ENL1W, English, Grade 9, De-streamed

ENL1W is the compulsory Grade 9 de-streamed English course in Ontario. It builds the reading, writing, and oral and visual communication skills students need across high school, using a range of literary, informational, and media texts. ENL1W replaced the old academic (ENG1D) and applied (ENG1P) courses, so all Grade 9 students take the same English course.

Most students find ENL1W manageable, though it asks for steady reading and regular writing — analysis, essays, and media tasks — which feel demanding if left to the last minute. Keeping a consistent pace is the key. At OES, certified English teachers give detailed feedback and writing support with a 24-hour turnaround to help you improve.

In ENL1W you read a range of texts — novels, short stories, poetry, and non-fiction, both contemporary and historical — and analyze media and informational texts. You write in several forms, including analytical, narrative, and opinion pieces, and create oral and media work. The focus is building transferable reading, writing, and communication skills.

ENL1W is the single de-streamed Grade 9 English course that replaced the separate academic (ENG1D) and applied (ENG1P) courses. Instead of choosing a stream in Grade 9, every student now takes ENL1W and follows the same curriculum, which keeps both Grade 10 English pathways open.

ENL1W is the prerequisite for both Grade 10 English courses. Choose ENG2D (Academic) if you’re heading toward university-preparation English, or ENG2P (Applied) for a college-focused pathway. Both require only ENL1W, so your Grade 9 experience and post-secondary goals guide the choice.

Yes. The reading and writing skills built in ENL1W — comprehension, analysis, and clear written communication — are exactly the skills assessed by the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), a graduation requirement most students complete in Grade 10. A strong ENL1W foundation helps students approach the OSSLT with confidence.

Yes. English is a compulsory credit in every year of Ontario high school, and ENL1W is the required Grade 9 English credit toward the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Completing ENL1W is also the prerequisite for Grade 10 English, so it’s an essential first step in the English pathway.

Yes. Ontario students who started Grade 9 in the 2020–21 school year or later must earn at least two online learning credits to graduate, and ENL1W at OES — a Ministry-inspected online school (BSID #667186) — counts toward that requirement. An opt-out process exists through school boards, and specific provisions apply to students affected by the 2021 school closures.

ENL1W meets the Ministry of Education’s attendance and participation expectations through activities blended directly into the course. OES requires students to log in at least once per week for attendance, and participation activities appear throughout the course and are reflected in the grade book — preserving self-paced flexibility while satisfying the requirements for online courses.

Ontario’s Growing Success policy pre-determines the evaluation structure for every credit. Beginning in the 2026–27 school year, ENL1W is graded on classroom work completed throughout the course (65%) plus a Ministry-mandated final evaluation worth 20% for Grades 9–10, with attendance and participation also reflected in the final grade. A credit is granted at 50% or higher — and as an inspected private school, OES may administer final evaluations online, while school-board online courses generally require in-person exam sittings.