Welcome to parents and students

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Welcome to parents and students

• How to do the best you can in the English
  examination

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Mrs Johnson KS4 co-ordinator

• Do not worry about referring to the booklet now
  tomorrow each student will bring one home
• The Controlled Assessments
• 2. Whats on the exam
• 3. What you can do to improve your childs
  chances of success
• 4. Looking at example of past papers
• 5. Looking at examples of revision materials you
  can purchase
• 6. Question and Answer over to you.

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The Controlled Assessments

• English students
• Portfolio of pieces include
• Writing about a Shakespeare play
• Writing about Of Mice and Men (USA novel)
• Writing about 2 poems
• Writing their own pieces of original work
• i) a story based on a book, play or poem
• ii) A piece of writing around their own lives

• English Language students
• Writing about Of Mice and Men (USA novel)
• Writing their own pieces of original work
• i) a story based on a book, play or poem
• ii) Writing a rant DONT GET ME STARTED
• 3. Spoken language study

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• English students
• Unit 3 Understanding and Producing Creative
  Texts
• 40 Controlled 2 x 3-4 hrs
• A Understanding Creative Texts (20)
• Up to three written responses from AQA task bank
  based on study of play by Shakespeare, a text
  from English Literary Heritage one from
  different cultures (may use AQA Lit anthologies)
• Focus Themes Ideas Characterisation Voice
• B Producing Creative Texts (20)
• Responses totalling approx 1600 words to 2 tasks
  from the task bank, based upon Moving Images,
  Prompts Re-creations and Me, Myself, I.

• English Language students
• Unit 3 Understanding Spoken and Written Texts and
  Writing Creatively
• 40
  Controlled
• A Extended Reading (15) (up to 4 hrs)
• 1 task from study of 1 extended text (incl any
  studied for Eng Lit) from any genre (e.g.
  collection of poems, short stories or
  non-fiction). AQA task bank focuses will be
  Themes Ideas and Characterisation Voice
• B Creative Writing (15) (up to 4 hrs)
• 2 non-fiction genre tasks (incl multi-modal
  option) from AQA task bank, Moving Images
  Commissions Re-creations
• C Spoken Language Study (10) (2-3 hrs)
• 1 research focused task (6 provided in AQA task
  bank), exploring social attitudes, spoken genres
  or multi-modal talk.

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EVERY STUDENT

• Unit 2 Speaking Listening
• 20 Controlled
• 3 equally weighted activities presenting,
  discussion listening role-play

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As youve probably been informed!

• Controlled assessments have to be done under
  examination conditions
• The students are prepared for them
• They can take a page of notes in with them
• The time allowed is generous
• We are trying to get the best out of the
  students. So, they can have another chance if
  they do not perform well, as long as they do not
  do the same title.
• Parents can help with any useful contextual
  information during the planning stage.

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We are increasing our support

• In addition to English lessons some students are
  having additional examination practice once a
  week with an English teacher.

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Examination date

• English F and H
• English Language F and H
• STUDENTS WILL BE SITTING THE SAME EXAMINATION
• It lasts 2 hours 15 minutes
• Date for your diary Tuesday 29th May
• Duration 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Section A 1 hour 15 minutes
• Section B 1 hour

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English/English Language

• The CONTROLLED ASSESSMENTS are slightly
  different, but the examination for both of these
  are the same
• There are two tiers Foundation and Higher

• With the Foundation paper students can achieve
  a grade C and below
• With the Higher paper - students can achieve an
  A and below

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AQA GCSE English/English Language

• The examination board is the AQA
• Anyone can access the website and look at past
  papers, mark schemes

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The layout of exam

• Examination is in two parts Section A Reading
• Reading three different types of text and
  answering questions about each one in turn and
  then comparing two of them

• Section B Writing
• Shorter writing
• Longer writing

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Skills required in Section A

• Reading means you read texts and you are graded
  on your comprehension or understanding of these
  three different texts
• What do the writers imply?
• What can you infer?
• Reading and answering the questions asked.

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Section A

• Section by section your parent booklet
• Reading and Writing non-fiction texts
• 1. First glance
• 2. Take a closer look
• 3. Focus on Shape
• 4. Zoom in on language
• 5. Piece together your GAP evidence

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Section A

• All the skills on the previous slide but
  students are advised to answer the questions bit
  by bit
• Read article 1 answer the questions relating to
  that article
• Read article 2 answer the questions relating to
  that article
• Read article 3 answer the questions relating to
  that article
• Finally use all the skills and put them all
  together.

• Biggest skill is to answer the questions you have
  been asked! Not something the student feels like
  saying. Waffle not required!

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HOW to succeed?

• This is an improvement in the exam
• Take time and with pen in hand
• Read the first text
• Read the questions
• Highlight relevant sections of the text
• Read the questions one last time and write the
  answers in the booklet provided
• Each question has mark student must understand
  how much writing and the type of answer is
  required

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Section B

• We no longer know exactly what the students have
  to write about
• The AQA wish students to be prepared to write
  well in an entertaining manner for any purpose
  and not to produce anything to a set formula
• Write using a varied register recognising the
  purpose for writing and the intended audience
• So all students must be able to write in a
  variety of sentences
• Structure their writing into paragraphs
• Write in a coherent way introduction, main body
  and conclusion

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These are the different types of writing you need
to be aware of

• argue
• advise
• describe
• entertain
• instruct
• inform
• persuade

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HOW can I tell which is which?

• Think
• Why you are writing
• Who you are writing it for
• Purpose and Audience
• Look at the glossary in the parents booklet

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It is all in the - Glossary

• There are many features of types of sentences and
  types of language students will have been
  prepared to write for a number of purposes in the
  correct register.
• Register means the right type of voice/language
  for the situation.

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Hey dude I need a job! Can I come and work for
your company? Im quite good at getting up most
mornings. I can talk loads so no-one will ever
be bored when Im around! Get back to me.
Laters.
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TOP TIPS

• Read the question carefully
• Make sure you are writing for the correct purpose
  and you writing is suitable for the audience
• Write a plan
• Stick to the time limit
• Shorter writing 25 minutes
• Longer writing 35 minutes
• Write in a different style
• SHOW THE EXAMINER WHAT YOU CAN DO!

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Improve your vocabulary

• Learn a new word every day!
• Go on line Dictionary. com
• If you put a word into the search engine it will
  give you a little quiz about further vocabulary
  everyone should be proud to know the meaning of a
  few more words the examiners will sit up and
  take notice!

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Play the Word Dynamo Challenge and turbo-charge
your vocabulary Start Now                      
              
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Suggestions

• Look at the exam papers so you can see precisely
  what the students have to do.
• If you are worried
• Access the websites in the booklet

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Revision guides

• Every possible guide available
• I have some examples
• We can order the CGP ones cheaper than school
• There are work booklets the students can do for
  themselves
• Amazon/WHS all well known stockists sell any
  number of revision guides remember the exam
  board is AQA.

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Please take a copy of To the Top a booklet with
plenty of examples of A grade responses and ideas.
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Questions?