English

"Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.” – Albus Dumbledore (JK Rowling)

At Thetford Grammar School, our study of English goes beyond communication skills and offers us a window through which we can explore what it is to be human.

Most of our pupils follow the Edexcel IGCSE course, studying for two IGCSEs: one in English Language (Specification A) and one in English Literature.  Some pupils will focus on one IGCSE in English Language in order to give them the best possible chance of achieving their target grade in an English qualification. Some of our International pupils will sit the Edexcel IGCSE English Language Specification B examination, which is a first-language qualification.

KS4 - English language

Is the dominant language throughout the world in the fields of Commerce, Politics and Economics. Young people who can communicate in English give themselves an important advantage in the world of employment. As a result the English Language GCSE course is a skills based course which is designed to develop these important areas.

Course Outline

GCSE English Language will:

  • be 100% examination
  • be fully linear with all examinations taken at the end of the course
  • have a new grading system introduced. Pupils will be awarded a grade from 1 to 9, with 9 being the highest Pupils will get a U where performance is below the minimum required to pass the GCSE
  • have tiers removed and all examinations will be untiered
  • have no internal assessment; assessment will be through externally assessed examinations only. The first examinations for these new GCSEs will be in summer 2017
  • have exams only in the summer, apart from a November series for English language. This November series will be for pupils who were at least 16 on the preceding 31 August
  • require pupils to answer questions on unseen 19th, 20th and 21st Century texts 
  • have spoken language skills assessed – but this will not contribute to the overall grade
  • allocate 20% of the marks for the written exams to technical accuracy

Two exams

Component 1

1 hour 45 minutes 40%

Section A ( 20%) – Reading

One extract of literature from the 20th Century

5-6 comprehension questions

Section B ( 20%) – Prose Writing

One creative writing task drawn from a selection of four titles

Component 2

2 hours 60%

Section A (30%) – Reading

Two extracts of high-quality non-fiction writing from the 19th and 21st Centuries

5-6 comprehension questions

Section B (30%) – Writing

Two compulsory transactional/persuasive writing tasks

English language
WJEC/EDUQAS

KS4 - English Literature

Is central to our heritage and culture and pupils who study literary texts add to their knowledge of our history. In addition, English Literature trains pupils to think creatively and make connections between the main ideas of a text and the universal themes that affect us all.

Course Outline 

GCSE English Literature will

  • be 100% examination
  • be fully linear with all examinations taken at the end of the course
  • have a new grading system introduced. Pupils will be awarded a grade from 1 to 9, with 9 being the highest Pupils will get a U where performance is below the minimum required to pass the GCSE
  • have tiers removed and all examinations will be untiered
  • have no internal assessment; assessment will be through externally assessed examinations only. The first examinations for these new GCSEs will be in summer 2017
  • have exams only in the summer, apart from a November series for English language. This November series will be for pupils who were at least 16 on the preceding 31 August

Two exams

Component 1

2 hours 40% (CLOSED TEXT EXAM)

Section A ( 20%) 1 hour – Shakespeare

(Romeo and Juliet/Macbeth/Othello/Much Ado About Nothing/Henry V/Merchant of Venice)

1 extract based question

1 essay

Section B ( 20%) 1 hour - Poetry 1789 - present day WJEC Anthology

Component 2

2 ½ hours 60% (CLOSED TEXT EXAM)

Section A (20%) 1 hour

1 source based question Post - 1914 Drama/Prose

Prose: Lord of the Flies/ Anita and Me/ Never Let Me Go/ Woman in Black/ Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

Plays: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time/ A Taste of Honey/ An Inspector Calls/ The History Boys/ Blood Brothers

Section B (20%) 1 hour

1 source based question 19th Century prose

19th C Prose: A Christmas Carol/ Silas Marner/ Pride and Prejudice/ The War of the Worlds/ Jane Eyre/ Jekyll and Hyde

Section C (20%) 30 minutes

2 unseen poems – 2 questions, 1 of which is comparative

English literature
WJEC/EDUQAS

KS5

Not only is A Level English Literature an enjoyable and stimulating course in itself, it is also extremely useful in terms of university courses and future careers. The subject is accepted by universities as an excellent foundation for a wide range of courses. A Level English Literature is a great benefit in careers such as journalism, law, politics, teaching and the media. Indeed, its emphasis on independent thinking, critical analysis and clear communication ensures that it would be of value in most careers.

English has always been a traditionally popular choice at TGS with a significant proportion of students choosing to read English at university. With an A Level examiner as a member of staff within the English department, this offers an added advantage to our students.

The WJEC Eduqas A level in English literature encourages learners to develop their interest in and enjoyment of literature and literary studies as they:

  • Read widely and independently both set texts and others that they have selected for themselves
  • Engage critically and creatively with a substantial body of texts and ways of responding to them develop and effectively apply their knowledge of literary analysis and evaluation
                
  • Explore the contexts of the texts they are reading and others’ interpretations of them
  • Undertake independent and sustained studies to deepen their appreciation and understanding of English literature, including its changing traditions

This specification is based on a conviction that the study of literature should encourage enjoyment of literary studies based on an informed personal response to a range of texts. It provides learners with an introduction to the discipline of advanced literary studies and presents opportunities for reading widely and for making creative and informed responses to each of the major literary genres of poetry, prose and drama.
This specification offers three components in discrete genres of study: poetry, drama and prose to allow learners to focus on the conventions and traditions of each genre in turn. A further component offers unseen prose and poetry to allow learners to focus separately on applying the skills of literary analysis acquired during the course as a whole.

 

Three exams

Component 1: Poetry   2 hours 30%

Section A Poetry Pre-1900 (Open book; clean copy) 

Chaucer – The Merchant’s Tale and Prologue

John Donne – selected poems

John Milton – Paradise Lost Book IX

John Keats – selected poems

Christina Rosetti – Selected Poems

Section B  Poetry Post-1900 (Open book;clean copy)

Thomas Hardy and  T.S Eliot (selected poems)

D.H. Lawrence (selected poems) and Gillian Clarke – Making Beds for the Dead.

Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath (selected poems)

Philip Larkin – The Whitsun Weddings / Carol Ann Duffy – Mean Time

Seamus Heaney – Field Work / Owen Sheers – Skirrid Hill

Component 2: Drama    2 hours 30%

Section A Shakespeare (Closed book)

King Lear/Anthony and Cleopatra/Hamlet/Henry IV part 1/ TheTempest

Section B Drama (Closed book)

Christopher Marlowe – Dr Faustus / Lucy Prebble – Enron

John Webster – Duchess of Malfi / Tennessee Williams – Streetcar named Desire

Thomas Middleton – The Revenger’s Tragedy / Joe Orton – Loot

Oscar Wilde – Lady Windermere’s Fan / Harold Pinter – Betrayal

William Shakespeare – Measure for Measure/ David Hare – Murmuring Judges

Component 3 Unseen texts   2 hours 20%

Section A Unseen Prose 

Analysis of one unseen prose passage 1880-1910 or 1918-1939

Section B Unseen Poetry

Analysis of unseen poem or poetry extract

Component 4 Prose Study Non-exam assessed (coursework) 20%

Comparison of two novels of student’s own choice, one post-2000 and one pre-2000