Organisation  

On entry to Year 10 – the start of the GCSE course - a further revision of setting takes place. There are usually two parallel top sets, an intermediate set and a lower set.

Decisions regarding Higher (A*-D) or Foundation (C-G) Tier entry for GCSEs are not finalised until the Spring Term of Year 11. Often, lower set pupils are entered for Higher Tier. Frequent opportunity is provided for students to move between sets and considerable importance is therefore attached to the monitoring of each student's work and progress.

ENGLISH GCSE  

All pupils study English at GCSE. The Department follows AQA Specification A. The final GCSE requires students to sit two examinations and enter coursework.

The course specification has been designed to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of language and literature and to provide progression towards further study through a wide range of reading opportunities, reading and response to both literary and non-literary texts and writing for a variety of purposes, as well as Speaking and Listening in a range of contexts for a variety of purposes.

In their speaking and listening, students will have to:  

• communicate clearly and imaginatively, structuring and sustaining their talk and adapting it to different situations, using standard English appropriately;
• participate in discussion by both speaking and listening, judging the nature and purposes of contributions and the roles of participants;
• adopt roles and communicate with audiences using a range of techniques.

In their reading, students will have to:  

• read, with insight and engagement, making appropriate references to texts and developing and sustaining interpretations of them;
• distinguish between fact and opinion and evaluate how information is presented;
• follow an argument, identifying implications and recognising inconsistencies;
• select material appropriate to their purpose, collate material from different sources, and make cross references;
• understand and evaluate how writers use linguistic, structural and presentational devices to achieve their effects, and comment on ways language varies and changes.

In their writing, students will have to:  

• communicate clearly and imaginatively, using and adapting forms for different readers and purposes;
• organise ideas into sentences, paragraphs and whole texts using a variety of linguistic and structural features;
• use a range of sentence structures effectively with accurate punctuation and spelling.

Students will be assessed via:  

Paper 1	30%	Written paper - 1¾ hours Section A - Reading response to non-fiction/media texts. (15%) Section B - Choice of one from three or more questions testing writing which seeks to argue, persuade or advise. (15%)
Paper 2	30%	Written paper - 1½ hours   Section A -  Reading response to poetry from different cultures and traditions in the AQA Anthology. (15%) Section B - Choice of one from three or more questions testing writing which seeks to inform, explain or describe.
Coursework	40%	Speaking and Listening - three assessed activities (20%) Reading - Shakespeare (5%) and Prose Study (5%) Writing - Media (analyse, review, comment ) (5%) and Original Writing (imagine, explore, entertain) (5%)

ENGLISH LITERATURE GCSE

All pupils study English Literature at GCSE. The Department follows AQA Specification A. The final GCSE requires students to sit one examination and enter coursework. This course aims to promote in students a knowledge of and affection for English Literature, and to lead them to an understanding of the literary uses of language and the human and spiritual dimensions of literary works. The specification is distinctive in its use of a comprehensive Anthology supporting integrated courses leading to GCSEs in both English and English Literature. The use of an Anthology in this way allows for questions which can be closely focussed, as well as questions which allow for contrasts and comparisons to be made across a number of texts.

The course allows students the opportunity to explore their literary interests and encourages them to:

• develop the ability to read, understand and respond to a wide range of literary texts, appreciate the ways in which authors achieve their effects and develop the skills necessary for literary study;
• develop awareness of social, historical and cultural contexts and influences in the study of literature;
• develop the ability to construct and convey meaning in speech and writing, matching style to audience and purpose.

Students will have to:  

• respond to texts critically, sensitively and in detail, selecting appropriate ways to convey their response, using textual evidence as appropriate;
• explore how language, structure and forms contribute to the meanings of texts, considering different approaches to texts and alternative interpretations;
• explore relationships and comparisons between texts, selecting and evaluating relevant material;
• relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts and literary traditions.

Written Paper	70%	Section A: One question based on post-1914 Prose. There will be a choice of questions. Section B: One question based on pre- and post-1914 poetry from the Anthology. There will be a choice of questions.
Coursework	30%	Task 1: Pre-1914 Drama (Shakespeare) (10%) Task 2: Pre-1914 Prose (10%) Task 3: Post-1914 Drama (10%)