At Rastrick High School, we take the approach that “it is a quest of literature throughout the ages to describe the human condition”.
In Year 7, our students begin by discovering the foundations of this principle, exploring the classical influences that have shaped much of Western literature, and how both cultural and personal identities are explored and expressed through the power of both spoken and written word. In essence, Year 7 students discover how storytelling is at the core of who we are as people.
Students in Year 8 consider human emotions as part of the notion that “it is a quest of literature throughout the ages to describe the human condition”. Students look at how writers describe the way characters feel and how they react to situations. They also consider how writers express their own perspectives, viewpoints, thoughts and feelings on various topics. In doing so, they are able to use these ideas as a springboard for their own writing, generating opinions and feelings of their own, and creating engaging fictional pieces that allow them to explore the inner thoughts and moods of their own characters. Reading and writing skills becomes more developed this year, building on the foundations laid in Year 7.
Continuing the approach that “it is a quest of literature throughout the ages to describe the human condition”, Year 9 students study how writers explore human conflicts and internal struggles through both fictional and non-fictional mediums. They develop higher-level reading skills such as what it means to ‘examine’ what writers do and to begin to ‘evaluate’ intentions by forming their own opinions. They also sharpen their comparison skills, with a focus on perspectives. In their own writing, students will become confident in establishing narrative voice, building worlds and sharpening their technical accuracy. They will also learn how to use rhetoric effectively, developing their own voice and opinions in written and spoken form.