English Language

Introduction

GCSE/Key Stage 4 courses in English Language and English Literature (AQA) will be offered. We expect all our students will be entered for both subjects.

What will it be like?

This course aims to develop skills and abilities in the following areas:

Spoken Language

To develop students’ ability to:

• Use the vocabulary and grammar of Standard English.
• Formulate, clarify and express ideas.
• Adapt speech to a widening range of circumstances and demands.
• Listen, understand and respond appropriately to others.

Reading

To develop students’ ability to:

• Read accurately, fluently and with understanding.
• Understand and respond to the texts they read.
• Read, analyse and evaluate a wide range of texts, including literature from the English literary heritage and from other cultures and traditions.

Writing

To develop students’ effective use of:

• compositional skills – developing ideas and communicating meaning to a reader using a wide-ranging vocabulary and an effective style, organising and structuring sentences grammatically and whole texts coherently.
• A widening variety of forms for different purposes.

Non-examination Assessment: Spoken

Presenting / responding to questions and feedback / use of Standard English

Examinations will involve work based on the following Units:

Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing is a 1 hour 45 minutes written examination worth 80 marks (50% of GCSE)

Section A: Reading

One literature fiction text

Section B: Writing

Descriptive or narrative writing

Paper 2: Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives is a 1 hour 45 minutes written examination worth 80 marks (50% of GCSE)

Section A: Reading

One non-fiction text and one literary non-fiction text

Section B: Writing

Writing to present a viewpoint.