Succeeding in English 101: Making the Grade and staying calm

FROM late night tears…… TO classic jumping poses……

FROM head on desk…… TO enjoying your British summer holiday

Reality check…

• MACBETH

• AN INSPECTOR CALLS

• LORD OF THE FLIES

• A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Show of hands if YOU have had to study these texts at some point in your school life!

Parents can be a resource…they are not the enemy!- Nobody wants you to achieve less than your potential.

Structure of the New GCSE 1-9

Side A of the hand out.

Headlines:

✔2 separate GCSEs (plus Spoken Language)

✔Language has 2 papers

✔Literature has 2 papers

✔The weighting of questions matters enormously – take note.

Plan for the rest of the year

✔Lit texts through Dec-Easter

✔2nd TRIAL EXAM around Easter

✔General revision Language and lit as necessary until exams in Summer term

● Mr Peter’s lit/lunches -Thursdays

● Mr Smith’s lit drop ins -Wednesdays

● Easter session for Language● Saturday Supercrams for

Language and literature

Herts 4 learning courses - SaturdaysAT SAMUEL RYDER ACADEMY

£45 for one, £90 per day

A Christmas Carol - 25th Jan 9.30am-12.30pm

An Inspector Calls - 25th Jan 1pm-4pm

Macbeth - 8th Feb 9.30am-12.30pm

Love/Relationship poems - 8th Feb 1pm-4pm

Language Paper 1 - 14th March 9.30am-12.30pm

Language Paper 2 - 28th March 9.30am-12.30pm

Language GCSE: Paper1

One extract usually a page long – C20th fiction

Students answer 4 questions of increasing difficulty and increasing marks before completing a creative writing task.

Questions focus primarily on:✔Language analysis – classic explanation of

quotes (What has the writer included? Why? How does it affect the reader?)

✔Structure Analysis – How does the writer change the atmosphere, perspective, setting etc to create an impact on the reader?

✔Personal response to the text

THIS IS THE EXAM WHERE READERS OF BOOKS HAVE THE EDGE

Paper 1 Creative WritingPARENT TASK: Can you write down one sentence suggested by this picture.It must include: Alliteration, a simile and be a compound sentence.S&C: It must also begin with an ‘ing’ ending verb.

Language GCSE Paper 2

Two extracts on a similar topic. One contemporary and the other C19th NON-FICTION.

Students answer 4 questions of increasing difficulty and increasing marks before completing a persuasive writing task.

Questions focus primarily on:

✔Summarising/comparing the two texts simply

✔Language analysis✔Detailed comparison with lots of

inference and context

“One is not amused with getting to grips with Victorian language”

Paper 2 Creative Writing

Mr Smith is delivering a speech to parents about GCSE English. “Write a letter to Mr Smith arguing that he should keep going for another hour.”

Things to consider:• Format is not essential but tone, purpose and audience are.• NON-fiction• SPAG is worth /16• Content /24• Don’t neglect either!

So what can you do at home?

There is no excuse for not revising for the Language exam. Literally anything* can be a resource: Newspapers, random pages of random novels, letters etc….

Read it and pick out 4 pieces of information.

Or

Ask yourself, “How has the writer used language/structure to make the reader interested and engaged?”

Or

Use a picture as a stimulus for a descriptive or narrative piece lasting 35mins

*That is aimed at older students or adults

Books available to purchase…

See Side B of the hand out…

SNAP Revision books by Collins Education are cheap, cheerful and do the job well. Especially the language ones.

Literature GCSE

The key issues:

⮚ Students not knowing/remembering the WHOLE texts well enough

⮚Quote learning

⮚Not transferring the writing skills from the language paper

⮚Not enough fluidity in linking context to analysis

⮚ Shakespearean language (Macbeth)

Some Solves⮚ Students not knowing/remembering the WHOLE texts well

enoughRe-reading is key. Owning your own copy helps as you can buy easy readers. Films can help but be wary with changes.⮚ Quote learningKey quotes all around the house. Bedroom and toilet are prime locations. Look cover check – classic spelling test.⮚ Not transferring the writing skills from the language paperReassuring yourself. You can and have already done it before.⮚ Not enough fluidity in linking context to analysisNot including it all at the end of a paragraph as a bolt on. Being aware that you should be answering the exam question only not “vomiting on the page”⮚ Shakespearean language (Macbeth)It is TOWIE for the masses. Meant to be performed. He forces things to fit into his iambic pentameter rhyme scheme…most of the issues, conversations he writes could be happening today at school! The word “vexed”

The Examiners Report

• Students making their own connections• Reading the question carefully• Focus on the writer rather than the characters

Concluding thoughts

Parents should be:1) Encouraging your child to be revising. If they are a

worrier then make sure they are taking breaks in between revising.

2) Checking home learning is taking place…it will be a case of exam questions being set from now until the summer so that discussions can take place in lessons.

3) Helping to set up systems whereby revision is possible e.g. The Quotes around the house, pop quizzes each morning, seeing performances (live cinema), study guides?

4) Helping them to improve any perceived weaknesses…punctuation/proof reading being the main one.

Thank you for taking the time to support your child!