English

English

Year 7

Individual Identity, Relationships and One’s Place in the World

Year 8

Community, Power and Conflict

Year 9

Society, Hierarchy and Connections

Travel Writing

Identity Poetry and Spoken Language

Modern Novel -  Ruby in the Smoke

Myths and Tales across Time

Introduction to Shakespeare: The Tempest 

Modern Play - Noughts and Crosses

Dystopian Fiction and ‘The Hunger Games’

Narrative writing

Speeches, Poetry and Political Ideologies 

Shakespearean Heroes and Villains

Short Stories

Novella - Animal Farm

Power and Conflict Poetry

Unseen Poetry

An Inspector Calls

English Literature

AQA GCSE English Literature (9-1) -8702

AQA GCSE English Literature Examination sat in Year 10

Students will study texts which include one Shakespeare play, a selection of poetry, one 19th century novel, and one modern prose or drama text. They will develop skills in how to critically read and evaluate literature, as well as articulating informed, independent responses to texts. 

Course structure

Paper 1 - Shakespeare and the 19th Century Novel 

Section A Shakespeare - students will answer one question on the play studied in class. 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 the novel studied in class. They will be required to write in detail about an extract from the novel and then to write about the novel as a whole. 

Paper 2 - Modern Texts and Poetry

Section A Modern Texts - students will answer one essay from a choice of two on the text studied in class.

Section B Poetry - students will answer one comparative poem on one named poem printed on the paper and one other poem from their chosen poetry 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 board specification link 

English Language

AQA GCSE English Language (9-1) - 8700

AQA GCSE English Language Examination sat in Year 11.

Our GCSE in English Language helps students develop the skills required to read fluently and critically in a wide variety of high-quality literary and non-fiction genres, and to use written and spoken English accurately and effectively in different styles and contexts.

Students must complete components 01 02, and 03 to be awarded the AQA GCSE (9-1) in English Language (8700)

Course structure

Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing (01)*

Focus on reading and writing fictional texts. Students will:

• Read one unseen literature fiction text.
• Produce one piece of descriptive or narrative writing.

The unseen texts could include prose fiction, literary non-fiction e.g. biographical writing etc. Students are required to analyse the language and structure of the texts and evaluate them in response to a statement given in the exam.

The original piece of writing that they produce will be a piece of creative writing.

This paper has two parts worth 40 marks each.

Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives (02)*

Focus on reading non-fiction texts and a piece of non-fiction writing.

• Read and compare two unseen non-fiction texts, one 19th century, and one 20th or 21st century
• Produce one piece of original non-fiction writing – writing to produce a viewpoint.

The unseen texts could include essays, journalism, travel writing, speeches, biographical writing etc. Students are required to analyse the language of the texts then compare and synthesise them in response to a statement given in the exam.

The original piece of writing that they produce will be for a particular audience and purpose.

This paper has two parts worth 40 marks each.

Spoken Language (03)

Students deliver a presentation on an agreed topic.

They then listen and respond appropriately to questions and feedback.

Non-exam assessment.