Study

The course is a challenging but rewarding examination of English Language.

You will develop and improve your reading skills which will include looking at both fiction and non-fiction texts and developing your understanding of the effects of language, structure, evaluation and comparison of how writers convey their ideas and perspectives.

You will also develop your writing skills and use of language by producing a creative text, narrative or descriptive and writing a text for a specified audience, purpose or form, i.e.  a letter, article, speech, essay…

The course will be taught online via Microsoft Teams which means you must have access to an appropriate electronic device, e.g., laptop, desktop or tablet with access to a microphone and webcam, a strong internet connection and the Microsoft Teams app.

This will be a 2.5 hour session per week.

You will be required to complete regular assessments in order for us to track your progress.

The AQA course will be assessed through 100% examination which will be graded 9-1.

You will sit two exam papers at the end of the year in the summer term which will consist of two, 1 hour 45-minute exams (100% of your GCSE):

• Paper 1: Explorations in creative reading and writing (one unseen fiction text)

• • Section A: reading (4 questions)
  • Section B: writing (1 question from a choice of 2)
• Paper 2: Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives (two unseen non-fiction texts –

                one from the 19^th Century and one from either the 20^th or 21^st Century)

• • Section A: reading (4 questions)

• Section B: writing (1 question)

Please note all examinations will require travel to our Whittingham Road campus.

The course also includes a separate endorsement for Spoken Language.

You will be required to complete a spoken presentation to your classmates.

This is marked as a Pass, Merit or Distinction and does not affect the overall GCSE grade.

Two formal mock exams will also take place during the year along with frequent smaller assessments which will be completed during the course.

It is assumed that students will need to carry out a minimum of 2 hours independent study each week to embed the content covered in lessons.

Laptop, desktop or tablet with a microphone and webcam, internet connection, Microsoft Teams app, writing materials, paper and a folder.

Any GCSE Skills revision guide will support this course, but purchase of textbooks is not necessary as we will provide all necessary resources.