1. GCSE English
Session 1

3. Who am I?
Naomi Goodhew

4. Starter
Please fill in the form with as much information as you can Please use complete sentences and be detailed

5. Objectives Overview of the course
Our expectations and your expectations
Discuss and take notes on how we write to describe
Plan and write a piece of descriptive writing

6. Our expectations Bring your book with you- or leave it here
Bring a pen to class
Mobile phones in your bag
Any issues – let me know before class
Be prepared to learn – “I can” instead of “I can’t do this.”
Be positive
Study – if you don’t study, you won’t pass! Learn from the past!
I only see you for 3 hours a week. This is a revision class.

7. Your expectations What do you expect from us as an English department?
Take 5 minutes to write some expectations down on the sticky notes in front of you. When you have finished, put them on the flip chart paper,

8. AQA English Language

9. No foundation or higher tier
This means that everybody will be sitting the same paper and you can achieve anything from an grade 1-9
The equivalent of a C grade is a 4 or 5
Those who have just come from school, you will have sat the 1-9 exam
We need to get your ‘3’ up to a ‘4’ or higher.

10. What skills do you need to demonstrate?
All texts in the examination are UNSEEN
You will be assessed on:
READING
Inference skills
Commenting on language and techniques the writer has used
WRITING
Writing to suit a purpose using appropriate SPAG and layout

11. Paper 1 50% of GCSE grade
Section A: Reading
One fiction text from either 20th or 21st century.
40 marks available
1 short form question (4 marks)
2 longer form questions (8 marks each)
1 extended question (20 marks)

12. Paper 1 50% of GCSE grade 1 extended writing question
Section B: Writing
1 extended writing question
40 marks available
24 marks for content
16 marks for accuracy (SPAG)
Choice of two descriptive pieces

13. Paper 2 50% of GCSE grade One non- fiction text (19th Century)
Section A; Reading
One non- fiction text (19th Century)
One non- fiction text (20th or 21st century)
40 marks available
1 short form question (4 marks)
2 longer form questions (8 marks and 12 marks)
1 extended question (16 marks)

14. Paper 2 50% of GCSE grade 1 extended writing question
Section B- writing
1 extended writing question
40 marks available
24 marks for content
16 marks for accuracy (SPAG)
This will be linked to the 2 reading sources in section A

15. Timings Each exam is 1 hour 45 minutes
15 minutes reading time is recommended

16. Exam dates 5th June paper 1 8th June paper 2 DO NOT BOOK ANY HOLIDAYS!
IF YOU MISS AN EXAM YOU HAVE WASTED A WHOLE YEAR!!!
There is an early sitting date in November- depending on your progress in the next couple of weeks, this could be an option for some of you

17. Speaking and Listening
Graded as;
Pass
Merit
Distinction
Last week before Christmas – week beginning 11th December.

18. Mock exams
We will sit some mock exams before you sit your exams in June
Why do we sit mock exams?

19. Our plan is to diagnose what areas you need to work on to help you achieve your desired grade
We will be giving you a task today and in the next session

20. Describing How do we describe?
In your groups, write down all the skills you use to describe on the paper in front of you

22. Task 4
You’ve just woken up. It’s 10am and all is quiet which is unusual on a Saturday morning. You have an uneasy feeling about it being quiet, so you go outside to see if anyone else is awake and out there. There isn’t. Your mind is racing. Why is it quiet? Where is everyone? Why are there cars and bikes in the middle of the road abandoned? Describe what you see just like the character in 28 Days Later. Use the senses to help you describe. Tell me how you are feeling? Scared? Excited? Write me between a page and two pages on the paper provided to you. Good luck.

23. Read through your work How could it be improved?
Look at the cards to see if you can use more ambitious vocabulary