue developing their analytical, persuasive, and imaginative skills. In addition to this, they also study how representations are constructed and audiences are positioned.  

Year 9

The focus of the Year 9 English program shifts to include a detailed analysis of the texts and genres required in Senior English. Students are asked to create a range of written and spoken texts, from analytical essays to presenting persuasive speeches and captivating imaginative orals. To support their in-class learning, the ‘Connecting English’ textbooks are used to continue strengthening their literacy development. At the Year 9 level, the students begin to synthesise their langauge and literacy skills, their textual knowledge, and their knowledge of structure and organisation to produce confident pieces of writing. In addition to this, they have a clear focus on developing critical literacy techniques which are so important in Senior English.

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YEARS 7-9 SUBJECT HANDBOOK

Year 10

The Year 10 program has been re-designed to best provide a springboard into Senior English studies. The program directly and explicitly engages students with the theory underpinning both the QCAA and IB the Senior Syllabi. At a Year 10 level, Townsville Grammar offers both English and Extension English to meet the varying needs of the students. Both courses engage students with the study of plays, novels, media, and film, and while both subjects adequately prepare the students for any senior English subject, the Extension course aims to challenge students who have an aptitude for literature. The content of both courses includes more challenging tasks, subject matter and conditions for assessment. The aim is not merely to provide a transition between Middle and Senior School studies, but to actually, in effect, function as a first year of Senior English.

Years 11 and 12

At Townsville Grammar School, four senior English subjects are offered to ensure the needs of every student are met. If pursuing the QCAA pathway, we offer General English, Literature, and the applied subject Essential English. If pursuing the IB pathway, we offer English A: Language and Literature. In all English subjects, the scope of the program is developed as a result of the study completed in the previous years. We aim to develop student expertise in using language appropriately and effectively in a variety of social contexts and to empower students with sophisticated skills in reading, writing, and speaking. By the end of their senior English journey, we aim to increase student appreciation and awareness of language and its power.

YEARS 10-12 SUBJECT HANDBOOKS