GCSE English (AQA)

Course overview

Students will draw upon a range of texts as reading stimulus and engage with
creative as well as real and relevant contexts. Students will have opportunities
to develop higher-order reading and critical thinking skills that encourage
genuine enquiry into different topics and themes.

This specification will ensure that students can read fluently and write
effectively. Students will be able to demonstrate a confident control of
Standard English and write grammatically correct sentences, deploying figurative
language and analysing texts.

For GCSE English Language students should:

• read fluently, and with good understanding, a wide range of texts from the
  19th, 20th and 21st centuries, including literature and literary non-fiction
  as well as other writing such as reviews and journalism


• read and evaluate texts critically and make comparisons between
  texts
  summarise and synthesise information or ideas from texts
  use
  knowledge gained from wide reading to inform and improve their own
  writing


• write effectively and coherently using Standard English
  appropriately
  use grammar correctly and 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


• listen to and understand spoken language and use spoken Standard English
  effectively.

GCSE English Language is designed on the basis that students should read and
be assessed on high-quality, challenging texts from the 19th, 20th and 21st
centuries.

Each text studied must represent a substantial piece of writing, making
significant demands on students in terms of content, structure and the quality
of language.

The texts, across a range of genres and types, should support students in
developing their own writing by providing effective models. The texts must
include literature and extended literary non-fiction, and other writing such as
essays, reviews and journalism (both printed and online). Texts that are
essentially transient, such as instant news feeds, must not be included. The
number and types of texts, and their length, are not
prescribed.

Modules

Paper 1 – Explorations in creative reading and writing

Paper 2 – Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives, Non-exam Assessment – Spoken Language

How will I be assessed?

Nationally set, externally marked exams – Paper 1 & Paper 2 plus the option to complete a spoken language, in class assessment.

Progression routes