1. New English GCSE Programmes
Information for parents

2. A typical exam question would be:
How does Dickens use language and structure to build up a sense of tension in this extract?
OR:
Evaluate how successfully Dickens uses language and structure to build up a sense of tension in this extract?

3. Let’s Have A Go: Language
The first strategy is to have a look at the verb phrases. E.g ‘has retreated’, ‘stands snarling’, ‘advance slowly’, ‘still snarling’
Now look at some of the descriptions – the adjectives in the noun phrases. E.g. ‘a smouldering, suffocating vapour’, ‘a dark, greasy coating’, ‘crumbled black thing’

4. Now let’s up the challenge…contrasts
The contrast between what is found as usual and what is found to be different. E.g. ‘The chairs and table, and the bottle so rarely absent from the table, all stand as usual.’
‘but there is a smouldering, suffocating vapour in the room and a dark, greasy coating on the walls and ceiling’;
“At the foot of the same chair there lies a dirty bit of thin red cord that they tie up pens with.”
Here is a small burnt patch of flooring; here is the tinder from a little bundle of burnt paper, but not so light as usual, seeming to be steeped in something; and here is—is it the cinder of a small charred and broken log of wood sprinkled with white ashes, or is it coal? Oh, horror, he IS here!

5. Now let’s get really clever! Structure
The sequence in which things are revealed to us, paragraph by paragraph
The use of the present tense
The use of simple sentences and longer, complex sentences
The use of repeating patterns within sentences or clauses e.g. ‘here is…here is…’
The use of questions to signal the growing disquiet in the minds of the two characters

6. Changes To How The Exams Are Graded
No more A* - G
We now have 9-1. What does that mean?
BUT: just as grades G-A* are all passes, grades 1-9 are too. However, the government will view grade 5 as a good pass. Grade 5 will include those who in the past would have gained a high C grade but not those who would have gained a low C.

8. A Note On Grading For Other Subject Exams
In 2018 all exams taken will be graded using the 9-1 system apart from:
Media Studies
Child Development
Graphic Products
Resistant Materials
Statistics
Polish, Italian, Chinese (which could affect some of our bilingual learners)

9. Changes To How Students Are Assessed
No coursework
No controlled assessment
No tiered exams. All students sit the same exam regardless of their prior attainment. There are no foundation and higher tiers
Speaking and Listening is assessed but does not contribute to the grading of GCSE English Language

10. Instead…
All assessment is done through terminal examination in the summer term of Year 11.
This means that there are more exams and longer exams.

11. Exam Requirements Language Literature Paper 1: Paper 1:
Unseen 19th century fiction
Creative writing 1 hour 45 minutes (40%)
Paper 2:
Comparison of two unseen texts from 20th
and 21st Century
Transactional writing 2 hours (60%)
Paper 1:
Shakespeare
Post-1914 British drama or fiction
1 hour 45 minutes (50%)
Paper 2:
19th Century fiction
Poetry 2 hours 15 minutes (50%)

12. Increased demand and challenge
No access to copies of the set texts during the exam
Greater focus on making a response to an ‘unseen’ text
Bar raised for what will be regarded as a ‘good’ grade
More revision because all set texts will be examined; none will be covered via controlled assessment
Some will find the language and sentence constructions of 19th Century texts unfamiliar and difficult
Students who are not in the habit of reading or who only read within a narrow range will be taken out of their comfort zone
Spag (spelling, punctuation and grammar) forms a larger proportion of the marks

13. Our Set Texts A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
An Inspector Calls, by J.B. Priestley
Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare
Edexcel Poetry Anthology
The anthology is provided by the exam board. Other texts need to be purchased so students take ownership and can make their own notes and annotations.

14. Reading Assessment
AO1: Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas
Select and synthesise evidence from different texts 7.5%
AO2: Explain, comment on and analyse how writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using relevant subject terminology to support their views 15%
AO3: Compare writers’ ideas and perspectives, as well as how these are conveyed, across two or more texts 8.75%
AO4: Evaluate texts critically and support this with appropriate textual references 18.75%

15. Writing Assessment
AO5: Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences
Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts 30%
AO6: Candidates must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation 20%

16. How You Can help
Encourage your child to read regularly ( at least three times a week and for at least 30 minutes per session)
Encourage your child to read a broadsheet newspaper either online or in hard copy
Encourage your child to watch a TV news programme and discuss current affairs with you
Watch the occasional costume drama or film of novels by Dickens, Austen, Bronte etc
Get them to show you their exercise books and homework
Make use of internet revision sites and study guides

17. How You Can Help Support them in learning new vocabulary
Challenge attitudes of ‘it doesn’t matter’ or ‘I can’t do it so I’m not going to try’ or ‘it’s good enough’
Help your child to learn key quotes from their set texts
Audio books of our set texts
Read the books (or listen to them) yourself
Encourage quick comparisons between two poems in their anthology