New English GCSE Programmes - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

New English GCSE Programmes

Information for parentsSlide2

A typical exam question would be:

How does Dickens use language and structure to build up a sense of tension in this extract?

OR:

Evaluate how successfully Dickens uses language and structure to build up a sense of tension in this extract?Slide3

Let’s Have A G

o: Language

The first strategy is to have a look at the

verb phrases

.

E.g

‘has retreated’, ‘stands snarling’, ‘advance slowly’, ‘still snarling’

Now look at some of the descriptions – the

adjectives

in the

noun phrases

. E.g. ‘a smouldering, suffocating vapour’, ‘a dark, greasy coating’, ‘crumbled black thing’Slide4

Now let’s up the challenge…contrasts

The

contrast

between what is found as usual and what is found to be different. E.g. ‘The chairs and table, and the bottle so rarely absent from the table, all stand as usual.’

‘but

there is a smouldering, suffocating

vapour

in the room and a dark,

greasy

coating on the walls and

ceiling’;

“

At the foot of the same chair there lies a dirty bit of thin red

cord that

they tie up pens

with.”

Here is a small burnt patch of flooring; here is the

tinder

from a little bundle of burnt

paper, but

not so light as usual, seeming to be

steeped

in something; and here is—is it the

cinder of

a small charred and broken log of wood sprinkled with white ashes, or is it coal?

Oh, horror

, he IS here!Slide5

Now let’s get really clever! Structure

The sequence in which things are revealed to us,

paragraph

by paragraph

The use of the

present tense

The use of

simple sentences

and longer,

complex sentences

The use of repeating patterns within sentences or

clauses

e.g. ‘here is…here is…’

The use of questions to signal the growing disquiet in the minds of the two charactersSlide6

Changes To H

ow The Exams

A

re

G

raded

No more A* - G

We now have 9-1. What does that mean?

https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS_j0BjgiQQ

https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiKFNckIg6M

BUT: just as grades G-A* are all passes, grades 1-9 are too. However, the government will view grade 5 as a good pass. Grade 5 will include those who in the past would have gained a high C grade but not those who would

have gained a low C.Slide7
Slide8

A Note On Grading For Other Subject Exams

In 2018 all exams taken will be graded using the 9-1 system apart from:Media Studies

Child Development

Graphic Products

Resistant Materials

Statistics

Polish, Italian, Chinese (which could affect some of our bilingual learners)Slide9

Changes T

o How Students Are

A

ssessed

No coursework

No controlled assessment

No tiered exams. All students sit the same exam regardless of their prior attainment. There are

no foundation and higher

tiers

Speaking and Listening is assessed

but does not contribute

to the grading of GCSE English LanguageSlide10

Instead…

All assessment is done through terminal examination in the summer term of Year 11.This means that there are more exams and longer exams. Slide11

Exam Requirements

Language

Paper 1:

U

nseen 19

th

century fiction

Creative writing

1 hour 45 minutes (40%)

Paper 2:

Comparison of two unseen texts from 20

th

and 21

st

Century

Transactional writing

2 hours (60%)

Literature

Paper 1:

Shakespeare

Post-1914

B

ritish drama or fiction

1 hour 45 minutes (50%)

Paper 2:

19

th

Century fiction

Poetry

2 hours 15 minutes (50%)Slide12

Increased demand and challenge

No access to copies of the set texts during the exam

Greater focus on making a response to an ‘unseen’ text

Bar raised for what will be regarded as a ‘good’ grade

More revision because all set texts will be examined; none will be covered via controlled assessment

Some will find the language and sentence constructions of 19

th

Century texts unfamiliar and difficult

Students who are not in the habit of reading or who only read within a narrow range will be taken out of their comfort zone

Spag

(spelling, punctuation and grammar) forms a larger proportion of the marks Slide13

Our Set Texts

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

An Inspector Calls

, by J.B. Priestley

Romeo and Juliet

, by William Shakespeare

Edexcel Poetry Anthology

The anthology is provided by the exam board. Other texts need to be purchased so students take ownership and can make their own notes and annotations.Slide14

Reading Assessment

AO1:

Identify

and interpret explicit and

implicit information

and

ideas

Select

and synthesise evidence from different

texts 7.5

%

AO2:

Explain

, comment on and analyse how writers

use language

and structure

to

achieve effects and

influence readers

, using relevant

subject

terminology

to

support their views 15%AO3: Compare writers’ ideas and perspectives, as well as how these are conveyed, across two or more texts 8.75%AO4: Evaluate

texts critically and support this with appropriate textual references 18.75%Slide15

AO5

: Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting

tone

, style and register

for different

forms, purposes and audiences

Organise

information and ideas, using structural

and grammatical

features to

support

coherence

and cohesion

of

texts 30%

AO6:

Candidates must use a range of vocabulary

and sentence

structures for clarity,

purpose

and effect,

with accurate

spelling and

punctuation 20%

Writing AssessmentSlide16

How You

Can help

Encourage your child to read regularly ( at least three times a week and for at least 30 minutes per session)

Encourage your child to read a broadsheet newspaper either online or in hard copy

Encourage your child to watch a TV news programme and discuss current affairs with you

Watch the occasional costume drama or film of novels by Dickens, Austen, Bronte

etc

Get them to show you their exercise books and homework

Make use of internet revision sites and study guidesSlide17

How You Can Help

Support them in learning new vocabulary Challenge attitudes of ‘it doesn’t matter’ or ‘I can’t do it so I’m not going to try’ or ‘it’s good enough’

Help your child to learn key quotes from their set texts

Audio books of our set texts

Read the books (or listen to them) yourself

Encourage quick comparisons between two poems in their anthology