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Key Stage 4

GCSE

We follow AQA for GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature.

GCSE English Language:
 

Exam Paper

Tasks

How long is the exam?

How much is it worth?

Paper 1:

Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing

Section A:

Students will read and answer questions about one fiction text.

Section B:

Students will produce a piece of descriptive or narrative writing.

1 hour

 and

 45 minutes

50% of the English Language GCSE

Paper 2:

Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives

Section A:

Students will read and answer questions on two non-fiction texts.

Section B:

Students will produce a piece of writing that presents a viewpoint or argument.

1 hour

And

 45 minutes

50% of the English Language GCSE

GCSE English Literature:
 

Exam Paper

Tasks

How long is the exam?

How much is it worth?

Paper 1:

Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel

Section A:

Students will answer one question on their studied Shakespearian play, ‘Macbeth’.

Section B:

Students will answer one question about ‘A Christmas Carol’.

1 hour

 and

 45 minutes

40% of the English Literature GCSE

Paper 2:

Modern texts and poetry

Section A:

Students will answer one question about ‘An Inspector Calls’.

Section B:

Students will answer one question about two poems that they have studied from their anthology.

Section C:

Students will answer two questions about two unseen poems.

2 hours

and

 15 minutes

60% of the English Literature GCSE


Units:

  • ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare
  • English Language: Paper One
  • ‘Unseen Poetry’
  • ‘Power and Conflict Poetry’
  • Introduction to ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens

Assessment:

In each unit, students sit a midpoint assessment and a final assessment. This gives students the opportunity to practise using the skills and applying content on a smaller scale, before the final exam question. Students will also sit mock exams.

Homework:

Homework is a mixture of checking knowledge of the current unit that is being taught whilst also interleaving content. For example, whilst studying ‘Power and Conflict Poetry’, students will sit weekly quotation tests and, alongside this, they will also complete exam questions on English Language Paper One, which was taught in the previous unit.


Units:

  • ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens
  • English Language: Paper Two
  • ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J. B. Priestley
  • Revision for the final exams

Assessment:

In each unit, students sit a midpoint assessment and a final assessment. This gives students the opportunity to practise using the skills and applying content on a smaller scale, before the final exam question. Students will also sit mock exams.

Homework:

Homework is a mixture of checking knowledge of the current unit that is being taught whilst also interleaving content. For example, whilst studying ‘An Inspector Calls’, students will sit weekly quotation tests and, alongside this, they will also complete exam questions on English Language Paper Two, which was taught in the previous unit.

 

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