Course Overview

Students will draw upon a range of texts as reading stimulus and engage with creative as well as real and relevant contexts. Students will have opportunities to develop higher-order reading and critical thinking skills that encourage genuine enquiry into different topics and themes.

This specification will ensure that students can read fluently and write effectively. Students will be able to demonstrate a confident control of Standard English and write grammatically correct sentences, deploying figurative language and analysing texts.

For GCSE English Language students should:

• read fluently, and with good understanding, a wide range of texts from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, including literature and literary non-fiction as well as other writing such as reviews and journalism
• read and evaluate texts critically and make comparisons between texts
• summarise and synthesise information or ideas from texts
• use knowledge gained from wide reading to inform and improve their own writing
• write effectively and coherently using Standard English appropriately
• use grammar correctly and punctuate and spell accurately
• acquire and apply a wide vocabulary, alongside a knowledge and understanding of grammatical terminology, and linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• listen to and understand spoken language and use spoken Standard English effectively.

GCSE English Language is designed on the basis that students should read and be assessed on high-quality, challenging texts from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Each text studied must represent a substantial piece of writing, making significant demands on students in terms of content, structure and the quality of language. The texts, across a range of genres and types, should support students in developing their own writing by providing effective models. The texts must include literature and extended literary non-fiction, and other writing such as essays, reviews and journalism (both printed and online). Texts that are essentially transient, such as instant news feeds, must not be included. The number and types of texts, and their length, are not prescribed.

Assessment

Exam Information

Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing

What is assessed

Section A: Reading

• one literature fiction text

Section B: Writing

• descriptive or narrative writing

Assessed

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

Questions

Reading (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)

Paper 2: Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives

What is assessed

Section A: Reading

• one non-fiction text and one literary non-fiction text

Section B: Writing

• writing to present a viewpoint

Assessed

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

Questions

Reading (40 marks) (25%) – two linked texts

• 1 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)

What is assessed (AO7–AO9)

• presenting
• responding to questions and feedback
• use of Standard English

Assessed

• teacher set throughout course
• marked by teacher
• separate endorsement (0% weighting of GCSE)

Year Plan

GCSE English Language Assessments 2017-18

Year 10

W/c  9th October –  Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing –Questions 1 and 2

W/c 13th November – Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing –Question 3

W/c 12th February  – Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing –Question 4

W/c 5th March – Spoken Language Endorsement

W/c 22nd June – End of Year exam- Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing

Year 11

W/c 9th October – Paper 2 Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives- Questions 1 and 2

14th 15th December – Paper 2 Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives- Questions 3 and 4

8-17th January – Year 11 Mock Exams Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing

W/c 22nd January – Spoken Language Endorsement

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