English GCSE

1. English GCSE How to help your child achieve his / her best grade in English

2. ENGLISH GCSEis a 100% skills based qualification There are 3 different areas of skills: • Reading for understanding - • Writing for different purposes • Speaking and listening in a range of different situations

3. Reading Skills • Extract specific information • Understand and identify the ideas and messages in a text **************** • Identify fact and opinion and explain their use • Identify presentational devices and explain their use • Compare different texts and styles

4. Writing Skills • Use an appropriate style for both audience and purpose. • Have a clear structure. • Use a range of sentence structures and punctuation. • Use a wide vocabulary and spell a range of words correctly.

5. Speaking skills • To present a formal talk to an audience • To discuss a subject in depth within a group; and to show understanding when listening to others • To role-play a situation that you would not normally find yourself in.

6. English GCSE – new specification Sep 2010 WJEC EXAM BOARD Coursework has been replaced by Controlled Assessments. There are now 3 English GCSEs: • English GCSE • English Language GCSE • English Literature GCSE

7. English GCSE Most students will sit this English GCSE. 60% Controlled Assessments 40% Exam (sat in Year 11) There are 7 Controlled Assessments. The exam consists of 2 papers: one reading, one writing

8. Controlled Assessmentsfor English GCSE There are 4 written controlled assessments & 3 spoken controlled assessments. The spoken ones are: 1. A speech or formal presentation. 2. A debate. 3. A role play situation where the students place themselves in a situation outside of their own life experience.

9. Controlled Assessmentsfor English GCSE The written ones are: • Descriptive writing (using the 1st person). • Narrative writing (using the 3rd person). • Prose essay ( on a text from the exam board’s list). • Shakespeare & poetry essay.

10. Controlled Assessmentsfor English Language GCSE The Controlled Assessments are the same as for English GCSE, except for one additional written assessment: 5. A written study of spoken language

11. English GCSE & English Language GCSE: the exam. The exam for both these GCSEs is the same. There are 2 papers: Paper 1 is the Reading Paper Paper 2 is the Writing Paper

12. English GCSE & English Language GCSE: the exam. Paper 1: the reading paper There will be 4 questions on 2 non-fiction texts. Skills tested: 1. Picking out specific information 2. Identifying the use of language devices 3. Identifying the use of presentational devices

13. English GCSE & English Language GCSE: the exam. Paper 2: the writing paper. There will be 2 questions to answer. Skills tested: - Use of appropriate vocabulary - Accurate punctuation & spelling* - Writing in an appropriate style for audience & purpose - Clear structure

14. English Literature GCSE:the exam The only controlled assessment is the Shakespeare & Poetry essay. The exam has 2 papers, each 2 hours long. Paper 1: Contemporary prose & unseen poetry Paper 2: Contemporary drama & Literary Heritage prose.

15. Important Dates 2010 • Module 2: Formal talk controlled assessment Spoken Language assessment (Double Award) • Module 3: Descriptive writing controlled assessment • Module 4: Narrative writing controlled assessment • Module 5: Prose (literature essay) controlled assessment. MOCK GCSE EXAM (Paper 2) JUNE 2011

16. Da Vinci: jwa @leighacademy.org.uk (Ms Wace)Darwin: nma@leighacademy.org.uk(Ms Marken)Brunel: sth@leighacademy.org.uk(Mrs Thomas)Chaucer: dbu@leighacademy.org.uk(Ms Berneche) Ms Wace: Director of Learning for English Ms Berneche: 2 i/c English

17. Remember to refer to the…KS4 English Student and Parent Guide Good luck everyone!