English

At Kent Street we aim to build language and communication capabilities that extend beyond school life and allow students to succeed in career and community spaces.

Building strong communication skills that are essential for everyday life, further education and future careers. Classes teach students to understand different perspectives, express their ideas clearly, and see value in thinking critically about the world around them.

The English curriculum supports students to engage imaginatively and critically with literature and appreciate its aesthetic qualities. They explore ideas and perspectives about human experience and cultural significance, interpersonal relationships, and ethical and global issues within real-world and fictional settings. Students are exposed to literature from a range of historical, cultural and social contexts. Through the study of texts, students develop an understanding of themselves and their place in the world. The English curriculum explores the richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ voices and voices from wide-ranging Australian and world literature.

The study of English plays a key role in the development of literacy, which gives young people the knowledge and skills needed for education, training and the workplace. It provides students with the opportunity to become ethical, informed, perceptive, innovative and active members of society. The English curriculum plays an important part in developing the understanding, attitudes and capabilities of those who will take responsibility for Australia’s future.

Aims

Learn to purposefully and proficiently read, view, listen to, speak, write, create and reflect on increasingly complex texts across a growing range of contexts
Understand how Standard Australian English works in its spoken and written forms, and in combination with non-linguistic forms of communication to create meaning
Develop interest and skills in examining the aesthetic aspects of texts and develop an informed appreciation of literature
Appreciate, enjoy, analyse, evaluate, adapt and use the richness and power of the English language in all its variations to evoke feelings, form ideas and facilitate interaction with others.

Senior School Courses offered in 2026

English ATAR

Course Content – The English ATAR course focuses on developing students’ analytical, creative and critical thinking and communication skills in all language modes, encouraging students to critically engage with texts from their contemporary world, the past and from Australian and other cultures. Through close study and wide reading, viewing and listening, students develop the ability to analyse and evaluate the purpose, stylistic qualities and conventions of texts and to enjoy creating imaginative, interpretive, persuasive and analytical responses in a range of written, oral, multimodal and digital forms.

Assessment – Students will be assessed throughout the year on a wide range of activities in both written and oral formats. There will also be a major examination in each semester of the year.

English General

Course Content – The General English Course focuses on consolidating and refining the skills and knowledge needed by students to become competent, confident and engaged users of English in everyday, community, social, further education, training and workplace contexts. The course is designed to provide students with the skills to succeed in a wide range of post-secondary pathways by developing their language, literacy and literary skills. Students comprehend, analyse, interpret, evaluate and create analytical, imaginative, interpretive and persuasive texts in a range of written, oral, multimodal and digital forms.

Assessment – Students will be assessed throughout the year on a wide range of activities in both written and oral formats.