Studying English at GCSE Brand new specification Overview of courses What students can expect How parents can help

Mr Adam Simpson (Head of English)

Miss Stephanie Hill (KS4 Co-ordinator)

Brand new specification

• Exams now graded 9-1, not A*-G• No controlled assessment• Exams have no tiers• All pupils now required to study Shakespeare

& a 19th Century Novel• A greater emphasis on 'technical accuracy'

GCSE CourseAll students will take two GCSEs;

GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature

Both GCSEs include: 1. Final exams in May/June 2016

2. Note: No controlled assessments or coursework

English Language

100% final examination

Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing

Paper 2: Writers'Viewpoints and

Perspectives

Non-examinationAssessment: Spoken

Language

What's assessedSection A: Reading• One literature fiction textSection B: Writing• Descriptive or narrative writing

What’s assessedSection A: Reading• One 21st Century non-fiction text and• One 19th Century non-fiction textSection B: Writing• Writing to present a viewpoint

What's assessed• Presenting• Responding to

questions and feedback

• Use of Standard English

Assessed• Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes• 80 marks• 50% of GCSE

Assessed• Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes• 80 marks• 50% of GCSE

Assessed• Teacher set

throughout course• Marked by teacher• Separate

endorsement• (0% weighting of

GCSE)QuestionsReading (40 marks) (25%)– one single text• 1 short form question• (1 x 4 marks)• 2 longer form questions• (2 x 8 marks)• 1 extended question• (1 x 20 marks)Writing (40 marks) (25%)1 extended writing question (24 marks for content, 16 marks for technical accuracy)

QuestionsReading (40 marks) (25%)– two linked texts1 short form question(1 x 4 marks)2 longer form questions(1 x 8, 1 x 12 marks)1 extended question(1 x 16 marks)Writing (40 marks) (25%)1 extended writing question (24 marks for content, 16 marks for technical accuracy)

English Literature

100% final examination

Paper 1: Shakespeare and the19th-century novel

Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry

What's assessed• Shakespeare• The 19th-century novel

What's assessed• Modern texts• Poetry• Unseen poetry

How it's assessed• Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes• 64 marks• 40% of GCSE(Spelling, punctuation and vocabulary = 2.5%)

How it's assessed• Written exam: 2 hour 15 minutes• 96 marks• 60% of GCSE(Spelling, punctuation and vocabulary = 2.5%)

QuestionsSection A ShakespeareStudents will answer one question on their play of choice. They will be required to write in detail about an extract from the play and then to write about the play as a whole.Section B The 19th-century novel Students will answer one question on their novel of choice. They will be required to write in detail about an extract from the novel and then to write about the novel as a whole.

QuestionsSection A Modern texts Students will answer one essay question from a choice of two on their studied modern prose or drama text.Section B Poetry Students will answer one comparative question on one named poem printed on the paper and one other poem from their chosen anthology cluster.Section C Unseen poetryStudents will answer one question on one unseen poem and one question comparing this poem with a second unseen poem.

What texts will be studied?Shakespeare 19th Century Modern Texts Poetry

Choose one of:

• Macbeth

• Romeo and Juliet

• Much Ado About Nothing

Choose one of:

• Robert Louis Stevenson The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

• Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol

• Mary Shelley Frankenstein

• Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice

Choose one of:

• JB Priestley An Inspector Calls

• Willy Russell Blood Brothers

• William Golding Lord of the Flies

• AQA Anthology Telling Tales

• George Orwell Animal Farm

Choose one of:

• Love and relationships collection

• Power and conflict collection

Course DeliveryEach half term will cover a different aspect of the

English Language or English Literature exam.

At specified tracking points throughout the year, exam based assessments will take place which will

allow us to monitor the progress of all pupils.

Dates of these assessments will be communicated to parents/guardians via SIMS.

Revision and intervention classesRevision classesWill be offered in the final term of year 11 and the run up to the final exam in May/June 2017.

Intervention classesOngoing throughout the course as and when needs arise based on assessment data.

What students can expect:

To be given clear guidance and deadlines for preparation time for each exam practice task.

To receive detailed feedback and to respond to this during lesson time.

To be working for longer on one topic than at Key Stage 3.

To be required to research and read ahead.

To be required to work independently.

Revision Materials• English Reading and Writing

Workbooks are available from the Student Office.

• Students may also wish to purchase the study guides for the novels/plays studied on the Literature course; these are available at all good book stores. Details of specific novels studied by the class will be provided by English teachers.

How parents can help Check SIMS for dates of exam practice assessments.

Ask them to tell you about texts they are studying and how they respond to them.

Encourage them to read a range of fiction and non-fiction, particularly newspapers.

Encourage them to use revision study guides.

Don’t believe, “I’ve no work for English”. There is always something to do!

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