GCSE English Language
Our new English syllabus presents us with some different challenges:
Exams at the end of Year 10; coursework done under exam conditions with short prepared notes and a study of the changes in spoken English.
40% of the assessment will be by an examination based on the reading of non-fiction texts, such as magazine/newspaper articles and writing based on information and ideas, such as letters and leaflets.
60% will be done under ‘controlled conditions’. This will take the form of a supervised exam on
poetry, a play and a novel from a different culture to ours. This will also include a speaking and listening assessment which takes place throughout the course.
GCSE English Literature
The English Literature course is a demanding one. We expect to enter the great majority of students for this course, which is taught alongside English Language, but it is dependent on students keeping up-to-date with their work.
There are two exam papers:
- One deals with writing about unseen poetry and a novel from a different culture
- the other paper involves writing about a play and a modern novel.
25% of the course will be assessed by a controlled assessment comparing the themes of a selection of poetry with a Shakespeare play. This will be done under examination-like conditions with the aid of short, prepared class notes.