Getting Ready to Teach Pearson’s new AS and A level English Literature specifications from 2015 14GBAE03 1.

Getting Ready to Teach Pearson’s new AS and A level English Literature specifications from 2015
14GBAE03 1

During the session you will:
Aims and Objectives During the session you will: Consider the structure, content and assessment of these new qualifications, and the support available to guide you through these changes Explore possible teaching and delivery strategies for the new qualifications, including co -teaching AS and A level Take part in planning activities Have the opportunity to network and share ideas with other teachers 2

The changes

Changes to all A Levels In new A level the AS level will be a separate, linear qualification and the grade will not contribute to the overall A level Grade The content of the AS can be a subset of the A level content to allow co-teachability with the A level HE/Russell Group involvement in subject content. Starting in September 2015, the new GCE English Literature will be a two year linear qualification, with the first assessment of the full A level course in Summer 2017. The AS level is a subset of the A level content and will be assessed for the first time in Summer Although students can be entered for both the AS and the A level, their AS grade will not contribute to their A level result. In effect this means that they will be assessed on their AS content at the end of the first year of study to AS standard, then be assessed on the AS content again, plus the additional A level content, at the end of the second year of study, to the A level standard. Whether or not you make entries for AS is up to you but the specifications have been created to be entirely co-teachable so that some, all or no students can be entered for AS. If you do want to enter some or all of the students for AS, you need to ensure that the course is structured with the AS texts and content in the first year. If you are only making entries for the A level, you are free to teach the course content in any order. We will be considering the content of the full A level first, then we will look at the AS content and how to structure the course for co-teachability.

Changes to subject criteria
20% coursework at A level – no AS coursework 8 texts – reduced from 12, to facilitate in-depth reading and move away from ‘secondary texts’ 6 reduced to 4 at AS Changes to dates ranges: post-1990 becomes post-2000; greater emphasis on pre-1900 texts (3 out of 8) Unseen assessment will be a compulsory requirement Less emphasis on comparison in favour of ‘connections’ These are the changes to the subject criteria which all of the awarding bodies use to develop their specifications. Some of the main changes, including the reduction in the number of set texts, the reduction in the percentage of coursework, and the removal of the January window (as has already happened with the legacy specification) mean that there is potentially more space in the curriculum for coverage of the set texts, more in depth reading of the selected texts, and more opportunity for wider reading beyond the prescribed texts. All 8 of the texts on the specification will be given the same degree of focus, moving away from the current practice of primary and secondary texts which can sometimes be unhelpful: How much of the secondary text should be discussed? How many texts is ‘at least two’? Is it better to use fewer references to multiple texts, or more references from fewer texts? We no longer have to worry about any of those queries. We will be able to see how these criteria have been met within the Edexcel specification as we go through the structure and content of the new specifications.

Changes to Assessment Objectives
AS/A level % AO1 Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression 20-30 AO2 Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts AO3 Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received AO4 Explore connections across literary texts 10-15 AO5 Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations As you can see, there are now 5 assessment objectives, although we might consider that there always have been five, just with 2 different skills conflated within the same AO. Now, AO3 has become context, AO4 targets links and connections and AO5 targets different interpretations in its own separate AO. It is worth noting the relative weightings of the assessment objectives, with AO4 and AO5 each having half the value of AOs 1-3. All of the questions in the examinations and in the coursework (with one exception which we will come to later) target AO1, AO2 and AO3 as these are the foundations of any literary analysis. There is no reason why texts should always be linked or compared, or that texts should always be considered in light of different interpretations, so we will see that these AOs are only assessed as and where appropriate.

Our specification Now we are going to have a look at the details of the specification. You can refer to the full specification at any point, for more detail, if required.

A and AS level at a glance
Component Assessment Method Weighting A level 1 – Drama Examination 30% 2 – Prose 20% 3 – Poetry 4 – Coursework Coursework AS level 1 – Drama and Poetry 60% 40% This high level overview of the structure of the AS and A level neatly highlights some of the key principals of the specification. Firstly, we can see that there is a clear focus on the three key genres. One of the results of this is that there is no cross genre comparison in any of the examined A level components. As a result, students will be comparing like with like and not having to make some potentially superficial links between quite disparate texts. Another impact is that students can focus purely on the assessed genre in each examination paper – there no need to shift from poetry to prose or drama in the same paper and the type of texts under consideration in section A of a paper, for example, will be the same type as those under consideration in section B. With 8 texts across 4 components, the course is well balanced, with two set texts per component. We can see how AS is a subset of A level and hence is entirely co-teachable. As two components was the maximum available for AS, drama and poetry have been put together in the same paper, but there is no linkage or comparison between the two. It is important to give careful consideration of which aspects of the course should be placed in the AS year. Some text types 'missing' from the newly reformed GCSEs e.g. contemporary drama in some cases, contemporary prose in some cases and contemporary poetry, are placed here in the first year of the A level i.e. in the AS course.

A level text coverage There are two texts in each component
All new Literature specifications require 3 out of the 8 texts to be pre-1900 * Indicates where a third pre-1900 text can be studied Remember to complete and submit the pre-1900 checking form before the start of the course. Component Text 1 Text 2 Drama Shakespeare ‘other’ drama* Prose Pre-1900 prose Prose* Poetry Post 2000 poetry Poetry movement/poet* Coursework Chosen text Here we can see how the 8 texts are distributed across the A level. All of the examinations are open book (clean copies only.) Remember that at least three pre-1900 texts are compulsory and the table shows how two of these are pre-determined i.e. the Shakespeare and the pre-1900 prose text 1 option. The asterisks indicate where the third pre-1900 text can be studied, and it is up to you which of these three options you chose to meet this requirement. Remember to complete the pre-1900 coverage form, which can be found via the link in the slide, to let Edexcel know how you are meeting the pre-1900 requirement. Remember as well that the pre-1900 text cannot be one of the coursework texts (although of course a pre-1900 text may be studied there – it just won’t count for coverage). If desired, more than 3 pre-1900 texts can be studied, but 3 must be. Perhaps using the text coverage chart on p. 50 of the specification, consider your text selections, including how you will meet the 3rd pre-1900 requirement as we go through the texts for each component….

Component 1: Drama Tragedy:
Shakespeare: Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Anthony and Cleopatra Other drama: The Duchess of Malfi, A Streetcar Named Desire, Doctor Faustus, The Home Place OR Comedy: Shakespeare: The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Measure for Measure Other drama: Waiting for Godot, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Pitmen Painters, The Rover These are options for the drama paper – component 1. The component is split into the two genres of tragedy and comedy and these genres offer one from 8 Shakespeare texts and one from 8 ‘other’ drama. Note that both texts on this drama paper do not have to be from the same genre but they may be, if desired. This is because there is no comparison between the two texts – section A of the paper covers the Shakespeare and section B covers the ‘other’ drama. The Shakespeare texts are supported by the Shakespeare Critical Anthologies (Comedy or Tragedy) which are free from Pearson and can be ordered from Stationary Box We will not be changing from offering both Tragedy and Comedy for this component – that is set for the lifetime of the specification. In both tragedy and comedy, two of the ‘other’ drama texts are pre-1900, so could be where the 3rd pre-1900 text comes from.

The prose texts are grouped thematically, and you select two texts from within one of the 6 themes
One of the selected texts must be pre-1900, but the second text can be from any of the other 3 options. For example, in the Science and Society theme you could chose Frankenstein and Never Let Me Go, Frankenstein and The Handmaid’s Tale or Frankenstein and The War of the Worlds. You could also pick The War of the Worlds as the pre-1900 option and pair it with Never Let Me Go or The Handmaid’s Tale or Frankenstein! By choosing a second pre-1900 prose text, you fulfil the requirement for a 3rd pre-1900 text. Some of these texts are newer (or at least new to A level specifications). For example; The Little Stranger, The Murder Room, and The Lonely Londoners. There is a reading resource on the Edexcel website which reviews some of the newer texts and suggests some wider reading to support these:

Component 3: Poetry Poems of the Decade: An Anthology of the Forward Books of Poetry 2002–2011. The Medieval Period ( ) OR Geoffrey Chaucer The Victorians ( ) Christina Rossetti The Metaphysical Poets ( ) John Donne Modernism ( ) T.S.Eliot The Romantics ( ) John Keats The Movement ( ) Philip Larkin Two poetry texts must be covered for component 3. The first is the set contemporary anthology, Poems of the Decade. This is a published text and can be purchased from Faber and Faber, or from Amazon. Teachers asked for more input on contemporary texts in our extensive surveys. This collection offers the very best of contemporary poets that students can see and hear today. The anthology covers accessible topics and contemporary issues and concerns, as well as a variety of different perspectives. We hope it will inspire students to have an interest in the texts that are developing in their own times of the kind of work that 'Poetry by Heart' have been doing... To support this anthology, there is a teacher guide, which you can find on the Edexcel website (please note that you need a username and password to access this resource): The second poetry text is a free choice from one of 12 options; either one from 6 poetry movements, or one from 6 named poets. You’ll notice that 8 of the 12 options are pre-1900 texts, so if you were to select Donne, for example, or The Victorians, this would fulfil the requirement for a 3rd pre-1900 text. The range of options give scope either to study one poet in depth or to explore a period of poetry. There are hopefully lots of possibilities here for productive links to EPQ projects and so on.

Texts at AS Level AS texts are taken from the A level options:
2 x prose texts, including at least 1 pre-1900 text (same themes and texts as A level) 1 x other drama text (same other drama texts as A level) 1 x selection of poems from Poems of the Decade: An Anthology of the Forward Books of Poetry 2002–2011 Allows for complete co-teachability As part of the co-teachability of AS and A levels, the four AS set texts are taken from the A level options. This means these texts need to be studied in the first year, in preparation for the AS assessment, if that is the route you are planning. There are no texts which have to be studied for AS which are not valid for a level and they are assessed in the same mode at both levels.

Co-teachability Year 1 Year 2 One collection of post-2000 poetry
1 Drama text (non-Shakespeare) 2 prose texts (including at least one pre-1900 text) One Shakespeare play plus selection of related essays from the Shakespeare Critical Anthology Approaches to unseen poetry One collection of poetry from a selected time period, either by movement or poet Teachers may wish to begin preparation for the coursework with A level 2-year students towards the end of year 1, whilst the AS students prepare for their AS examinations. Therefore, the 2 coursework texts may be covered in year 1, year 2 or a combination of both, as appropriate. Pausing for a minute to consider the requirements of a co-taught course, this diagram shows the texts which would be covered in year 1, and those which would be covered in year 2. Consider the texts that you are proposing for the course, and where you are planning to place the 3rd pre-1900 text. What impact does this have on the texts which will need to be covered in the first year, if you are making AS entries? A 3rd pre-1900 text selected from prose or ‘other’ drama, would be taught in year 1, whereas a 3rd pre-1900 text selected from a poetry movement would be studied in year 2. All of these options are entirely and equally appropriate, but are just things to be borne in mind as part of the planning of the course.

Planning

Text coverage activity
Using the text coverage handout, which of your currently taught texts might you want to keep? Where could these be used? What opportunities for introducing new texts does it present? How are you meeting the pre-1900 requirement? Discuss your thoughts with a colleague.

High level planning activity
Look at the 3 planning models in your pack, and the questions for consideration. Discuss the merits of each with a colleague Using the blank planning sheet draft a possible 2 year plan for your department / class Examples of detailed course planners and schemes of work can be found on the Edexcel website. This activity uses the very high level overviews, rather than the full content of each half termly block – those can also be found on the Edexcel website, along with the sample schemes of work. Follow the links in the slide to access these materials. The aim of this activity is to think about how to distribute the texts across the three years Discuss possible alternatives, explore issues and debate the questions – remember that the course outlines which Edexcel have provided are only suggestions, not ‘preferred’ or ‘recommended’ routes. Follow up questions: Text coverage: Have you ensured that all of your AS texts have been covered in year one (if doing AS)? Have you included all of your additional A level only texts in year two? Have you included one pre-1900 texts at AS (if doing AS)? Have you included 3 pre-1900 texts across the course as a whole? Have you allocated time for the coursework?

Now we are going to get into the detail of each component – the assessment method, the targeted AOs, and how these might be addressed. Assessment – A level

HOLISTIC MARKS SCHEMES
Look at the example mark scheme for ‘other’ drama in the sample assessment materials Integrated assessment objectives – no longer separate grids for each AO Even weighting of marks across the targeted AOs (any exceptions are minimal, so that the approach should still be even handed) This is to draw attention to the mark schemes. It is not about ‘other’ drama per se – that is simply an example. Note how these schemes work. If you are familiar with the current Edexcel mark schemes you will see that there are no longer separate marks given for each AO; we are looking for best fit. Targeted assessment objectives are indicated by the bullet points within each level i.e. bullet 1 AO1, bullet 2 AO2 and bullet 3 AO3 in this example. Another important aspect to note is that there is an even weighting of marks across the assessed AOs – students don’t need to remember what the balance is, nor try and ‘weight’ their response towards one particular area. This is true even where the marks do not divide equally. For example, in ‘other’ drama, the marks are out of 25, spread evenly between 3 AOs. On the rare occasion when the AOs are not entirely even i.e. AO5 in the Shakespeare assessment, the difference is negligible and shouldn't therefore affect the students’ approach to the texts or tasks. Share these with students in your teaching. Think about linearity and exams at the end of two years. How best might students be prepared for these? The levels in the mark scheme do not relate to grades – as is the case currently. Grades are not awarded at an individual question level. For A level, unlike GCSE, there is no change to the grading structure or standard.

Overview of assessment
Component 1 - Drama Overview of assessment 1 DRAMA Paper length: 2 hours and 15 minutes Section A: Shakespeare One essay question from a choice of two on the studied Shakespeare text. (AO1, AO2, AO3, AO5 assessed) Section B: Other drama One essay question from a choice of two on the studied drama text. (AO1, AO2, AO3 assessed) 30%, 60 marks Section A 35 marks Section B 25 marks Paper 1 assesses the drama component. Note the relative weighting of section A and B of this paper, with section A carrying 35 of the 60 available marks. How might this be reflected in the relative timings for each section? Note that both questions target AO1, AO2 and AO3, as is the case in all but one of the A level assessments, but only the Shakespeare targets AO5. There is no comparison within this paper, which is why it is fine to select a tragedy for Shakespeare and a comedy for the other drama, if desired.

Shakespeare Or Key Points AO1, AO2, AO3, AO5
The student must be able to discuss the play in the light of other critical interpretations The student must also explore the play’s contexts Here is an example of a question from the sample assessment materials. There will always be a choice of two questions for the students to select from. There is only one command word which is used in this paper: ‘explore’. The question wording has been designed to flag up the targeted assessment objectives. For example, Shakespeare’s use of/portrayal of/ presentation of etc highlights AO2; relevant context factors relates to AO3; and the reminder to draw upon ideas from critical reading relates to AO5. Students can make use of the Shakespeare Critical Anthology (which can be ordered from the website free of charge) to support students on AO5 but it is not compulsory to refer to this material – you can use your own material if you wish to do so. Although these are open book exams, remember that the critical resources are not one of the set texts and so cannot be taken into the exam. Obviously this effects how we might use these materials and we are going to look at the requirements of AO5 now.

How can students demonstrate their engagement with different interpretations? (AO5)
Note that there is excellent lesson planning material on this on the Pearson English Literature 2015 website. It is focused on The Taming of the Shrew, but could be adapted for other Shakespeare texts This is the only place in the A level examinations where AO5 is assessed. It is also addressed in the coursework.

Shakespeare Critical Anthology
Free hard copy to every student. Order yours here. Essays on the genres of tragedy and comedy, as well as specific writing on the students’ selected play. Produced in association with University College London. Spend a few minutes looking at the relevant critical anthology for your chosen Shakespeare text. How might you incorporate this resource into your teaching? Take a look at the Using Literary Criticism lesson plan for some further ideas. What was the thinking behind the creation of the Critical Anthologies? Edexcel wanted the coverage of AO5 to be text specific, so that students are learning more about their literary text through their engagement with different interpretations – not learning critical theory for its own sake. Developing the students’ own critical perspectives supported by exposure to what others have said about the actual text that they are reading can help them become better critical interpreters of these texts. Each anthology contains 4 essays on either comedy or tragedy plus 3 essays on each play, so there is an equal amount of material available on every text. Take a look at your anthology and find the essays relevant to your selected Shakespeare play. Note the introductions and glossaries, and the range of different viewpoints. How could this be incorporated into teaching? Starting points might be: hot-seating activities; using the critical essays for formal class debates; having the students act as reviewers/ bloggers commenting on the essays; encouraging students to use the essays for text transformation tasks – i.e. explaining to Y7 pupils or scripting a radio arts programme etc. See the English Literature Scheme of Work for Shakespeare on the website, and the ‘using criticism’ lesson plan, for further ideas. Remember that the Shakespeare Critical Anthology CANNOT BE TAKEN INTO THE EXAM.

How might students use the critical anthology?
Understand the position being put forward Compare the critical position with own position – identify points of similarity and difference Compare the critical position with that of other students in class, or another critic Agree with a critical point and find other examples in the play to further support it Disagree with a critical perspective, and find evidence to support your own view Refine the critics’ position – identify elements you could support, and those which you would develop further Select particular key quotations to support or contrast with your own reading These ideas are taken from the introduction to the critical anthologies. Note how the different interpretations might be used to enhance the reading of the literary text – the literary text is the primary focus, and the critical anthology can be used to support and strengthen the students own argument about and understanding of, their studied text. Note that extensive quotation is NOT required. There are many ways in which students can refer to their critical reading: paraphrase, make references, summarise, credit different authors point of view etc . Short quotes can be included if remembered but if and only if they are relevant. There is no ‘advantage’ to learning four quotes and stuffing them in regardless of relevance!

Extract from a student response
However, by the time we get to Act 4, the comedy of the revenge plot dies as Malvolio is imprisoned in ‘hideous darkness’ and is abused by Feste, who tries to prove him mad. Even Sir Toby believes this is excessive and wants to be ‘well rid of this knavery.’ There is an argument that says Malvolio’s imprisonment is intended to reflect Shakespeare’s own antipathy towards the puritans. It is true that the darkness could symbolise Malvolio’s moral blindness or lack of self-knowledge but, to me, and probably to a modern audience generally, his treatment ceases to be comic and becomes brutally unfair. Read this extract from a student’s response. They are responding to the question on Twelfth Night: Explore Shakespeare’s use of the Malvolio sub-plot. Consider the example and highlight how the student has referred to their critical reading (3rd sentence) There is an argument that says Malvolio’s imprisonment is intended to reflect Shakespeare’s own antipathy towards the puritans. Discuss how the student has incorporated the critical material. Examiner’s comments: Here’s an example of a candidate performing well on AO5. He has taken a critical argument and explored it, linking it well to the detail of the text and developing his own arguments in response. Note how the candidate uses an argument from the David Bevington essay on Twelfth Night from the Shakespeare Critical Anthology: Comedy but there has been no need to cite the essay specifically.

How can students demonstrate their engagement with different contexts
How can students demonstrate their engagement with different contexts? (AO3) Note that there is excellent lesson planning material on context on the website.

…Perhaps as a more civilised society we have more of a moral compass – morality is not innate but dependent on environment and society. It is interesting to ask what Shakespeare’s attitude to Malvolio was. At a time when theatres were banished to the margins of London by puritanical authorities we may assume that Shakespeare may have intended for the audience to unite against Malvolio and enjoy his humiliation. Thirty-three years after Shakespeare’s death, however, the Puritans took power after the beheading of Charles I. Theatres, including Shakespeare’s Globe, were closed. It is as if Malvolio’s revenge is directed not only at the audiences who mocked him, but also at his creator himself. Read this extract from a students response to the same question. Here the students has made use of the Anthology to support their understanding of the contexts (A03) in which Twelfth Night was written and performed. The student explores the ideas and makes an argument of their own, demonstrating their understanding. The context is being related to the text, rather than being considered in its own right.

‘Other’ Drama Or Key Points AO1, AO2, AO3
The student must explore the play’s contexts There is NO requirement to engage with other interpretations Note that there is excellent lesson planning material on ‘other’ drama on the website (What is Dramatic?) Here is an example of a question from the sample assessment materials. There will always be a choice of two questions for the students to select from. Note again the use of the command word ‘explore’ and the way in which AO2 is flagged by referring to the playwright’s presentation of/use of/creation of etc. Have a look across the full range of questions in the sample assessment materials to see the various examples of ways in which this might be expressed. We are not going to look in any further detail at the other drama because the same approach to context would apply here as applied to the Shakespeare question. There are a number of exemplar student responses to both the Shakespeare and the ‘other’ drama questions available on the website.

Component 2 - Prose Overview of assessment 2 Prose Paper length: 1 hour One comparative essay question from a choice of two on the studied prose texts text. (AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 assessed) 20%, 40 marks The prose paper assesses the content of component 2. It is a one hour paper and it only has one section. Note that as well as AO1,2 and 3, AO4 is also now being assessed in this paper. These assessment objectives are evenly weighted. Having already looked at the requirements of AO3, we will look at how AO4 might be addressed next.

PROSE OR Key Points AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 equally weighted
Students must explore the contexts of the novels An additional focus is on making connections between the texts – ‘Compare’ will be a command word in the question. One of the texts must be pre-1900 Here we have the appearance of the command word ‘compare’ as opposed to the ‘explore’ which we saw on the drama paper. Using ‘compare’ as a command word clearly flags to the students the requirement of AO4. Again the students have a choice of one question from two. Remember that within the theme there is a choice of two texts from the four options (at least one of which must be a pre-1900 text. ) Therefore, questions will be, of necessity, quite general in order to accommodate all text combinations on a theme. The two questions in the example above are taken from the childhood theme and are a good example of this. For example, questions would not refer to characters by name, but rather would ask about ‘characters’ more generally. The students would relate this to any specific characters in their own studied texts, for example. As with all of the text types, there is a scheme of work on Prose on the Edexcel website. There are also lesson plans for some of the themes/texts (Crime and Detection and Wuthering Heights)

How should students make links and connections between texts? (AO4)

In conclusion, Attwood uses Offred as her narrator in order to present how the abuse of power by the hierarchy depends upon the repression of most of the population, therefore creating a dystopian novel. Attwood presents a woman which the readers can relate to, and therefore can attach themselves to emotionally, creating an engaging narrative. On the other hand, Shelley uses multiple narrators, which interlink and blur together, in order to create an uncertainty for her reader, and enforce the gothic form of her novel. By using three different narrators, Shelley provides distance between her tale and the reader… Here’s an example of a candidate who has constructed a sustained argument that is focused on the terms of the question and makes meaningful links (comparisons) between the texts. – Yes, they have spelt Atwood incorrectly (although at least consistently!) but that does not impact upon the issue of AO4.

Demands of AO4 Level 1 1–4 Descriptive
Demonstrates limited awareness of connections between texts. Describes the texts as separate entities. Level 2 5–8 General exploration Identifies general connections between texts. Makes general cross references between texts. Level 3 9–12 Clear relevant exploration Makes relevant connections between texts. Develops an integrated approach with clear examples. Level 4 13–16 Discriminating exploration Analyses connections between texts. Takes a controlled discriminating approach to integration with detailed examples. Level 5 17–20 Critical and evaluative Evaluates connections between texts. Exhibits a sophisticated connective approach with sophisticated use of examples. The slide highlights the level descriptors for questions which target AO4, such as the prose questions that we are looking at here. Have a look at the mark schemes and note the requirements of comparative responses at level 3 and above, as opposed to those in level 1 and 2. The mark schemes make it clear that responses which consider the texts as separate entities, or those which only make general cross references would be positioned in level 1 or 2 (for this particular bullet point. ) The extract that we considered shows a student integrating their consideration of both texts. Further example responses to the prose questions can be found on the website.

Ways to teach links and connections in lessons
Continuum lines (statements to agree, qualify or disagree with are placed at either end of a line and students are asked to place texts/ parts of texts at points in the line in relation to the opposing terms) Scaffolding plans for responding to comparison questions Combing sections of the texts for similarities / differences Exploring the connecting themes and asking students to find textual illustrations for these Using Venn diagrams to compare characters / themes / modes of presentation etc. Other ideas? Here are some examples of ways in which links and connections between texts might be taught. Note that there is excellent lesson planning material on this on the website, using the example of Mrs Dalloway and Tess of the D’Urbervilles in the Women and Society theme.

Component 3 - Poetry Overview of assessment 3 POETRY Paper length: 2 hours and 15 minutes Section A: Contemporary Poetry One essay question from a choice of two comparing an unseen modern poem and one named poem from the studied collection (AO1, AO2, AO4 assessed). Section B: Poetry Collections One essay question from a choice of two on the studied poetry period or author. (AO1, AO2, AO3 assessed) 30%, 60 marks Section A 30 marks Section B 30 marks Paper 3 assesses the poetry component. Note the equal weighting of section A and B of this paper, with each section carrying half of the 60 available marks. Bear in mind though that the students will be responding to an unseen poem in section A, so will need to allow time for the reading and annotating of this poem, and considering how it links to their studied texts. How might this be reflected in the relative timings for each section? Note that in section A we have found the question which does not target AO1, AO2 and AO3. Unlike all of the other assessments across the A level, AO3 is not assessed here, as one of the two poems under consideration is an unseen text. However, in section B, the standard coverage of the assessment objectives is resumed.

Contemporary Poetry or Key Points AO1,AO2,AO4
All modern poetry (post 2000) Students must compare poems BOTH poems will be printed in the A level paper i.e. the unseen poem and the optional studied comparative poems Here is an example of the contemporary poetry question, from the sample assessment materials. The students will always have a choice of one question from two, although both questions will consider the same unseen poem. The same unseen poem is used in both questions to ensure comparability – it is not possible to know for certain how unseen poems will ‘perform’ until after the paper has been sat, so using the same unseen poem for both gives the same experience to all of the students. We are again using the command word ‘compare’ as this question targets AO4. Note that for the live papers, and any additional specimen papers, both the unseen poem and the optional studied poems will be printed in the paper. This is a slight divergence from the SAMs and has been done to aid the students’ side-by-side consideration of both texts. This means you don’t necessarily need to have additional clean copies of the anthology (for A level). As the same poems are covered at AS and A level, the poems could be covered during year 1 (for AS) and then 2nd year could focus on approaching contemporary poetry through unseen poems, revising the named poetry selection through exam practice and unseen comparative activities. Of course, every poem is an unseen poem until the student has read it though, so why not use these set poems as part of the preparation for unseen assessment? The idea behind the inclusion of this anthology, and the method of assessment, is not the teaching of poems per se, but rather poetry. That is using these poems to develop the skills and confidence to analyse and link any examples of contemporary poetry.

Poets from ‘Poems of the Decade’
Vicki Feaver: ‘The Gun’ Sinéad Morrisey: ‘Genetics’ One of the best things about the inclusion of contemporary poetry on the specification is that we can hear the poets reading their work – either in person or if not, then often on the internet. There are lots in the selection about topics that are very immediate to students – years out, relationships with parents, youth. The Feaver here is relatively immediate, and students whether ‘town or country’ would connect. There are others that are less immediate, and if I was teaching the Feaver I would also put it together with the famous ‘Lammas Hireling’ by Ian Duhig, using the notes from the Poems of the Decade teacher guide. It would be exciting to teach in its strangeness and lack of immediacy, and for its links and connections with this one – the gun, myths and the countryside, sexuality and what is ‘unsaid’. We can teach this selection effectively in that way – grouping poems together and asking students to interrogate them and their links and connections in one lesson on more than one poem. We can then address A04 and not go painstakingly through each poem individually. The second choice here by Morrisey is presented because of the use of vilanelle form. The topic is one familiar to students and the exploration of the use of form an interesting one - please see the teacher guide for more information ACTIVITY Listen to these clips of the poets reading their poems. These images are HYPERLINKS – right click and open link to hear the poets reading their work, whilst you follow in your anthology. THEN Consider the teacher support materials for both poems in the delegate pack – spend some time reading through the support related to either one of the poems that you have listened to. What impact does listening to the poets have? What other aspects of the poems might you like to draw out? Listen to the poets reading their poems from the Poems of the Decade anthology. Follow them in you anthology.

Coverage of the poems – groupings poems for teaching
How far can the ‘I’ of a poem ever be identified with ‘the poet’? Simon Armitage ‘Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass’ Eavan Boland ‘Inheritance’ Ian Duhig ‘The Lammas Hireling’ Consider the methods used to convey childhood: Helen Dunmore ‘To My Nine-Year-Old Self’ John Burnside ‘History’ Julia Copus ‘An Easy Passage’ There are many ways in which the poems for study might be grouped. A range of suggested groupings and suggested seminar ideas, are available on the website. There are ample possible other groupings, and poems which could be included in these groupings above, for seminar style teaching, workshops, student lead research and presentation or group work. As you read through the poems, consider ways in which they may link or connect with others which have been set for study. The teacher guide also gives some examples, but these are by no means exhaustive or the ‘right’ groups – many poems will fit into multiple categories. Perhaps consider teaching one or two poems from within a designated group and then allowing the students to consider the 3rd or subsequent poems as unseen practice.

Using the Unseen Poetry resource
‘how to approach unseen’. Advice from: an academic a poet and editor of ‘Poetry Review’ a skilled sixth form teacher Discover the Unseen Poetry Preparation anthology here. The idea behind the Unseen Poetry Preparation Anthology is to provide the students with inspiring essays and encourage them to move past thinking of poetry as a ‘puzzle’ to be solved; waiting for the teachers to ‘feed them’ with the right answer to the riddle. Reading poetry is not maths and students need to be encouraged to relax and hear and see the poem…. Remember that all poems are unseen until they have been read for the first time, and there is no reason why the ideas and suggestions within this resource couldn’t be used alongside the teaching of the set contemporary anthology.

Approaching Unseen Poetry
‘When I read the unseen response essay I hope to get a sense that the writer is someone who understands how poetry works and what it is for….a sense that poems are not intended to be studied in classrooms or written about in exams…’ Gary Snapper ‘Look at the poem first. Some poems sit comfortably on the page. They are tidy and well behaved as Shakespeare’s sonnets are…Others sprawl all over it, reluctant to be confined to its margins, like the great rebellious poems of Pablo Neruda…Then read the poem. No, don’t just read it. LISTEN to it.’ Maurice Riordan ‘ The following slides show a few key snippets from the unseen poetry preparation anthology. Consider how you might use this resource with your students. There are several poems in both the ‘unseen’ anthology and ‘Poems of the Decade’ that address the use of poetic form. Teaching it’s significance is well supported in the poetry resources. This is an area that HE tell us students need more confidence with – and this gives us an opportunity to secure this.

Approaching Unseen Poetry
Sometimes the questions we ask are more important than their answers and no close reading can explain everything about a really good poem. If a close reading, by some chance, ever managed to do that, we would have nothing to bring us back to the poem again.’ Peter Barry ‘Who better to teach you about contemporary poetry than the poets themselves.’ Edexcel

Poetry movement or poet
Key Points AO1,AO2,AO3 Students need to engage with contexts No comparisons required The second section of paper 3 is where the students will respond to one question from a choice of two on their other studied poetry collection – either a poet or a poetry movement. Note that we are now back to our command word from the drama paper: ‘explore.’ The question will always name one studied poem, and students will have a free choice of second poem to accompany it. The list of studied poems will be provided in the extract booklet, just in case the pressure of the exam means that the students need a reminder of the poems they have studied. Remember that these are open book exams, but that the exam copies of the texts must be clean. AOs 1 – 3 are assessed here, and therefore there is no requirement to compare poems. Students are creating their argument in response to the question and evidencing it with reference to two poems. As with the drama and the prose questions, the assessment objectives are flagged in the wording of the question. As well as the familiarity of ‘explore’ (from component 1) we can also see the familiar use of presentation of/portrayal of/use of and so on to highlight AO2, as well as the explicit reminder to address contextual factors. Note as well that the contextual factors need to be RELEVANT! The website includes a lesson on the Metaphysicals as an example of how context could be addressed for either the poet or the movement being considered. Of course the concerns of the literary movement can be addressed whether you are teaching the single poet option (Donne in this case) or the period option (The Metaphysicals.)

Component 4 - Coursework
Overview of assessment 4 COURSEWORK One extended comparative essay referring to two texts ( words) (AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4, AO5) 20%, 60 marks The coursework component is worth 20% of the full A level course, as per the requirements of the new subject criteria. All of the assessment objectives are assessed, and they are equally weighted across the 60 marks for this component.

COURSEWORK Key Points Any TWO texts of any period or genre other than texts that have already been studied AO1,AO2,AO3,AO4,AO5 Students have to link the texts, and engage with contexts and alternative interpretations. Students as independent learners. There are lots of example text and task combinations in the getting started guide All the assessment objectives are in play and so choosing appropriate texts is important. There is a free choice of two texts, and it is worth thinking about how that might work best to let students demonstrate sophisticated readings and their own critical arguments. Obviously an entirely free choice of two texts, with guidance on selecting options which are appropriate for A level study, would allow students to do that. This doesn’t have to mean different texts for everyone though. It could potentially be achieved in a number of ways, including one shared text and a free choice of second; groups of texts from which students may select their own two; a pool of potential tasks which students may select or adapt and so on. It would not be in the spirit of the coursework component for all students to study the same two texts and the same question and produce 20 variations of the same essay.

Consider the list of example coursework tasks and texts in your packs.
Activity Consider the list of example coursework tasks and texts in your packs. Using either the other texts in the specification, or your own ideas, devise two further coursework tasks. Use the provided examples to help you in creating an appropriate task title. If you need support with your coursework texts or tasks, or confirmation of their suitability, the coursework advisory service. The suggested text and task options for this activity are taken from the getting started guide. It might be useful to consider your own texts and task ideas against these. Remember that you can run your proposed texts and task past an expert by using the coursework advisory service. The link in the slide gives the full details of the service, and includes the form which you can submit. Bear in mind that this is not a compulsory requirement – there is no need to check all of your texts and tasks with Edexcel. For example, you know that the coursework proposal will be fine if they are uncontroversial, standard A level options, if they have been selected from the non-studied texts in the specification, if they have been selected from the suggestions in the guide or if they have previously been used as A level texts and tasks for coursework in previous specifications. One point to remember though is that texts in translation are not permitted.

As we have seen, the AS content is a subset of the A level content, so there are no additional texts to cover in order to prepare students for the AS exam compared to those students who might not be sitting that assessment. Remember that this means AS and A level students could be taught in the same class for the first year of study, even if not all students will be entering for the AS. There will come a point in the year when those students who are being entered for AS will need to concentrate on the revision and exam preparation however – perhaps that is a point at which the class may need to be separated, or for the A level students to begin their independent coursework preparation. We are now going to have a look at the ways in which the AS content is assessed. Assessment – AS level

Component 1 – Poetry and Drama
Overview of assessment 1 Paper length: 2 hours Section A (poetry) One essay from a choice of two on a named poem from the studied collection, plus a free choice of second poem (AO1, AO2, AO4 assessed) Section B (drama) One essay from a choice of two on their studied play. (AO1, AO2, AO3, AO5 assessed) 60%, 72 marks Section A 24 marks Section B 48 marks There are only two components at AS level, which means that unlike A level, there are two different genres of text in paper 1. These are in two separate sections though, and there is no comparison or linking between them. Note the difference in the weighting of the questions in section A and B of the paper. How might this affect the students time management within the exam? The key point to note here, is that there is one difference in the allocation of assessment objectives between AS and A level: AO5 is assessed in ‘other’ drama at AS. This is because there is no Shakespeare at AS, and no coursework either, so AO5 needs to be assessed elsewhere. It is important to note though that this does NOT mean that students are required to do literary or critical theory for the ‘other’ drama text at AS. We shall see when we look at the questions that the requirements of AO5 are entirely covered within the structure of the questions.

Component 1 – Poetry or Key Points Poetry: AO1, AO2, AO4.
No unseen poetry but still all post-2000 and the same Anthology (and same poems) are used. Firstly, lets look at section A of paper 1 - the contemporary poetry. The same text is used as with the A level, and the same subset of poems are set for study. These can be found listed in Appendix 4 of the AS specification. Also note that the same AOs are covered at AS and A level. The two differences between AS and A level are that for AS, there is no unseen poem. The students will compare a named studied poem with a poem of their own choosing from the studied list. This is perhaps a further reason to consider teaching the poems in groups or collections, to facilitate the selection of an appropriate second poem for consideration. The second difference is that the AS questions includes some scaffolding i.e. bullet points. Notice that as with A level, the students are given the command word ‘compare’ and AO2 is flagged using the same kind of construction i.e to explore/to show/ to present etc. And also the students will have to answer one question from a choice of two, as with the A level. The thinking behind this was to give them an options of named poems, just in case they were uninspired by the first option!

Component 1 – Drama Or Key Points Drama: AO1, AO2, AO3, AO5
No Shakespeare AO5 is addressed in the question: ‘…in the light of this comment…’ (no requirement to draw in additional critical materials from outside the drama text) Here we can see the different way in which the ‘other’ drama question is presented at AS, and this is the means by which AO5 (different interpretations) is targeted at this level. The students are given a perspective, or point of view, and are asked to explore a given aspect of the text in light of this position. In this way, there is no expectation that they will be drawing upon critical perspectives or external materials - the requirements of AO5 at AS are met in responding to the question and considering it through the given statement – agreeing, disagreeing, weighing up both sides etc. Note that the question has the same structure as the A level question after that point i.e. using the command word ‘explore’ and flagging AO2 through the presentation of/portrayal of/use of etc. The students are also reminded to consider contextual factors, as with the A level, and again the key word to note here is ‘relevant’.

Component 2 - prose Overview of assessment 2 Paper length: 1 hour One essay from a choice of two on the studied prose texts. (AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 assessed) 40%, 44 marks There is very little to say about the prose paper which has not already been said! The texts and themes are the same as A level, the paper is one hour long and targets the same assessment objectives.

Component 2 - Prose or Key Points
AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 – exactly as A level. Hopefully this is straightforward by now. We can see the same command word as the A level i.e. ‘compare’ and the same means of flagging the AO2 requirement i.e. by considering how the writer portrays/shows/demonstrates/makes use of etc. As with the poetry, scaffolding is included at the AS, which further reminds the students of the targeted assessment objectives.

Supporting you through the changes
There is a wide range of free materials available on the Edexcel website.

Teaching and Learning Resources
Checklist Shakespeare Critical Anthology Unseen Poetry Preparation Anthology Poems of the Decade – teacher guide Getting Started Guide Course planners Schemes of work Lesson plans Exemplars Order your hard copies of the critical anthologies from Stationery box Using this list, make sure that you have accessed, ordered or downloaded all of the materials that are available for the A level course.

Frequently Asked Questions
Click on the hyperlink to access the answers to frequently asked questions

Tracking progress Our new qualification will be accompanied by an additional set of papers prior to first teaching, for you to use as a mock exam or earlier in the course. ResultsPlus provides the most detailed analysis available of your students’ exam performance. It can help you to identify topics and skills where students could benefit from further learning. Mock Analysis provides analysis of past exam papers which can be set as mock exams.

Tracking progress ExamWizard – help track progress
allows you to create your own tests online using FREE past paper questions. Contains a huge bank of past Edexcel exam questions and support materials to help you create your own mock exams, topic tests, homework or revision activities. Helps you search for past papers, mark schemes and examiners’ reports.

Contact information Subject Advisor Subject Advisor telephone number: Subject page link: Note that the subject advisor telephone number has changed.

Statistics If you would like to know more about examination statistics, you may find these links of interest to you. Examination Results Statistics Results statistics summarise the overall grade outcomes of candidates sitting Edexcel examinations. Grade Boundaries This page shows the minimum marks needed to achieve a certain grade for all UK and international examinations. Also refer to the examiners report which is available for download with other documents.

Statistics continued ResultsPlus www.edexcel.com/resultsplus
Edexcel’s free online service giving instant and detailed analysis of your students’ exam and mock performance see your students’ scores for every exam question understand how your students’ performance compares with Edexcel national averages ResultsPlus is Edexcel’s free online service giving instant and detailed analysis of your students’ exam and mock performance. Here you can see your students’ scores for every exam question and understand how your students’ performance compares with Edexcel national averages.

WHAT OTHER TRAINING WOULD YOU FIND USEFUL?
Wide range of training events for 14/15 General Qualifications Vocational Qualifications Audience UK International Choice of Delivery methods to suit you and your centre F2F Online Centre-based More information There is a wide portfolio of training events already scheduled for the academic year 2013/14. These include training events for our General Qualifications as well as Vocational Qualifications. For General Qualifications, you can take an advantage of events such as: Delivering the qualification Getting Ready to Teach Guidance on internally assessed units Controlled Assessment Standardization For Vocational Qualifications, again depending on your needs you can take the opportunity for training in the following areas: New to teaching BTEC’s Getting ready to teach NG BTEC BTEC Designing Assignments and Assessment Effective delivery and assessment for Skills Qualifications Our events have been designed for the UK as well as international centres. Some events that are specifically designed for UK centres and some specifically for international centres. WHAT OTHER TRAINING WOULD YOU FIND USEFUL?

Thank you We constantly look to improve the training we provide Please let us know what you thought of the training by completing our online feedback form for the opportunity to win a £100 Amazon.co.uk Gift Card. Trainer Notes: We constantly look to improve the delivery of our training and appreciate all delegate feedback. Delegates will soon receive an directing them to our online feedback form. The form takes no more than a couple of minutes to complete. Please ask them to take the time to let us know their thoughts by filling in this short form. All those who complete the online form will be able to enter themselves in the prize draw with a chance of winning a £100 Amazon.co.uk gift card. There will be one winner drawn every 3 months from those who enter during the preceding 3 months.

Getting Ready to Teach Pearson’s new AS and A level English Literature specifications from 2015 14GBAE03 1.

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Getting Ready to Teach Pearson’s new AS and A level English Literature specifications from 2015 14GBAE03 1.

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