The central aim of the Farrer English Faculty is to make English an engaging, stimulating and enjoyable subject for all the boys who attend Farrer.

To support this aim, we are creating quality learning environments supplied with a varied, relevant range of resources designed to challenge and interest our students. This aim encompasses a specific focus on significantly improving literacy outcomes across ability groups using a variety of resources and literacy programs.

We will work closely with the Library, other faculties and the Literacy Committee in order to achieve this. Gifted and Talented students are another priority, with respect to programming, purchasing and lesson implementation across each year group.

We aim to improve the results of our top students, with the objective of achieving a higher proportion of HSC Band 5 and 6 results in the future. Most importantly, English is a portal to the world of ideas, and it our ambition to make this world accessible to every Farrer student.

THE VISUAL LITERACY PROJECT GRAPHIC NOVELS

In achieving our central aim of making English more engaging, stimulating and enjoyable, Farrer has invested heavily in Graphic Novels, so as to construct a literacy bridge for students who have found reading difficult or uninspiring in the past.

Research in the United States and Europe indicates a strong link between visual literacy and improved literacy outcomes for young adult readers. Graphic novels have proven highly successful in both encouraging reluctant readers to engage in the English classroom and appealing to Gifted and Talented students.

Students will undertake mandatory units on Picture Books in Stage 4 and Graphic Novels in Stage 5. Graphic Novels also work as excellent related texts, for our Area of Study units in Relationships (Year 9), Prejudice (Year 10), Justice (Year 11), Journeys (Year 12); and the HSC Extension English elective Speculative Fiction.

DRAMA

Do you like to perform for others?  Are you always the centre of attention?
Or perhaps you need a confidence boost? Or are you afraid of speaking in front of a crowd?  It’s time to face your fears…..

In Drama you will learn all aspects of theatre and performance in a fun and safe environment.  You will learn improvisation, play building, script writing, stage design, costume, lighting and sound.  In Year 10 you will have the chance to focus on an area of interest to you.  Therefore, there are opportunities for major studies in performance as well as in the technical aspects of drama and theatre.

You will also participate in a range of performances from across the state.

Farrer has a state of the art facility to cater for this subject, so let’s make the most of it.  Come on all you thespians, have a go.

FREELANCE JOURNALISM COURSE

The course aims at giving training and guidance in writing the kind of article which is being sought at the present time by newspapers and magazines.  It includes articles for daily and weekly papers, magazines, specialist publications on subjects such as Agriculture, Farming, Travel, Leisure and Radio Journalism.  The freelance journalist is one who is attached to no newspaper or magazine, but contributes to many. 

This class is responsible for the production of the School Magazine, “The Myall”, as well as having input into the Farrer Newsletters and the schools’ section of the Northern Daily Leader.
NOTE: This course is ONLY for ONE year. Students selecting to do this subject will be required to indicate their subject choice on this line for Year 10.