English

English Language

What will I learn?

For the English Language GCSE, you are assessed on your reading and comprehension skills and your writing skills. You will also study Speaking and Listening to

build your communication skills. We encourage you to get involved in public speaking and presentations so that you can practise these valuable skills.


Speaking and Listening - At present, your attainment is reported as a separate grade but does not contribute to your final GCSE examination grade. You will

experience a variety of situations and tasks in order to develop your skills in:

  • Reading texts to retrieve and infer information

  • Summarising the ideas in a text

  • Analysing how writers use language and structure to affect a reader

  • Exploring how writers present their thoughts and feelings

  • Comparing different texts for ideas and techniques

  • Writing to describe and narrate

  • Writing to argue and persuade


Reading – The course covers a wide range of extracts from previously unseen fiction and non fiction pieces from the 19th-21st Century including:

  • Novel openings and endings

  • Descriptions of fictional settings and characters

  • Feature articles

  • Leaflets

  • Letters

  • Travelogues


Writing – Students write in a range of styles, for different purposes and audiences, such as:

  • Adapting forms/genres for specific purposes and effects

  • Descriptive writing

  • Composing persuasive and discursive reports, leaflets and articles


Exam Board

  • AQA

English Literature

What will I learn?

The English Literature syllabus, which is taught alongside English Language, extends the literature components, into the Literary Canon, developing your knowledge

of poetry, drama and prose both from modern writers and the English Literary Heritage. The course is 100% examination assessed and will focus on the study of:


  1. A Shakespeare play

  2. A 19th Century novel

  3. A modern play/prose text

  4. A collection of poetry and approaches to unseen poetry


Through the study of these texts you will develop your skills in:

  • Exploring how writers present themes and ideas

  • Exploring how writers create and develop characters

  • Analysing how writers use features of language, form and structure for effect

  • Linking texts to the context they were written in


Exam Board

  • AQA