ENGLISH (AQA)
English at GCSE covers a wide and exciting range of written and oral skills. By the end of the course, students should be confident in writing everything from a simple CV to a complete short story. They should also be articulate, and prepared to listen to other people's opinions as well as voicing their own.
Reading will include poetry, prose and drama, as well as non-literary texts. The two year course will include at least one Shakespeare play, one 19th century novel, and a variety of 20th century works. These will form the basis of written and oral coursework, to be completed by the end of the Hilary term in Shell (Year 11).
The assessment comprises:
1. Oral coursework 20%
2. Reading and Writing coursework 20%
3. Final examinations 60%
1. Oral Coursework
Oral work is a vital part of English lessons throughout the school, and the fact that it contributes 20% of the GCSE mark is a recognition of its importance.
Oral tests might include formally-conducted group discussions, a drama activity, role-play, improvisations, debates and individual talks. Written self-assessment is an important element of the course, so pupils can learn from their own and other people's performances.
2. Written Coursework
The final coursework folder, of around 2,000 words, must contain four pieces of work:-
(i) Personal writing – (explore, imagine, entertain)
(ii) Personal writing - non-fiction (inform, explain, describe)
(iii) A written response to a Shakespeare play
(iv) A written response to prose*
The piece marked * can be used for AQA Specification Literature coursework
The rules for the coursework are very prescriptive. Each component is given a mark out of 27, so if one piece of work is missing, the candidate automatically scores '0' for that section. This means that it is essential to keep up with written work throughout the course.
3. Final Exam
This will consist of two separate papers, and will be based on a booklet of reading materials released in January of the Shell year. The booklet will include media and non-fiction texts, as well as poetry from other cultures and traditions.
Miss B Sherlock BA ( Hons) M.Ed PGCE
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