1. Year 11 Reach for the (A) Stars English Language GCSE English Literature GCSE AIM TRY ACHIEVE

2. What do the courses include? GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: 60% Exam Non-fiction reading and writing skills exam. 40% in Class Controlled Assessment based on a set text (Of Mice and Men or The Crucible). Controlled Assessment based on a study of Spoken Language. 2 Creative writing Controlled Assessments. In addition, students will complete 3 S&L assessments which are now not part of their GCSE but for which they will receive a numerical level alongside their GCSE result.

3. What do the courses include? GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE: 40% Exam Examination on a set novel (Of Mice and Men) and a set play (The Crucible). 35% Exam Poetry comparison (Anthology) and unseen poetry exam. 25% in Class Controlled Assessment based on a Shakespeare play compared with poetry or a novel.

4. Waiting for A* to Fall? For the highest grade in English, students need to demonstrate that they can read and write in a sophisticated and creative way under time pressure. Students must be able to answer questions in a focused and succinct yet detailed way: planning is essential in writing tasks. Students must be able to read questions and recognise the skill being tested quickly so that they can answer appropriately and effectively.

5. A* is Born Controlled Assessment is worth 40% of the course. Students need to ensure that they achieve as many marks as possible to get an A*/A. A piece of Controlled Assessment on The Crucible will be completed this half term. No second chances. 2 pieces of creative writing to complete before Christmas. They must aim for these to be at their target grade. Respond to marking – look at what your teachers tell you to include. Plan carefully and prepare before you go in.

6. Be Prepared Reading The A*/A category is obviously for the most able 16 year olds in the country. There is proof that students who read a great deal are better at English. Reading supports the development of vocabulary; an inherent understanding of punctuation and sentence structure; knowledge of different text types and enhances skills of inference and information retrieval.

7. Read all about It. Good quality newspapers (especially weekend supplements). Read and re-read the texts studied for Literature. Glossy magazines that interest young people and contain well-written articles (Film – Empire, Football – FourFourTwo, Fashion – Vogue). Encourage annotation of articles for PAF and language techniques (see booklet). Read anything, everything, read every day even if just for five minutes. Twitter works for non-fiction if you follow the right people. Allows students to read in short chunks articles that are tailored to their interests.

8. The Writing’s on the Wall Writing – Full Marks Must be ‘as good as could possibly be expected from a 16 year old’. Correct and varied (punctuation, sentence structure, paragraphs) Coherent and well planned Interesting and creative – original ‘flair’ The mystery of writing letters must be uncovered.

9. Literature Of Mice and Men The Crucible/An Inspector Calls Poetry Anthology Read and re-read the texts. Now, post Christmas and pre- exam (Exam is before May Half Term). Learn key quotations: write them down, remember them. Read other books/poems by same writers. Use the internet to research the context and opinion. Use past questions to practice planning and writing answers. Watch films/go to the theatre. Talk about the texts as a family.

10. What Examiners Want… Evidence that the text is understood. Use of relevant quotations from the text. Analysis of language features. Comments on the effect of language. An understanding of the differences between text types and the attitude of the writer Writing that is clear, coherent and lively Following the instructions and completing the task set.

11. What Teachers Want … Students need to be extremely focused and complete all CA to the best of their ability. Excellent attendance makes a huge difference. Learning the tricks of the exam – the rubric – and applying them in their mocks will help their exam technique. Completing homework will be a big drive this year. Students will be asked to complete 2 pieces of homework a week for English.

12. How to Support your Child Please ensure they attend all after school/lunchtime/ weekend and holiday sessions to which they are invited. It can be helpful for students to have their own copies of the texts studied so that they can annotate. They will not be able to take school copies home as they are needed by Year 11 students. Encourage them to complete all homework and DIRT tasks after marking. READING as much as possible is always the greatest support in English – good non-fiction is also essential to prepare them for their exam in Year 11. Writing letters is becoming a lost art form – the understanding of this format is essential.