Gcse english language and literature (2016)

INA English Department GCSE English and Literature The English department provides students with stimulating teaching and learning and a challenging, creative and inspiring curriculum that enables students to achieve their full potential at Isaac Newton Academy and beyond. At INA GCSE English and Literature builds on the skills and knowledge acquired at Key Stage 3 and prepares students for the study of English and Literature at A level and university. Students are prepared for study at Key Stage 4 from Year 7. The Key Stage 3 English curriculum involves the study of a wide range of challenging fiction and non-fiction texts, with a focus on learning to read critically. Students are set GSCE-style assessments to prepare them for the terminal exams in Year 11. We also aim to nurture a love of reading and writing to help students build their confidence and flourish in the subject as they progress through the school.

The aim of our English teaching is not only to develop skills relevant to the exam specifications but also to encourage students to use language appropriately within the four modes of Speaking, Listening, Writing and Reading. We do not believe that the skills of English can be acquired or developed in isolation. The four modes of language are by their very nature interactive and progress in English can only be made through this constant interaction. The development of competence within all areas of English results from the active use of English in a variety of ways. As a department, we aim to:     

instil in all students the confidence and skills to communicate through written and oral means to a variety of audiences in different contexts; instil confidence in all students in preparation for the GCSE examinations: knowledge of the specifications, familiarity with the format of the papers so that they can self-assuredly deal with the exam environment; provide students with resources and texts they both enjoy and find challenging; develop the self-confidence to in the outside world, provide them with opportunities to mature linguistically and become sensitive, responsible adults; support students in developing their BRIDGES dispositions.

GCSE Exam Board Following detailed consideration and comparison of the specifications and exemplar questions of the different exam boards, the Edexcel specification has been chosen. The department particularly likes the structure and format of the exam papers and the question types.

Structure of the Course At INA, Literature and Language will be taught as two discrete subjects. In Year 10 there will be three lessons of literature and two of language. In Year 11 there will be three lessons of each. A thematic approach to the schemes of learning will be adopted so that links can be drawn between the two subjects.

English Language Students will:            

read a wide range of texts fluently and with a detailed understanding; read a variety of high-quality, challenging non-fiction and literary non-fiction, including whole and extended texts that make significant demands in terms of content, structure and the quality of the language; further develop the skills of interpretation, analysis and evaluation; read critically and use the knowledge gained from wide reading to inform and improve their own writing; use what they learn about the writer’s craft in their reading of fiction to inspire and influence their own imaginative writing; develop a range of creative writing techniques; develop effective planning and proofreading skills; write effectively and coherently, using Standard English appropriately; use grammar correctly, punctuate and spell accurately; acquire and apply a wide vocabulary alongside knowledge and understanding of grammatical terminology, and linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language; develop expert oral presentation skills; use spoken Standard English effectively in speeches, presentations and other contexts.

The conventions of text types will be taught through reading. Students will have opportunities to practise writing each text type. The teaching will be weighted in favour of Paper 2, due to the time needed to teach AO3.

GCSE English Literature Students will:        

read a wide range of classic literature fluently and with a deep understanding, and make connections across their reading; read in depth, critically and analytically, so that they are able to discuss and explain their understanding and ideas; become habitual readers, reading widely and often; develop further the skills of inference, analysis and evaluation; write accurately, effectively and analytically about their reading; acquire and use a wide vocabulary, including grammatical terminology, and other literary and linguistic terms they need to criticise and analyse what they read; read and explore critical studies and exemplar written responses of the highest quality to support their analyses; appreciate the depth and power of the English literary heritage and independently read texts by authors not studied during the course.

Texts Students at INA will study Romeo and Juliet, Animal Farm, Frankenstein and the Time and Place Poetry Anthology. Students will study 15 poems from the anthology and also learn how to approach unseen poems in the exam. In the first instance, the anthology poems will be taught as unseen so that students learn the analytical skills required.

Assessment There will be planned, regular, short exam practice assessments of Section A or B (likely to be fortnightly), with a mixture of whole class and peer assessments. A formal assessment involving both Sections A and B together will take place at the end of each half term. Teachers will ensure that students fully understand the assessment objectives and level descriptors.

GCSE English Language and English Literature Specifications Units

Assessments/Questions

Texts

Marks

Duration

Romeo and Juliet

40 (25%)

1hr 45mins (closed book)

Animal Farm by George Orwell

40 (25%)

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

40 (25%)

One collection from the Pearson Poetry Anthology Collections ‘Time and Place’ (Keats, Wordsworth, Thomas Hardy, Rossetti, Owen, Tennyson and a selection of modern poems).

40 (25%)

GCSE English Literature Component 1: Section A – Shakespeare Shakespeare and Post-1914 A two-part question, with the Literature first task focused on an extract of approximately 30 lines. The second task is focused on how a theme reflected in the extract is explored elsewhere in the play.

Section B – Post-1914 British play or novel ONE essay question.

Component 2: 19th-century Novel and Poetry since 1789

Section A – 19th-century novel Students answer ONE extract question and ONE essay question on the text.

Section B – Poetry Part 1: ONE question on a named poem from the Pearson Poetry Anthology. The named poem will be shown in the question paper.

Part 2: ONE question comparing two unseen contemporary poems.

2hrs 15mins (closed book)

Units

Assessments/Questions

Texts

Marks

Duration

A mixture of short and extended response questions on the extract.

15 (15%)

1hr 45mins

Writing tasks, linked by a theme to the reading extract.

25 (25%)

Two unseen nonfiction extracts, from 20th-and 21st-century texts. One of these texts will be literary non-fiction.

A mixture of short and extended response questions, including a comparison of the two texts.

35 (35%)

Writing tasks are linked by a theme to the reading extracts.

25 (25%)

Demonstrate presentation skills in a formal setting.

Listen and respond appropriately to spoken language, including to questions and feedback to presentation.

Use spoken Standard English effectively.

0 (0%)

GCSE English Language Component 1: Fiction and Imaginative Writing

Section A – Reading Questions on an unseen 19thcentury fiction extract.

Section B – Writing A choice of two writing tasks.

Component 2: Non-fiction and Transactional Writing

Section A – Reading Questions on two thematically linked, unseen non-fiction extracts.

Section B – Writing A choice of two writing tasks.

2hrs

Students will study a range of non-fiction forms, such as journalism, speeches, journals and reference book extracts.

Students will study a range of literary non-fiction, such as selections from autobiography and travel writing.

Nonexamination Assessment: Spoken Language (Optional)

The preparation and assessment of spoken language is a compulsory requirement of the course of study. It will appear on all students’ certificates as a separately reported grade, alongside the overall grade issued.

Assessed throughout course