| Exam Board | Specification | Title | Head of Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQA | 8700 | GCSE English Language | Mrs M Whibley |
Introduction
The assessments have been designed to inspire and motivate students, providing appropriate stretch and challenge whilst ensuring, as far as possible, that the assessment and texts are accessible to the full range of students.
The specification will enable students of all abilities to develop the skills they need to read, understand, and analyse a wide range of different texts covering the 19th, 20th and 21st century time periods as well as to write clearly, coherently, and accurately using a range of vocabulary and sentence structures.
The specification offers the attraction of two equally balanced papers, relating reading sources to the topic and theme of writing tasks. The reading sources act as stimulus for writing tasks, providing students with a clear route through each paper.
Each paper has a distinct identity to better support high quality provision and engaging teaching and learning. Paper 1, Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing, looks at how writers use narrative and descriptive techniques to engage the interest of readers. Paper 2, Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives, looks at how different writers present a similar topic over time.
Our approach to spoken language (previously speaking and listening) will emphasise the importance of the wider benefits that speaking and listening skills have for students. The endorsed unit will draw on good practice to suggest how engaging formative tasks can lead to a single summative assessment.
Aims of the Course
Courses based on this specification should encourage students to:
read fluently and write effectively. They should be able to demonstrate a confident control of Standard English, and they should be able to write grammatically correct sentences, deploy figurative language, and analyse texts.
Courses based on this specification should enable students to:
- Read a wide range of texts, fluently and with good understanding.
- Read critically and use knowledge gained from wide reading to inform and improve their own writing.
- Write effectively and coherently using Standard English appropriately.
- Use grammar correctly, punctuate and spell accurately.
- Acquire and apply a wide vocabulary, alongside a knowledge and understanding of grammatical terminology, and linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language.
In addition, they must enable students to:
- Listen to and understand spoken language, and use spoken Standard English effectively.
The Spoken Language endorsement will be reported on as part of the qualification, but it will not form part of the final mark and grade.
Assessment
Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing
Section A: Reading
- One literature fiction text
Section B: Writing
- Descriptive or narrative writing
Assessed
- Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
- 80 marks
- 50% of GCSE
Paper 2: Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives
Section A: Reading
- One non-fiction text and one literary non-fiction text
Section B: Writing
- Writing to present a viewpoint
Assessed
- Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
- 80 marks
- 50% of GCSE
Non-examination Assessment: Spoken Language
What is assessed (AO7–AO9)
- Presenting
- Responding to questions and feedback
- Use of Standard English
Next Steps
The chance to read a wider variety of texts for meaning; explore the world from past to present and to use language to express one’s own opinion and ideas is invaluable to all the A Levels we offer in English at The Canterbury Academy:
- A Level Language
- A Level Literature
- A Level Language and Literature