1. AQA GCSE English Language and English Literature
Welcome

2. The Controlled Assessments
English Literature (25%)
Shakespeare and Literary Heritage
 3-4 hours
 15%

3. The Controlled Assessments
English Language (40%)
Understanding spoken and written texts and writing creatively
Part a:
Extended reading
3-4 hours
15%
Part b:
Creative writing
(2 pieces)
Part c:
Spoken language study
2-3 hours
10%

4. The Exams English Literature (2 exams = 75%)
Paper 1
23rd May
40%
Section A
Modern Prose or Drama
Candidates answer one question from a choice of two on each set text (An Inspector Calls; Lord of the Flies)
45 mins
30 marks
20% of GCSE B
Exploring Culture
Candidates answer one question on their set text (Of Mice and Men; To Kill A Mockingbird).
The question will be in two parts:
Part a will ask candidates to respond to a passage from the text;
Part b will ask candidates to link the passage to the whole text.

5. The Exams English Literature (2 exams = 75%)
Paper 2
27th May
35%
Section A
Poetry Cluster (Anthology): Moon on the Tides
Candidates answer one question, from a choice of two, on the poetry cluster they have studied. The question will ask candidates to compare a named poem with another poem, chosen by the candidate, from the cluster.
45 mins
36 marks
23% of GCSE B
Responding to an Unseen Poem
Candidates are given one compulsory unseen poem.
The question will be in two parts (- the ideas in the poem; the methods used by the poet.
30 mins
18 marks
12% of GCSE

6. The Exams 7th June 60% A B English Language (60%)
Section A
Reading and Understanding Non- Fiction Texts
You will have three non-fiction texts and four (Higher Tier) or five (Foundation Tier) compulsory questions to answer.
1 hour, 15 mins
40 marks
30% of GCSE B
Writing Non-Fiction
1 shorter task (16 marks)
More informative or descriptive and based on personal details/experience (25 minutes)
1 longer task (24 marks)
Argue/persuade – sustain a viewpoint (35 minutes)
1 hour
7th June
60%

7. Some of the support available in college:
Intervention Days (CAs)
Morning Intervention Sessions
Revision Sessions
Revision Guides (in-house)
Revision Guides for sale
Past Papers available
Revision Materials for Form Time
Past Papers and revision resources available via the college website

8. Preparing for The language exam
Question breakdown

9. Preparing for the English exams
Ensure all controlled assessment is at target grade or higher
Intervention is being put into place over the coming months to ensure all students are at target grade
Attend revision sessions and interventions – dates tbc
Revision materials for Literature and Language are on the school website
Complete homeworks based on the exam question format
Use revision websites:
Know your texts: re-read the texts you will be studying for your exams. Research around them
Ask your teacher for exam papers so that the mock exams are not undermined
Ensure all writing, whatever subject, is accurate and sophisticated
Read frequently to keep your reading skills honed

10. It’s all a question of maths and timing.
10% of final grade
marks/ mins
5 mins reading/ 10mins writing
Question 2
8 marks/ 15 mins
Question 3
8 marks/ min
Question 4
20% of final grade marks/ mins
Question 5
20%of final grade 16marks/ mins
Question 6
30% of final grade 24marks/ mins

11. Timing and the specifics of questions
Students need to ensure that they spend enough time on the relevant sections.
At present, students are not spending enough time on: Q4. Q5 and Q6 which makes up 70% of the final marks.
Question 4 – 60% of students do not attain over band 3 out of 4.
The questions are also specific and do not award any marks, no matter how perceptive, if the response is not relevant to the question specifics.

12. Talk about THE WHOLE text.
Silver Bullet – Question % What do you understand from the article about___________________?
Talk about THE WHOLE text.
Summarise each paragraph use occasional quotes
Find the paragraph with the opposing view point of view
Add comments about what some important points might suggest…

13. Silver Bullets for question 1
DON’T
Write anything less than a page
Analyse language features (Q4)
Give your opinion
Copy the text out

14. Analyse the headline – power of vocabulary
Silver bullets for question 2 Explain how the headline and picture are effective and how they link to the text.
Analyse the headline – power of vocabulary
Analyse the image – how is it effective/ powerful?
Make links between the headline and the text and the image and the text
2 or 3 links between headline and text is apt and 3 or 4 links between the Image and the Text is apt.

15. Silver bullets for question 2
Don’t
Make links between the headline and the image
Just describe the image – discuss what it suggests…

16. Silver bullet for question 3 Explain some of the thoughts and feelings the writer has….
Read the italics at the top ‘It is the 1950s and Jane, who lives with her Gran, has recently started at Northgate Grammar School for Girls’.
Discuss the whole text – deal with each paragraph.
Identify emotions – happy/ sad/ frightened/ anxious/ confident/ and use the quotes to show you have read it.
Identify opinions – what does the writer think about situations/ objects?

17. Silver bullets for Question 3
Don’t
Look for language features – similes etc. that’s question 4 and guess what, you get no points for discussing the same thing twice.
Give your opinion
Respond personally to the writer and their descriptions/ opinions

18. Find powerful words and phrases and analyse them.
Silver bullet question 4 – Compare the ways in which language is used for effect in the two texts. Give some examples and analyse the effects.
Find powerful words and phrases and analyse them.
Find about 3 or 4 powerful words and phrases for each source – they don’t need to match up:
Source 3: Emotive language/ Exaggeration/ Statistics/ Rhetorical Question
Source 1: Simile/ Emotive language/ Alliteration/ Hyperbole

19. Silver bullet for question 4
DON’T…
Analyse sentences, punctuation or structure.
Describe the texts
Discuss content

20. Writing Section
Purpose of the Writing section – can you use the techniques analysed in the Reading section
50% of exam marks spread over 2 questions (18 marks and 24 marks with 14 marks for SPaG)
Students must allow enough time to complete these questions fully and also allow time to plan and proof read.
Start with question 6 – 24 marks (30% of exam)

21. Stand out from the crowd: non-fiction writing
If you think of the number of students across the country that are taking the same exam as you, you will know how important it is to try and get the examiners attention.
A few simple ways to do this might be to plan different opening sections for both the fiction and non-fiction parts of the exam.
In the non-fiction, try beginning with a quotation – real or made up – or even a rhetorical question to set the tone for the informative piece ahead.

22. Writing task question 5
You have to write at least 1and a half to 2 sides of A4
You have to plan (quickly) what your paragraphs are going to be about – that way you only have to think about what amazing language techniques you need to use!
You need to use as many language techniques as you possibly can.
Keep your tone formal – even if it says ‘a school newspaper’ ALWAYS FORMAL.
Do not ever use words like: good/ bad/ nice/ spooky –
Try to be outraged at all times – pretend even if you aren’t.
Lie – Make it up – anything to make what you are saying INTERESTING AND TO MAKE YOU WRITE AT LEAST 1 AND A HALF SIDES.

23. WRITING TASK QUESTION 6
Please don’t get angry at the question and the person who said it; that is the question’s purpose – to be controversial; to make you write.
Plan what you are going to write so you can focus your brain on using amazing vocab and a vast variety of language techniques
You need to write about 3 sides
Find opportunities to write more – describe beautiful cities; discuss how they have improved society. Awful cities – the negative sides
Use similes/ metaphors/ emotive language/ exaggeration/ rhetorical questions/ list/ personification/ facts/ statistics
Use them all….
Start your paragraphs off in exciting and different ways –
Formal tone
Write with passion

24. Finally… Use capital letters – yes, it does matter!
Don’t use contractions – use the full word ‘do not’; can not’; ‘should have’ – that way you won’t use the wrong ‘your/ you are’ and mess up the apostrophes.
i – is NEVER, EVER RIGHT. It is always capital ‘I’.
There = place/ their = belongs to/ they are – not a problem because you’re not using contractions.
No boring, easy language – not for an hour of your life…in your writing tasks you are: Stephen Fry….
Try to vary the types of sentence you use e.g.: use a few short sentences in. Use a semi- colon instead of ‘and’, ‘but’ or ‘so’.