You will be familiar with many of the activities on this course, but you
will be expected to respond to more challenging material throughout
Years 10 & 11, and to show an increasing understanding and
appreciation of what it means to be an effective reader, writer and
speaker of English. What's more, by the end of this combined
subject course you will have two GCSE grades.
Coursework Oral 20% + Written 20% = 40%
Oral work is an integral part of the course, with individual,
pair/ group and drama-based activities - formal and informal - used as
the basis for assessment. Unlike KS3, where Speaking & Listening
is part of the Teacher Assessment but does not form a part of your
official SAT result, a good contribution to oral activities will
significantly boost your GCSE grade.
Written coursework for GCSE English involves four pieces:
·Shakespeare (En2 - 5%)
·Prose Study (En2 - 5%)
·Media (En3 analyse, review, comment - 5%)
·Original Writing (En3 imagine, explore, entertain - 5%)
Work may be re-drafted and your teacher will help you to improve
your grades.
Examinations 60%
Paper 1: 1h45m
Section A: En 2 - Response to Non-Fiction/Media texts (15%)
Section B: En 3 - Writing to Persuade/Argue/Advise (15%)
Paper 2: 1x 1h30m
Section A: En 2 - Response to Poems From Different Cultures &
Traditions (15%)
Section B: En 3 - Writing to Inform/Explain/Describe (15%)
Carmel students also follow the AQA Specification A course in English Literature.
GCSE English Literature: Coursework 30% Examination 70%
The good news is that some English filework is also re-marked for Literature, using slightly different criteria. In particular, the Shakespeare and Pre-1914 Prose assignments can be used for the Literature file, so that the only extra coursework to be done is a study of a play written after 1914. You should note that each of the three Literature assignments is worth 10%.
The Literature examination lasts one hour forty-five minutes. You have to write about a selection of poems from the AQA Anthology (40%) and a novel written after 1914 (30%). You will be allowed to take the texts into the examination.
English & English Literature are both offered at two tiers:
Foundation Tier targets grades C to G;
Higher Tier targets grades A* to C.
If you are unlikely to obtain a grade G, you may be entered
for AQA Entry Level English.
You need English skills in reading, writing and speaking to cope with the demands of modern life, and a qualification in English is needed for almost all further education courses and most jobs. It is a subject which opens doors, helping you to achieve any ambition you may have.
Higher grades (A*, A or B) would enable students to progress
to A level and beyond.
