English

SCOTT MCDONALD Head of English

Like The Southport School itself, the English program at TSS is a highly respected combination of tradition and innovation. As such, we aim to create graduates who are as familiar with the great works of literature as they are with magazines, feature films and newspapers. Most importantly, that they have the skills at their disposal to critically evaluate any text in their journey as a lifelong learner.

The key focus of this year has been to expand this critical evaluation to the next frontier that boys often shy away from – communication. This emphasis on the ability to express ideas, either verbally with confidence or in writing with clarity, has produced a range of outstanding success stories. As we look ahead and continue to develop systems and strategies for writing in all text types across the curriculum, this balance between discerning and creating and between tradition and innovation will continue to produce excellence at the School.

The junior program seeks to front-end challenging material in the selection of thought-provoking texts and concepts. It is our aim that boys rise to the challenge of the Senior School and understand that every analytical, expository and imaginative tool they are given can be used throughout the English program until their graduation. Similarly, the English program seeks to meet the needs of boys by responding to their preferred learning styles. Given the high number of bodily kinaesthetic learners in Years 7 to 9, there has been a particular focus in Junior English on the use of movement in lessons. This is particularly evident in Year 7 where Fridays have been dedicated to learning through movement, particularly in fundamental language tasks such as spelling. Lessons also utilise an array of stimulus to cater to varied learning styles.

Along with innovations in preferred learning styles, the Year 9 program has sought to embed elements of positive psychology in order to establish a link between the school’s pastoral and academic dimensions. This is most evident in a narrative task in which students are asked to explore a challenge that they have overcome, and implicitly link their triumph to one of the school’s Habits of Wellbeing. This focus enriched the narrative unit, providing a therapeutic opportunity for the boys to reflect on early adolescence from a constructive point of view. The writing produced was particularly powerful, sincere and authentic.

The senior program builds on these skills and completes a cycle of a formative introduction to the requirements of the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority, followed by a summative assessment of these skills, which form the prerequisite for most course of study at universities in Queensland. During this cycle, the focus is on students working more independently and with less teacher revision of work in order to foster resilience and guarantee authentic proof of learning. Senior study exemplifies the TSS commitment to literary texts as well as the critical literacy tools required to be an informed global citizen in an age of information.

Alternate pathways in senior English are the English for ESL learners and English Communication. English for ESL has allowed many students to pursue tertiary education through a series of literacy and language components that do not require a familiarity with Australian contexts and culture. The English Communication strand is based on the needs of vocational study, the workplace and remaining a critical learner in a text-based society and gain accreditation in first aid and barista courses. As more tertiary institutions are accepting English Communication for those students who have achieved a school-based diploma, this is becoming an attractive option for more students each year. Boys in both English for ESL and English Communication have been actively engaged and prepared for their postschool studies and produced a range of outstanding work.