English
The curriculum of the English Department stresses the development of basic skills in reading, writing, speaking, and thinking. Small classes—on average, 12 students—provide an environment for lively discussions in which students learn to analyze challenging literature and to articulate their thoughts. A broad range of literature exposes students to ideas and experiences from around the world. Frequent and varied writing assignments demand from students a strong foundation in grammar and composition and train them to express themselves clearly, cogently, and confidently.
— Cyrus Cook, Department Head
The Sequence
In the third and fourth forms, a student takes English 100 and 200, respectivelyl. In the fifth and sixth forms, the English Department also offers honors sections of each course. The honors program is academically demanding, and therefore, a student is not recommended for this program without careful consideration of ability and personal interest. To be enrolled in the fifth form honors program, a student must have a minimum grade of “A-” for the year in their fourth form English class and/or the recommendation of the department. To remain in an honors course, students must maintain a minimum grade of "B+". Additionally, an exceptional performer in a regular section of EN300 may enroll in an honors section the following year, meeting the same criteria for entering 300-level honors.
The English Department also offers one interdepartmental course: American Studies (EN375HO and HI375AP), a full-year, double-period interdisciplinary survey of American culture, which earns three course credits in both English and history and fulfills the EN300 and HI310 requirements.
Note: The Director of Studies, in consultation with the head of the English Department, determines whether a new student qualifies for honors. This decision is based on previous grades in English, the recommendation of the English teacher at the previous school, test scores, and a review of the student’s critical writing (a graded critical essay must be submitted to the Registrar's Office by August 1).