English Language and Literature

Discover how Bartley Secondary's English Language programme builds confident, skilled communicators through reading, speaking, and writing initiatives.

Last updated 11 June 2026

Vision

Disciplined Learners. Principled Leaders. Compassionate Contributors.

Mission

Empowering Bartleyans to lead with effective and exceptional listening, reading, speaking and writing

By the end of a Bartleyan's education in Bartley Secondary School, a Bartleyan will be able to:

Listen, read and view critically and with accuracy, understanding and appreciating a wide range of literary and informational/ functional texts from print and non-print sources.
Speak fluently and write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of purposes, audiences, contexts and cultures.
Acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language.

Signature Programmes

We constantly seek ways to engage and excite our students in the learning of the English Language. The design of the curriculum is grounded on the view that mastery of the English language enables the individual to make informed judgements about moral, philosophical and social issues, and develops his/her awareness of the self in relation to the diversity of human experience. A competence in language will also put our students in good stead in their chosen careers.

In the classroom, we continue to engage our students through the use of active and cooperative learning strategies, encouraging self-directed and collaborative learning. Similarly, thinking routines are also exploited to promote higher-order thinking and ownership of learning among students. All these initiatives among other things work toward developing students into 21st century learners who are equipped for future challenges.

Our signature programmes includes:

Speak Up! Programme

Oracy skills are an integral feature of the Bartley EL curriculum. Hence, the department has in place a progressive and development programme for oracy skills.

Sec 1: Public Speaking and Puppetry for Confidence Building Sec 2: Young Journalists and Drama for Artful Presentations Sec 3: Debating for Persuasive Speaking Sec 4: Effective Communicator (Confident, Proficient and Persuasive Speaker)

eXciting Reading
1. Eat. Read. Connect. (ERC)
The Eat.Read.Connect (ERC) is a school-wide programme aimed at developing in students the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information. Our students get the opportunity to read on a daily basis through the school's morning reading programme, while having their breakfast. At the same time, teachers use the time to engage students one-on-one to better understand and address individual needs.

2. Reading Rejuvenation for Developing Readers
Students who require greater assistance in reading attend the Reading Rejuvenation Programme for developing readers. Students are led in reading deeper by a teacher mentor.

3. Fun Reading
Various activities such as Reading Games Day, Tracking Reading Made Creative (creative displays of book reflections) as well as class library visits are organised to inculcate in students a love for reading.

ELation!ELation is the school's very own English Language Week. Teachers and students immerse themselves in a range of language-related activities which include quizzes, drama presentations, poetry recital, speeches as well as mini-competitions to showcase students' proficiency in the language.

Competitions:We strongly believe that our students need to be exposed to good use of the language through their participation in internal as well as external competitions. Hence, our students get to participate in competitions such as the Singapore Secondary Schools Debate Competition and Destination Imagination.

Enrichment ProgrammesTo promote aesthetic appreciation and the use of language for artistic expressions, students undergo enrichment programmes such as visits to plays, puppetry workshops, drama lessons as well as debate skills training.

Spontaneous WritingSpontaneous Writing (SW) aims to develop Bartleyans into leaders who are able to think on their feet and write spontaneously on any given topic. SW develops fluency in writing and removes the hurdle of writers’ block. It is an opportunity for our students to develop critical and reflective thinking which they will be able to apply to various contexts in their lives.

Photos

Five teenagers posing and making hand gestures, one wearing a lab coat with a stethoscope, another in a suit.

Young girl in a school uniform holds a microphone, standing near a poster reading "Our English Speakers Corner."

Elation

Four children sit on a floor, one holding a microphone, another holding a thin stick, in a dimly lit room.

Elation

A boy in uniform holds a mic and points while two girls write at desks in a school hall.

Elation

A smiling young male student in school uniform sits cross-legged on a blue floor, reading a book.

Reading is fun!

Person in a Stormtrooper costume holding a blue lightsaber reaches out to a child in a gym full of seated students.

Stories come to life!