1. English Language and English Literature
The new courses

2. The changes … New grades. New examinations.
New demands [for students and teachers].

3. New grades … About 70% of students will achieve Grades 4-9.

4. … and a new threshold for a ‘strong’ pass.
About 70% of students will achieve
Grades 4-9.
Fewer will therefore achieve Grade 5 and above.

5. So what does a Grade 5 look like?
Writing
To achieve grade 5, candidates will be able to:
communicate effectively, sustaining the reader’s interest
produce coherent, well-structured and purposeful texts
vary sentence types and structures and use vocabulary appropriate to purpose and effect
spell, punctuate and use grammar accurately with occasional errors
These descriptors are not designed to be used for awarding purposes in Statistical predictions will be used to set grade outcomes at whole subject level.

6. New examinations … Only one Tier. No Controlled Assessment.
4 examinations in total [7 1/4 hours].
Closed book examinations for English Literature.

7. New examinations – more of them
English Language 2 exams 3 1/2 hours in total [2 ¼ hours previously] English Literature 3 ¾ hours in total [2 ¾ hours previously]

8. New examinations: English Language P1

9. New examinations: English Language P1

10. New examinations: English Language P1

11. New examinations: English Language P1

12. New examinations: English Language P1

13. New examinations: English Language P2

14. New examinations: English Language P2

15. New examinations: English Literature
Main changes
19th century novel for the first time in over 20 years.
Romantic poetry.
Shakespeare on the examination.

16. New examinations: English Literature

17. New examinations: English Literature

18. New examinations: English Literature

19. New demands …
Unseen texts have a higher linguistic demand than at present and will always include words and phrases that most students will not understand.
Unseen texts have a historical and cultural context; students will understand them better if they have read and discussed others of the same period and genre.
Students will need confidence and resilience to do well on the new papers and these qualities can best be built up by frequent experience of reading unfamiliar texts.

20. What you can do…
1. Support us by ensuring that your son/daughter reads regularly from a wide range of fiction and non-fiction.
2. Support your son/daughter with some of the reading we will be asking students to do at home as part of their English homework.
‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens
3. Understand that English Language and English Literature need to be revised for thoroughly and ensure that your son/daughter revises for these subjects. In particular, help them to learn the key quotes from each of the set texts.

21. Any questions?