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Information for students, parents and guardians with regard to GCSE English and GCSE English Literature.
Three years ago we took the decision to restructure the delivery of the GCSE course in order to support students and to improve attainment.
Previously the 2 GCSEs were taught simultaneously and this meant that exam preparation began 21 months before the exams. Many teachers completed all of the coursework with their students in Year 10 in order to ensure that exam preparation occurred as near to the exams as possible. Students often got confused about the content of the three different exam papers and feedback showed that there were some frustrations about studying texts months before the exams, in order that students could be assessed in mock exams.
We took the decision to change the model to ensure that students were able to focus on tasks more specifically than they had been able to in previous years.Year 9 – English Literature
In the second half of the summer term, students begin studying ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck (post-1914 prose), the GCSE Literature prose text. Students read the novel, watch a film version and study the characters and themes.
Revision is set as homework in preparation for a mock exam in September
Year 10 – English Literature
Students revise ‘Of Mice and Men’ and then have a mock exam in September.
They then work through 3 pieces of coursework, which are worth 30% of the GCSE:
Sept – Oct A play by William Shakespeare (pre-1914 drama) DUAL ENTRY PIECE*
Nov – Dec Prose, either a novel or a selection of short stories (pre-1914 prose) DUAL ENTRY*
Jan – Feb An Inspector Calls by JB Priestley (post-1914 drama)
Speaking and listening tasks are also completed, which are relevant to the English GCSE.
From February until the exam in May, students study poetry and revise ‘Of Mice and Men’. They continue to work on their essay writing technique and how to analyse and compare texts.
The Literature exam comprises a question on the poetry (pre and post-1914 poetry) and a question on ‘Of Mice and Men’ (post-1914 prose).
Once they have completed their exam in May (70% of the GCSE), they then work on the original writing coursework and/or the non fiction writing. These are the two remaining pieces of coursework.
* DUAL ENTRY PIECES - This means that these pieces of coursework can also be entered for the English GCSE in Year 11.
Year 11 – English
Students complete their Original Writing and their Non Fiction coursework in September and October, they are also given time to improve their Shakespeare and Prose pieces if they feel that their writing style has improved. Input from teachers is minimal because the dual entry pieces have already been marked. These four pieces of work are collectively worth 20% of the GCSE, 5% each.
Students can also work on improving their speaking and listening marks from last year, as their skills and confidence will have developed. The three speaking and listening tasks are collectively worth 20% of the GCSE.
Students then have the rest of the year to work on their exam technique and to study the content for the two exams in June. Under the original system coursework was often worked on through until February, which often clashed with other deadlines and may have meant that some students did not focus sufficiently on the exams.
In addition to our normal practices of teaching the students and revising the exam content, we will be tailoring the programme to students’ progress. The following are new intervention strategies which are being used with the current Year 11 over and above the exam preparation that Year 11 groups have always received. Owing to the restructuring, we have more time with this year group than we have ever been able to have before to prepare for the exams and we intend to make sure that this is beneficial for all of our students.
1. Two staggered mock exams to ensure that students can concentrate on one set of content at a time.
2. Altered groups in January which will group students based on their mock results and expected attainment. Their teaching will be directed specifically at their target grade boundary and they will be working in a group with students who are all at the same level. This is not usually the case in tiered groups because some students may improve, or alternatively need more support, by Year 11. This will happen for 3 weeks and if it is successful, it will be done again in April.
3. Three different tiers of work for B+, C-D and D-F students – intended to support and develop skills.
4. A conference for students who are C/D borderline, which will give them information and tips regarding exam performance.
5. Targeted intervention by the Senior Leadership Team to help support students whose behaviour is an issue and to motivate students who are underachieving/overachieving.
The exams are in June and they are each worth 30% of the GCSE.
Paper 1 = Media/non fiction and the writing triplet Argue, Persuade, Advise.
Paper 2 – Poetry from Other Cultures and the writing triplet Inform, Explain, Describe.
If you have any further questions or comments about the above information then please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Hutton, Subject Leader for Languages.
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or Miss Moss, Assistant Subject Leader KS4 English.
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