1. AQA ENGLISH LANGUAGE GCSE & ENGLISH LITERATURE GCSE
MALMESBURY SCHOOL
AQA ENGLISH LANGUAGE GCSE & ENGLISH LITERATURE GCSE
Subject changes from 2015
First Exam 2017

2. MAIN CHANGES TWO YEAR COURSES – First Exam 2017 NO COURSEWORK
100% EXAMINATION for both subjects.
4 written examinations and a Speaking and Listening Test.
SPEAKING & LISTENING not part of the grade for English Language GCSE
GRADES – Now in numbers from 1 to 9

3. What do the New Grades Mean?
NEW Number Grade
Old Letter Grade
(Approximate) 9 A* 8
A – A* 7 A 6
A - B 5
C - B 4
D - C 3 D 2 E 1
F - G

4. Marking Students’ Work
There is no information on how the grade boundaries will be decided.
There is no criteria for each of the 9 Grades
The AQA Exam Board criteria falls into:
6 Bands for Literature
4 Bands for Language
We have made an estimation of how these Bands fit the 9 Grades.

5. How do students know what to do to improve their grades?
All students have been given exam board criteria which we have linked to the new Grades.
All students have been given clear personal learning checklists.
All students have been given an outline of both GCSEs and course content.

6. An example of part of the assessment guidelines given to students
Tot 30
Band AO
Typical Features
Band 5
Thoughtful, developed consideration
AO1
Thoughtful, developed response to task and whole text
Apt references integrated into interpretation 6
21-25
AO2
Examination of writer’s methods with subject terminology used effectively to support consideration of methods
Examination of effects of writer’s methods
AO3
Thoughtful consideration of ideas/perspectives/contextual factors shown by examination of detailed links between context / text/task
Band 4
Clear understanding
Clear explained response to task and whole text
Effective use of references to support explanation 5
16-20
Clear, explanation of writer’s methods with appropriate use of relevant terminology
Understanding of the effects of writer’s methods on the reader
Clear understanding of ideas/ perspectives/contextual factors shown by specific links between context/text/task

7. Part of a Pupil Learning Checklist

8. The Course English Language Exam Paper 1
EXPLORATIONS IN CREATIVE READING AND WRITING Timing – 1 hour 45 Minutes Reading: an extract from a 20th or 21st century novel. Students answer 4 questions on the extract. Writing: Choice of 2 writing tasks. Description or Story. The exam time includes 15 minutes for reading the source extract.

9. English Language Paper 2
TIME: 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES WRITERS’ VIEWPOINTS AND PERSPECTIVES Reading: 4 Questions on TWO sources: an extract from a 19thcentury non-fiction extract and a non-fiction extract from either the 20th or 21st century. Writing: ONE formal writing task linked to a specific audience and form linked to the topic of the reading sources.

10. English Literature Paper 1
SHAKESPEARE AND THE 19TH CENTURY NOVEL (40%) TIME: 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES 15 minutes reading time; 45 minutes for each section. SECTION A - SHAKESPEARE 34 MARKS (4 FOR SPAG) There will be ONE question on the play studied Students will be given a short extract from the play and they will analyse the extract and link it to the whole play.

11. Shakespeare Plays. The Choices:
Romeo & Juliet
Macbeth
The Tempest
Merchant of Venice
Much Ado About Nothing
Julius Caesar

12. English Literature Paper 1 (cont)
SECTION B - 19th Century Novel 30 MARKS ONE question on one novel.
Students given a short extract from the novel and they will write an analysis of the extract and link it to the whole novel.
Novel Choices:
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
A Christmas Carol
Great Expectations
Jane Eyre
Pride and Prejudice
Frankenstein
The Sign of Four

13. English Literature Paper 2
PAPER 2 - MODERN TEXTS AND POETRY (60%) 2 HOURS 15 MINUTES - 45 minutes for each section. SECTION A - Modern Texts - 34 MARKS (4 FOR SPAG) Choose one question from a choice of two. SECTION B - Anthology Poetry - 30 MARKS ONE question. One poem from the cluster will be printed on the exam paper together with a list of all the poems in the cluster. Students will COMPARE the poem printed with ONE other poem of their choice from the cluster studied.

14. English Literature Paper 2 (cont)
SECTION C – UNSEEN POETRY MARKS
There will be TWO new poems and TWO questions to answer.
QUESTION marks
Students will write about the first poem only.
QUESTION 2 8 marks
Students will be asked to COMPARE the similarities and/or differences in the ways the TWO poets have presented their ideas using details from both poems.

15. Modern Play Choices: An Inspector Calls – JB Priestley
Blood Brothers – Willy Russel
The History Boys – Alan Bennett
DNA – Denis Kelly
A Taste of Honey – Shelagh Delaney
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (Play Script) – Simon Stephens

16. Modern Novel Choices: Lord of the Flies – William Golding
Animal Farm – George Orwell
Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro
Anita and Me – Meera Syal
Pigeon English – Stephen Kelman
Students answer on one text. Either a play or a novel.

17. English Language GCSE and English Literature GCSE In Summary:
TWO YEAR COURSES – First Exam 2017 Year 11
NO COURSEWORK for either subject, so it is important that students revise throughout the two years and keep comprehensive notes and feedback from teachers
High emphasis in both subjects on READING.
100% EXAMINATION for both subjects.
4 written examinations in total and a Speaking and Listening Test.
2 Literature Exams
2 Language Exams
SPEAKING & LISTENING not part of the grade for English Language GCSE. This will receive a separate grade
GRADES – Now in numbers from 1 to 9
All students have copies of the course outline for both subjects
All students have copies of pupil learning checklists.