English Course Information

Courses offered

(including Key Stage)

AQA Entry Level Certificate in English(KS4)

AQA GCSE English(KS4/ KS5)

OCR Functional Skills in English (KS5)

Course outline - AQA Entry Level Certificate

The course consists of five controlled assessments (two Reading, two Writing and one Speaking and Listening), a minimum of two of which must be externally set modules. The course does not involve a final examination. The programme of study involves pupils exploring texts and developing writing skills in response to the examination board’s set themes (eg Leisure, Work) and completing one of their controlled assessments each term.

*Course outline - AQA GCSE English

GCSE English currently consists of a substantial coursework component (in the form of five written controlled assessments), a Speaking and Listening component and a final examination. Pupils will complete the five written controlled assessments- three Reading, two Writing - over the first four and a half terms, alongside the speaking and listening assessments, with the final half term allocated exclusively to prepare for the final examination. The three Reading assessments involve an in-depth study of extended drama, prose and poetry texts to include Shakespeare, the English Literary Heritage and Other Cultures.

*Course outline - OCR Functional Skills in English

Pupils undertake a programme of study which relates English skills in speaking and listening, reading and writing to real-life demands such as applying for college or booking holidays. Each term pupils develop their skills through a different theme. Final assessment takes place at the end of the course and consists of three formal assessments across the three strands; pupils are entered for the level they are likely to achieve and, if successful, can continue with Functional Skills at a higher level the following year.

Course Coverage- AQA Entry Level Certificate

Y1 Autumn

Y1 Spring

Y1 Summer

Leisure (Reading/ Writing)

Reading For Pleasure (Reading)

Storytelling (Writing)

Y2 Autumn

Y2 Spring

Y2 Summer

Work (Reading/ Writing)

Drama (Speaking and Listening

Media (Reading/ Writing)

Course Coverage- AQA GCSE

Y1 Autumn

Y1 Spring

Y1 Summer

Writing- Responding to Moving Image

Touching the Void (Prose Study)

Writing- Prompts and Recreations

Poetry- English Literary Heritage

Y2 Autumn

Y2 Spring

Y2 Summer

Romeo and Juliet- Shakespeare study

Poetry- Different Cultures

Writing- Me, Myself, I

Final examination preparation

Course Coverage- OCR Functional Skills

Y1 Autumn

Y1 Spring

Y1 Summer

Discovering Sandwell

My First Job Application

Planning a Day Trip

Y2 Autumn

Y2 Spring

Y2 Summer

Planning a Holiday

Reading for Pleasure- responding to a prose text

Special Events

Methods of Assessment

AQA ELC- Pupils complete 5 controlled assessments over the 2-year course- two Writing units, two Reading units and one Speaking and Listening unit. Each unit is teacher-assessed and externally moderated. There is no final examination.

AQA GCSE- Pupils complete five written controlled assessments (worth 40% of the total mark) and three Speaking and Listening Assessments (0% weighting). Each task is teacher-assessed and externally moderated. A final examination (focused on non-fiction texts) carries 60% of the final mark.

OCR Functional Skills- At the end of the course, pupils complete three controlled assessments- Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening, which are teacher- assessed and externally moderated.  Each unit can be completed at a different level according to pupils’ abilities/prior attainment (eg pupils might complete Reading and Writing at Entry 2, but Speaking and Listening at Entry 3)