English KS4

Key Stage 4

At KS4 the Faculty offers both GCSE English and English Literature through the Welsh Examining Board (WJEC). For most pupils the course is an integrated course, which prepares pupils to gain a GCSE in both English and English Literature.  Ranges of literary and non literary texts are studied throughout the course. These provide the stimulus for much of the work pupils need to cover in order to produce the successful coursework and be prepared for the examination in both subjects.

Coursework

Pupils need to complete six pieces of written coursework and three pieces of oral coursework both worth 20%.

English

1. Reading - Shakespeare play e.g. ' Romeo and Juliet' *
2. Reading - Different cultures e.g. Seamus Heaney *
3. Writing - explore, imagine, entertain or inform, explain, describe
4. Writing - argue, persuade, advise or analyse, review, comment

English Literature

1. Reading -Different cultures e.g. Seamus Heaney *
2. Reading - Shakespeare play e.g. 'Romeo and Juliet' *
3. Pre 1914 Prose e.g. 'Great Expectations' , selection of short stories
4. Pre 1914 Poetry e.g. Robert Browning, Rosetti

Exams

English -there are two 2 hour exams:-

• Paper 1 - reading comprehension (literary text), descriptive writing and writing to imagine, explore or entertain.
• Paper 2 - reading non-fiction and media texts, writing to argue, persuade, advise and anaylse, review, comment.

Literature - one two and a half hour exam:-

• Post 1914 prose text - 'Of Mice and Men' a context question and an essay response
• Post 1914 drama text - ' An Inspector Calls' a context question and an essay response
• Poetry - unseen poetry question