English Language and Literature GCSE at KHS Understanding the new exams
English Specifications The specification we do at KHS are: AQA English Language 8700 AQA English Literature 8702 All students are entered for BOTH GCSEs They will be given TWO separate grades for Language and Literature
What are the main changes in the new English Language and Literature GCSEs? 1. All students are entered for the same exam no matter their ability 2. There is no longer Higher or Foundation tiers 3. The exams are more challenging 4. There are no controlled assessments or coursework 5. The new GCSE is 100% examination 6. Students will sit two papers for English language and two papers for English Literature 7. Students will be awarded a separate grade for each qualification from 1 to 9 with 9 being the highest grade
The Exam Map: Helping our students find their way around the new English exams All students have been given access to the Exam Map through SMHW They should be encouraged to have a copy by their desk or where they work at home The size of the box on the map represents the weighting for each skill on the exam It is really important for your child to know what each question is testing them on so they work smartly in the exam
Information: simple comprehension task; pick out information from a text Literacy: punctuation, grammar, spelling, general accuracy of written English Writing: the ability to produce a convincing piece of writing for the genre, purpose and audience Ideas: ideas presented by the writer Craft: analysing the writer s methods such as literary devices, word classes, sentence forms, whole text structure and form Context: historical, social, autobiographical or thematic: Literature only
AQA English Language Timings and weighting of the exam English Language Paper 1: 1 hour and 45 minutes total: 50% Section A: 1 hour 40 marks Section B: 45 minutes 40 marks English Language Paper 2: 1 hour and 45 minutes total: 50% Section A: 1 hour 40 marks Section B: 45 minutes 40 marks Exam prep tip: Getting the timing right is key to exam success. The high tariff questions are towards the end of the exam. Students MUST use the timings we have provided for them in the walking talking mocks
AQA English Language The wording of the question will be similar from year to year. The focus and the assessment skills for each question WILL NOT change from year to year The only significant change will be the extracts students are given The wording for each question is provided on the Exam Map so students should be well prepared for what to expect in the exam Exam prep tip: Your child can find their own extract and create their own exam paper
AQA English Literature Again, assessment skills for each question WILL NOT change from year to year The texts we study at KHS are: Macbeth The Shakespeare play The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - The 19 th Century Novel An Inspector Calls The Modern Text AQA Power and Conflict poetry AQA Poetry Anthology
AQA English Literature Timings and weighting of the exam English Literature Paper 1: 1 hour and 45 minutes total: 40% Section A: Macbeth 30 marks plus 4 marks (SPaG) Section B: Jekyll and Hyde 30 marks English Literature Paper 2: 2 hours and 15 minutes total: 60% Section A: An Inspector Calls 30 marks plus 4 marks (SPaG) Section B: Power and Conflict Poetry 30 marks Section C: Unseen Poetry 32 marks
English Literature Paper 1 Section A Shakespeare: students will answer one question on their play of choice. They will be required to write in detail about an extract from the play and then to write about the play as a whole. Section B The 19th-century novel: students will answer one question on their novel of choice. They will be required to write in detail about an extract from the novel and then to write about the novel as a whole. Exam prep tip: Students will not have the texts with them in the exam. So it is really important for them to learn some key quotations from their texts. We have created quotation banks for all the texts studied in class. Test your child on these regularly. Make sure you get them to explain the quotations and any interesting language used we have included all this information in the quotation banks
English Literature Paper 2 Section A Modern texts: students will answer one essay question from a choice of two on their studied modern prose or drama text. Section B Poetry: students will answer one comparative question on one named poem printed on the paper and one other poem from their chosen anthology cluster. Section C Unseen poetry: Students will answer one question on one unseen poem and one question comparing this poem with a second unseen poem. Exam prep tip: For An Inspector Calls students will not even have an extract so it is doubly important they learn quotations for this section. ONE of the poems from the poetry anthology will be printed in the exam so we recommend : 1. Your child revise ALL the poems in the Power and Conflict section of the anthology because any of these poems may come up in the exam 2. Learn quotations from only 4-5 poems to use as their second poem in the exam
Examples of the Quotation Banks
Some Key Documents The Exam Map The Quotation Banks Walking Talking Mock Scripts on SMHW Recommended revision guides for English Language and English Literature