Faculty Focus: English

The English faculty has had a productive and exciting start to 2025, offering students from Years 7 to 12 rich and engaging learning opportunities. Alongside our returning staff — Ms Nadia Bulgin, Mrs Jennifer Barnicoat, Mr Anthony Carver, Ms Hayley Edwards (Head Teacher), Ms Jessica Melehan, Mrs Glenyce Oswald, Mrs Suzanne Parrott, Mr Matthew Sandford, and Mrs Nicole Thew — we are thrilled to welcome Miss Kelsey Parkes to the team.

As a faculty, we continue to prioritise literacy growth, student engagement, and a love of English. This year is particularly significant, marking the final phase of implementation of the new Years 7–10 English Curriculum, with all year levels now engaging in programs aligned to the updated syllabus. We are also in the early stages of planning and development for the new Stage 6 English syllabuses, which will be introduced in Year 11 in 2026 and first examined in the 2027 HSC. Additionally, 2025 will see the launch of our Stage 6 EAL/D class, an exciting step that reflects our commitment to inclusive and differentiated English instruction.

Year 7 and 8 Reading Program

This year, our reading program for Years 7 and 8 continues to evolve in a positive direction, with a renewed focus on promoting reading for both purpose and enjoyment. Students select novels that interest them, which they read consistently in class and use as a basis for written responses, creative projects, and reading journal reflections. Independent reading is embedded into every English lesson, and students regularly conference with teachers to discuss their reading goals and progress.

The program is designed to build reading stamina, strengthen vocabulary, and enhance comprehension, while encouraging critical thinking and personal engagement with texts. Our ongoing collaboration with the library, led by Mrs Dubois (Teacher Librarian), ensures students have access to a wide range of high-quality, diverse literature that supports both curriculum goals and student choice.

Year 7 Poetry Scavenger Hunt and Classic Poetry Study

In Term 2, Year 7 students explored poetic voice, structure, and sensory imagery through a vibrant and hands-on poetry unit. To launch the unit, students in 7S participated in a Poetry Scavenger Hunt — a classroom challenge in which students located clues that introduced poetic techniques such as simile, metaphor, alliteration, repetition, hyperbole, and personification (SMARHOP). This engaging activity encouraged collaboration, curiosity, and critical thinking.

Following this, students worked in groups to study and respond to the works of classic poets including William Wordsworth, Robert Frost, and Emily Dickinson. Through close reading and collaborative discussion, students explored how these poets’ conveyed perspectives on nature, identity, and human experience. This experience not only helped students appreciate the traditions of poetic form but also gave them tools to craft their own poetic compositions with confidence and creativity.

Year 11 English Advanced – Reading to Write and Module A

Year 11 English Advanced students began Term 2 with Module A: Narratives that Shape Our World. This built upon the skills and understandings developed in the Reading to Write module, which focused on how writers craft meaning through exemplary texts.

In Module A, students examined a range of nonfiction, poetry, memoir, and speech extracts in response to the central prompt: “Narratives shape our world.” Classroom discussions and writing tasks encouraged students to consider how literature reflects, challenges, and influences cultural values. The diversity of student interpretations and personal connections to this idea demonstrated the powerful and individual nature of storytelling.

Students then applied their understanding of rhetorical and stylistic techniques to a close study of their core texts, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Blade Runner: The Director’s Cut directed by Ridley Scott. Through this comparative study, students sharpened their analytical skills and developed greater confidence in their own authorial voice.

Implementation of the New English Curriculum – Years 7 to 10

2025 marks the full implementation of the NSW Years 7–10 English Curriculum across all junior year levels. Students in Years 8 and 10 are now participating in newly designed programs that have been collaboratively created by the English faculty. The updated curriculum promotes deep conceptual learning and foundational literacy, encouraging students to think critically, compose reflectively, and engage meaningfully with a wide variety of texts.

This term, teachers have been embedding the new content using inquiry-based learning, targeted literacy strategies, and differentiated classroom resources. Professional learning has played a key role in preparation, with staff regularly collaborating to refine program design and assessment practices. The new syllabus places strong emphasis on reading for enjoyment, diverse text types, and flexible composition tasks, all of which align with our faculty’s vision for rich and engaging English instruction.

Looking Ahead

As we move into the second half of the year, the English faculty remains committed to providing students with enriching curricular and extra-curricular opportunities. In the coming terms, we will introduce poetry and writing competitions designed to inspire creativity, promote student voice, and offer opportunities for self-expression beyond the classroom. These initiatives will help foster a vibrant reading and writing culture at Newcastle High School, and we look forward to seeing the exciting work our students will produce.

We thank the Newcastle High School community for their continued support and look forward to sharing more highlights throughout the year.