Our Approach
Through studying a range of poetry, prose and drama, the English Literature programme develops Rafflesians to be critical thinkers who are able to study and appreciate literary texts.
Learner Outcomes
It is our vision that all Rafflesians will be young people of keen sensibility and creative imagination. They should be empathetic in their reflection on the human condition and perceptive in their study of works
of human expression, thought and culture.
In lower secondary, students are introduced to poetry and the fundamentals of literary analysis which allows them to engage with literary texts in a critical and sensitive manner. Apart from poetry,
both prose and drama texts are also studied throughout the two years. Students are not only exposed to the different literary genres, they also develop their creativity by producing their own artistic works in the genres of poetry and drama.
In upper secondary, students build on these fundamental skills while deepening their understanding of the discipline. This is done through exposing them to more complex literary texts and building on their understanding of literary analysis
and evaluation while exposing them to the socio-historical context of studying literature.
In both lower and upper secondary, students have a chance to watch Singaporean theatre performances, allowing them to appreciate and enjoy
local arts culture.
The Raffles Academy for Literature deepens students' understanding of the discipline by exposing them to critical theory that would allow them to gain insight not only into the text, but the self and society through
various lenses and perspectives. A key aspect of the RA Literature curriculum is also its interdisciplinary approach, which focuses on Literature & Politics as well as Literature & History. This allows students to understand how the power
of narratives goes beyond the fictional text.
Curriculum
Special Core Assessment: All Y2 students must take part in a theatre assessment as a cohort over the course of 9 months. After watching a local production, each class puts up an adaptation of a Shakespearean play together (adapting
to a different cultural or localising his play) with guidance from a local theatre practitioner on playwriting. This assessment aims to provide an authentic learning experience that goes beyond the confines of the classroom, enabling students to better
appreciate the performing arts.
Enrichment
Expressions
Expressions is an annually published anthology of creative writing by our students. Ranging from poetry and short stories to plays, we hope to encourage and nurture each student’s artistic potential.
Literature Festival
The Literature Festival is organised at the end of the school year and acts as a culmination and extension of what students have learnt over the course of the year. These activities include an inter-class poetry slam competition, workshops on different
areas of literary study, and talks exploring unusual topics like anime and gothic fiction.
Creative Writing Festival
The RI Creative Writing Festival invites selected students to meet professional poets, novelists, and playwrights to develop and hone their craft. This year the theme of the festival was "Living in the Age of the Anti-Hero" and over the course of three
days, the students produced an anthology of creative fiction that was published online.
Gap Day
Gap Day is an in-curriculum programme for Y1-2 students that was adopted this year to encourage authentic learning in Literature, giving our students more hands-on opportunities with different areas of the discipline. Our Y1 students learnt about the
oral tradition of poetry and the skills of performance, culminating in an in-class poetry slam competition. Our Y2 students went through a theatre exposure programme that taught them the basics of physical theatre and performance.
Creative Arts Seminar
Jointly organized by MOE (Gifted Education branch) and Yale-NUS college, the Creative Arts Seminar gives participants the opportunity to attend writing workshops where they get to work with other young writers and learn from established writers. At the
same time, participants are also exposed to interesting and relevant issues on writing and the arts during plenary sessions and forums.
Creative Arts Mentorship
A 9-month attachment with an established writer is offered to selected participants as a follow-up to the Creative Arts Seminar. The mentored participants are given the opportunity to work under the guidance of a writer, learning from the expertise and
experiences which only a writer can provide.