Dear Parents/Guardians, 6th June 2022
Year 10 students have now completed the whole of the GCSE English Literature course. I would like to thank you for your support of both us as a Department and your child during this last year and hope to continue this into the forthcoming new school year.
In lessons, we have now moved on to prepare for the English Language GCSE, which will be the focus for the rest of Yr 10 and Yr 11.
English sets will be reorganised in order to ensure pupils are in the correct groups for this new course, once we have completed Baseline testing in early July, ready for new groups in September. The groups will be monitored closely throughout the year to make sure pupils are in the right place for their ability/current working grade/target grade.
As there are no tiers in English Language GCSE, all pupils will sit the same examination, so it is possible for your child to achieve the very highest grades in any of the teaching groups.
There are a couple of important events in the rest of this term and into next term for which we would like your particular support:
1)
Weeks Beginning Mon 4th & Mon 11th July 2022 – English Language GCSE Oracy exams (NEAs) : Individual Researched Presentation
Pupils will be allocated a slot on one of these days and will then go to a separate room in order to undertake an Individually Researched Presentation prepared in advance in English lessons and at home, on a topic chosen by themselves from a list of categories set by the exam board. This will be in front of a small audience of peers/Yr 9 pupils and will be recorded as per the WJEC exam board specifications.
2 Weeks in November 2022 – English Language GCSE Oracy exams (NEAs) : Group Discussion
Pupils will be allocated a slot on one of these days in a small group and will then go to a separate room in order to undertake an Group Discussion prepared in advance in English lessons and at home, on a topic set by the exam board. This will be recorded as per the WJEC exam board specifications. There will be no audience for this
This will contribute towards the final GCSE English Language grade, worth 10%. It is essential, therefore, that your child prepares thoroughly for this task, attends their allocated slot promptly and does their very best.
2)
Week beginning Monday 18th July 2022 – English Language GCSE Baseline Testing. Pupils will sit a Unit 2 GCSE English Language paper in class which will test both reading & writing skills being covered in lessons currently.
3)
GCSE English Language Mock exams x 2 (PPEs) : November/December 2022 – precise dates to be confirmed once the 2022/2023 timetable has been finalised.
Each of these 2 exams lasts 2 hours and will start at 8:30 am (timetable allowing). It is essential that pupils arrive on time for a prompt start.
The pupils’ performances in both the PPEs [mock exams] and the NEA will be used to reorganise sets for January 2023 and provide us with valuable information about what we need to focus on with students in the latter part of Year 11.
I would like to close by asking you to encourage your child to attend all lessons and do their very best in all classwork, homework, NEA tasks and mock exams.
Thank you once more for all your support this year,
Mrs L. M. Taylor
Raising Standards Leader: English & Literacy