English

The English teachers at Broome Senior High School deliver the West Australian K-10 English Curriculum organised around the three main concepts of Language, Literacy and Literature and students are reported on the three strands of Reading and Viewing, Writing, and Speaking and Listening. Furthermore, the three cross-curriculum priorities of Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia, Sustainability, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures are embedded within curriculum programs. English teachers work closely with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff in the school.

In English, all students will be introduced to more complex literary concepts, text forms and critical thinking than they have experienced in their primary years. In Years 7-9, students will develop their functional and critical literacy skills, as well as their knowledge of the evolving English language, literary concepts, text forms and text production. Activities include narrative and essay writing, extended informational writing, drama, film study, persuasive text types, public speaking and using information technology. Students will learn about the conventions of a range of text types such as novels, poetry, drama, feature films, documentaries and nonfiction texts.

All students are expected to work in a journal for their English studies. To extend course concepts and to develop positive work habits, students are expected to complete home study regularly and the use of a homework diary is essential for effective management of English. Homework may be in the form of finishing off work started in class, research, written assignments, journal work, assessments, reading or rehearsal.

The English Curriculum has a large emphasis on reading and viewing a range of texts, and staff encourage students to read and view extensively for their development and to achieve the Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA).

The differentiated curriculum in the Year 10 English programs provide an excellent foundation for all students to move into Upper School pathways including the Integrated Vocation Program (IVP), the Vocational Education and Training (VET) pathway and the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) pathway.

SENIOR SCHOOL

In Senior School, all students are required to complete four units of English over two years to contribute to their graduation; whether they are vocational or tertiary-oriented students. Students must complete at least two of those units in Year 12. A minimum number of C grades will contribute to the required number of grades which contribute to the attainment of their Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE). Graduation needs can also be met through meeting the English Language Competency Requirements as achieved through the OLNA. Students seeking tertiary entry to university are expected to achieve at a higher level than the secondary graduation English requirements above.

For more information regarding English and the English as an Additional Language or Dialect courses,
please see the Head of Learning Area – English, Ms Denise Shillinglaw.