English Language and Literature

It is compulsory to study GCSE English at Sixth Form level if you have not already achieved grade 4s in both English Literature and Language in Year 11. English is invaluable for your future and a good command of the spoken and written word will help you every day. English is also an essential subject for college, university, work and life.

The skills needed to be successful

Students must show that they understand how meaning and information are conveyed in a range of texts. Personal and critical responses, referring to specific aspects of language grammar, structure and presentational devices must be used to justify views. Students must use a range of sentence structures and varied vocabulary to create different effects and engage the reader’s interest. Paragraphing should be used to effectively sequence events and development of ideas coherently and clearly. Sentence structures will need to be varied and punctuation and spelling accurate. Students will be able to adapt their language to different situations and contexts; use different sentence structures and select vocabulary so that information, ideas and feelings are communicated clearly and the listener’s interest is engaged.

Course outline

In English Language, students complete two exams: Paper 1, Nineteenth Century Fiction and Imaginative Writing and Paper 2, Twentieth and Twenty First Century Non Fiction and Transactional Writing. In English Literature students also complete two exams: English Literature Paper 1, Shakespeare and Post 1914 Literature and Paper 2, Nineteenth Century Novel and Poetry. These units develop the students’: reading skills by analysing texts; writing skills by expressing their ideas and information clearly and accurately.