Key Stage 4

Qualification

GCSE (AQA)

Pupils follow courses to develop skills in speaking and listening, reading and writing. Pupils have to speak and listen appropriately on their own, in pairs and in larger groups. In their reading, pupils must study: a Shakespeare play; a story written before 1914; media texts (television programmes, films, newspapers, advertisements or magazine articles.); poetry from the English literary tradition and poems from other cultures.

Pupils will produce a variety of written work including writing which entertains, informs, analyses, persuades, advises and describes or does several of these things at the same time.

 

Curriculum

Three hours lesson time per week in Year 10
Four hours lesson time per week in Year 11

 

Assessment Method

Coursework 40%

Speaking and Listening - three different pieces of work.

Reading and Writing - four pieces of work, one each on Shakespeare, a pre -1914 text, a Media text and one piece of creative writing.

Examination 60% (two papers)

Paper 1 : Comprehension of unseen non-fiction followed by a choice of writing tasks which argue/persuade/advise.

Paper 2 : Essay questions on prepared poetry from an Anthology (poems from other cultures) followed by a choice of writing tasks which inform/explain describe.

Levels of entry : pupils will be entered for one tier or level for both subjects: Tier 'F' covers grades G - C Tier 'H' covers grades D - A*.