English at ACE

All pupils complete an online baseline Reading assessment on entry to ACE to establish their reading age. This will be re-assessed later in the academic year.

KS3:
In Key stage 3 we follow the National Curriculum, supported by EDUQAS. This curriculum has been designed to identify gaps in pupil knowledge and address them in line with curriculum expectations.  The introduction of more challenging texts and a focus on retaining key information on character, plot and themes and will help students to experience a rich and broad curriculum, despite being on a reduced timetable. By repeated practise in extended writing and redrafting, students will be able to hone their skills of reading and writing with a focus on improving levels of technical accuracy and vocabulary which will aid their communication in all subjects.

Assessment:
Progress through the Curriculum involves 3 summative assessments throughout the year. This has been designed to check prior knowledge, new learning and knowledge application in unfamiliar contexts. Teachers will identify appropriate points in the National Curriculum to assess pupil knowledge and understanding in order to progress confidently with the next stage. These assessments will also indicate if a pupil requires intervention as a form of subject support.
 
​The assessment system has been designed alongside our schemes of learning to ensure regular assessment of reading, writing and spoken language across a range of different genres and contexts. The assessment will be used to identify students ability and ensure they are secure in their understanding of key concepts before they move on and to target intervention swiftly and effectively where it is needed. We will assess students’ progress in reading, writing and spoken language through classwork, homework and spelling tests.

KS4: EDUQAS GCSE English Language and EDUQAS GCSE English Literature
At ACE we offer students the opportunity to complete a GCSE in English Language and for some students a chance to complete a GCSE in English Literature. The GCSE is now graded from 9-1 and students are helped with their studies by us providing extra revision days and attending after school clubs.

Language: The students’ will build on skills learnt at KS3 to enhance them with the knowledge and techniques taught at KS4. Students will cover all areas of the exam paper which includes creative writing, reading, comparing two texts and writing for a purpose. The exam consists of two papers.

Assessment:
Paper 1: Section A – Reading = 20%. You are advised to spend 1 hour on this section.
Read one and a half pages of a story from the 20th Century. You will be asked 5 questions.
Section B – Writing = 20%. You are advised to spend 45 minutes on this section.

Paper 2: Section A – Reading = 30%. You are advised to spend 1 hour on this section.
You will be given 2 pieces of non-fiction texts to read; you will then be asked to answer 6 questions; this is considered by most pupils to be the easier of the two sections.
Section B – Writing = 30%. You are advised to spend 1 hour on this section.

Literature: The students’ will be able to study an array of Literature texts from different periods as well as studying poems from the anthology. The exam consists of two papers:
 
Paper 1- (40%) You are given 2 hours to complete the paper.
Section A- Shakespeare (20%) Romeo and Juliet or Macbeth
Section B- Poetry (20%) Analyse a poem from the Anthology and compare two poems
 
Paper 2- (60%) You are given 2 hours 30 minutes to complete the paper.
Section A (20%) Post 1914 Prose/Drama- ‘Blood Brothers’/ ‘An Inspector Calls’
Section B (20%) 19th Century Prose- ‘A Christmas Carol’
Section C (20%) Unseen Poetry
 
Regular extended writing produced in class books will be used to assess progress and identify how students might improve. Homework will be set regularly and will be integral in assessing students’ ability to work and apply the skills they have learnt independently. The teacher will use this assessment to inform their planning, support individuals and adapt lessons accordingly to their class.
Useful Websites

www.gcsebitesize.co.uk