KS4 Options Booklet 2026-2028 - Flipbook - Page 17
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GCSE Subjects: Core and 8Academic Breadth9
English: Core, Academic Breadth
Subject
GCSE English Literature and English Language
Subject group
Core, Academic Breadth
Exam Board
AQA
Course
Description
Students will be challenged to produce and explore both fiction and non-fiction texts
of varying lengths and forms from a range of historical contexts.
English Language and English Literature are separate GCSE subjects but they are
taught together because of the significant overlap in terms of the skills that are honed
throughout the course. Both are compulsory.
Examination
Information
All work will be assessed in four external written examinations taken at the end of
Year 11: two for English Language and two for English Literature.
English Language Paper 1 - 1 hour and 45 minutes
English Language Paper 2 - 1 hour and 45 minutes
These two exams will test our students9 ability to explore unseen literary fiction and
literary non-fiction texts in timed conditions. Students will also have to create their
own writing based on an unknown stimulus including story or descriptive writing and
a non-fiction response such as letter writing.
English Literature Paper 1 (Closed Book) - 1 hour and 45 minutes
1. Shakespeare9s Macbeth
2. Robert Louis Stevenson9s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
English Literature Paper 2 (Closed Book) - 2 hours and 15 minutes
1. J.B. Priestley9s An Inspector Calls
2. All 15 poems from the Power and Conflict cluster of the AQA Poetry Anthology.
3. Unseen Poetry
Grades
available
9-1 - No tiers of entry - all students sit the same examination papers.
Controlled
Assessment
Information
There will be no controlled assessment in English GCSE courses.
Careers
Information
Access to all college and further education is dependent on high pass GCSE Grades in
English Language. These grades are double weighted in the 8Progress 89 measure if
taken with Literature.
As a general rule, a Grade 5 in English Language is often a minimum requirement for
students wanting to study other academic subjects at A-Level. Some courses require
Grade 6, so it9s worth checking requirements carefully. A Grade 4 is required to avoid
having to do retakes in Year 12. Retakes in Year 12 mean students miss out on
enrolling in the best courses at post-16.
Further details
This is a new style GCSE exam course. The Grades available are from 1 (lowest) to 9
(highest). Please see further information on page 4 of Booklet 1.
Staff Contact
Dr K Watson, Head of English
kate.watson@rmays.com
