English / English Literature

Current Exam Board: AQA

The various examination boards will not be bringing in their new GCSE courses in English and English Literature until 2010, and so it is likely that we will stay with the present AQA course as outlined below, though we will also be looking at any new IGCSE specifications for a 2009 start that will be made available from February 2009.

The Present AQA GCSE Course

All pupils follow a combined course in Higher Tier English and English Literature that leads to separate GCSE certificates in these subjects. The course involves the study of a wide range of literary texts from before and after 1914, one of which must be a play by Shakespeare, and also the study of non-fiction and media texts of various kinds.

English Coursework: 40%.

This is done over the two years, and consists of three oral assignments (20%) and four essays that make up the written component (20%).

Examination: 60%.

This is in two final papers, worth 30% each, the first one (1 hour 45 minutes) testing response to unseen non-fiction / media passages, and the second (1 hour 30 minutes) testing response to a previously studied poetry anthology. Each paper also requires a piece of writing that is not based on any text.

English Literature Coursework: 30%.

Once again, this is done over the two years, and consists of three essays on texts not studied in the examination. These essays overlap to some degree with the coursework essays for English: for example, the same Shakespeare essay will be used for both subjects.

Examination: 70%.

This is a single final paper of 2 hours 15 minutes requiring an essay on each of three texts, one of which is prose, one drama, and one poetry.