Category: GCSE English Language
Protected: Paper 1 WTM resource booklet
PPE feedback lesson 1
Year 11 had their results today. This is the first time they have taken both papers to know what their overall achievement in all of these areas is. In lessons they have reflected on these papers and completed a visual representation of their progress. This allows students to see immediately where their areas for development are across the 5 questions on each paper. All students have been given individualised targets on 2 reading question and the writing questions on both papers.
Moving on, students know exactly what they need to do to improve their skills. This will in turn, improve their grades. Students have identified their next steps and now need to take ownership of these and start to improve those skills.
How can I revise?
The Eggcellent Easter Revision Timetable
Year 11! You asked for it (well, you didn’t) – and here it is.
A day-by-day plan for revising for your English Literature GCSE, with plenty of activities to help prepare you for both the real final literature exams, which are all too soon.
The Eggcellent Easter Revision Timetable for GCSE English Literature 2019
(Click on the hyperlink above for a higher resolution version.)
If you’re aiming for a grade 9, why not check out this amazing blog with example essays for everything as well as these cheeky essays on every poem!
You can find our GCSE Language Revision Folders by clicking on the link at the top of this page. Don’t forget all of the useful audio you’ll find too by clicking on GCSE Playlists. You should know the password. If not: email Mr Smith (m.smith@lutterworthcollege.com).
Enjoy!
Revising for GCSE English Language: Our Top Tips
On Tuesday 7th June, you’ll be taking your two English Language exams back-to-back. Together, they account for 60% of the overall GCSE grade. Here are our top tips for preparing for the papers. With a little luck, you’ll know most of this already!
1. Know what to expect! We cannot stress this enough. You should know exactly what your papers will look like, what kinds of question you’ll be asked, and how long you should be spending on each task. You can find all of the past papers here, and our 8-page revision guide gives you everything you need to know about timing and approaches to each question.
2. Make use of ActiveTeach. It’s packed with guidance on both the Unit 1 (Reading) and Unit 2 (Writing) papers. You can access it here, where you’ll also find a guide as to how to find what you need.
3. Have a look at the exemplar student work we’ve uploaded to the blog. You’ll find A* examples of all seven different types of writing you could be asked to produce for the Unit 2 paper – as well as some top grade mock exam responses.
4. Read the examiners’ reports we put together for you after each mock exam. We’ve pointed out the most common mistakes students made so that you can avoid making them yourselves!
5. Have a go at some of our tests designed to improve the accuracy of your writing. You’ll be emailed your scores a few minutes after you submit your answers.
6. Read, read, read! We’ve put together a list of ‘Quick Reads’ for you – texts that can all be read in around 5 minutes – that’ll help you to practise your reading skills, and they might give you ideas for your writing tasks too. The best writers are the ones who’ve read widely. Be one of them!
And that’s it, Year 11.
Good luck. We have total confidence in you!
Year 10: Writing with a viewpoint assessment
Right then, Year 10!
In your English lessons after half term, you’ll be completing a 45-minute exam-style assessment in which you give your point of view on a contentious statement.
The statement will be provocative – something designed to get you thinking – and you’ll be asked to write one of the following types of text:
– A formal letter
– A speech
– An article
While we can’t tell you the specific task you’ll be completing – as that would be cheating, of course – we will tell you that the topic will be social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
Over half term, we recommend completing the following tasks to ensure you are fully prepared for the assessment:
– Read the section on Writing with a viewpoint in your My Revision Notes study guides. (You can buy these from the library; details here.)
– Read and make notes on this presentation.
– Watch this TED talk in which Sherry Turkle looks at the downsides of social media.
– Read this article from the BBC which explores the positives and negatives of social networking.
Have a think about your own views on social networks. Do you you think they bring us together, or push us apart?
Remember: your piece of writing will be marked out of 40, with 24 marks for AO5 (content) and 16 marks for AO6 (accuracy). To that end, you might find it useful to complete some of the sections on Using effective punctuation and Improving sentences and grammar in your My Revision Notes books.
Any questions? See your English teacher.
Good luck!
Year 11! Want to see a couple of A* writing papers?
You’ve come to the right place, as usual!
Earlier this month, our Year 11 students completed a mock Unit 2 (Writing) exam. The tasks set were as follows:
Below, you’ll find some of our own students’ responses to these tasks.
All of the exemplars achieved A*s – so they’re well worth a read to see the kind of writing that secures the highest marks.
The Ultimate Homophone Megatest
You asked for it* and here it is at last: The Ultimate Homophone Megatest!
Score 20/20 to be in with a chance at an exciting** prize.
Good luck!
* You probably didn’t.
** It’s probably not.
Year 11: have a goosey at this A* report
The task we set our Year 11 students was a tricky one:
Experts have predicted that by the year 2020 one third of the United Kingdom population could be obese. The principal at your school is looking at ways to address the problem, and has asked you – as head of the student council – to offer a student view.
Write a report for the principal in which you look at the ways in which the obesity epidemic could be tackled in your school.
Here’s a superb exemplar from one of our students. It’s on its way to full marks – and a certain A*.
What do you think?
Year 11: Want to see some top-grade speeches?
Bingo! You’ve come to the right place.
We asked students in Year 11 to complete the following task:
The principal at your school has asked you to help organise a series of fundraising events for the charity Sport Relief. You have been given a slot in a forthcoming school assembly to encourage students at your school to get involved.
Write the speech that you will deliver in the assembly.
Click on the link below to see 2 A* exemplars produced by students at the college.
English at Lutterworth College 