Year 10

This is when things get really grown-up as there is a lot of work to do. Throughout the year, every pupil is required to produce five pieces of work which contribute to their GCSE exam grade. This is explained in detail if you would like to click on the link below.

Coursework

Most of Year Ten is taken up completing these assignments but there will be breaks. As well as the written work they produce, pupils are required to take part in oral activities which also contribute to their exam grades; one or two of these will probably take place in Year Ten with the remainder in Year Eleven. A brief outline of this is given below.

Oral Assessment

This may be referred to as “Speaking and Listening” or “En1” but basically it means assessment on the spoken word as opposed to writing. The format this takes varies because the exam board requires pupils to speak in a variety of ways such as formal, informal, in a group, independently and in role. There’s no real need to go into a lot of detail here as each teacher will explain what is required and why. What I will do is give you an idea of the kind of things we do and how we do them. Yes, we all know how nerve-wracking it can be to stand up in front of a crowd of people and speak; that’s why we try to help. If someone can’t bare the idea of performing in public teachers will usually arrange a more private situation. Having said that, if you can get over your fear it’s a wonderful feeling and the confidence you get as a result is a reward in itself. Here are two examples of orally assessed activities:

1. Courtroom Debate

This is based on events in “A View From The Bridge” and the class is split into groups of prosecutors and defenders of various characters in the play. Assessment is based on how well pupils put their point across and respond to the points and questions of others. It’s a great activity and discussion often gets heated.

2. Five Minute talks

This is an open task as the topic for the talk, within reason, can be about anything. As you might imagine, these things are often fascinating, ranging from a talk about “The Life and Works of Johnny Depp” to “The Causes of Suicide in Teenagers.”

 

Coursework

There will be some degree of variation in the work required by each individual teacher; this is a response to several factors such as time limitations, pupil ability/circumstances or merely personal preference. We understand that life isn’t always simple and routine and so we believe in a flexible approach to work; this allows us to help our pupils through difficult times. The order in which the assignments are completed is left to the classroom teacher to decide.

1. Shakespeare Assignment.
Commonly used plays: Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice and Hamlet.

If the mere sight of Shakespeare’s name makes you think: Thee, thy and woe is me, don’t worry! We put a lot of time and effort into making Shakespeare accessible to everyone, regardless of ability; nobody (and I mean nobody) has ever been unable to complete an essay if they were willing to try. That’s right, it’s a lot easier to help those who are willing to help themselves.

2. Prose assignment. Pre 1914.
Commonly used texts: Frankenstein, Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Great Expectations.

Now, you could be forgiven for thinking that the books listed above are very difficult and complicated; that’s why we help. For each text, the assignment and support materials are designed and presented to be accessible to the ability of the pupils in the class. A good example of this is “Frankenstein”; without doubt it’s a challenging text but approached in the right way it can be used with pupils who are destined for university or those who find basic literacy skills difficult. One of the wonderful things about English is that there’s usually a story involved and everybody loves a story.

3. Media Assignment.

This assignment can be based on the moving image in the form of an analysis of part of a film or some kind of television programme; it can also be based on written material such as a magazine advertisement or newspaper article. There are a wide variety of different approaches to this piece of work, from an analysis of the opening scene of the film “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” to a written study of a recruitment poster for teaching, taken from The Times Educational Supplement. Media is usually a very popular assignment as it often involves people who didn’t die a hundred years ago.

4. Original Writing Assignment.

This is exactly what it says it is although the form varies depending on the choice of the teacher. The only real requirement of this assignment is that each pupil produces their own piece of writing which matches the style required by the task. An example of this would be to write the first few pages of a story; the writing should be entertaining and interesting. It naturally follows that if your writing is entertaining and interesting it must make good use of spelling, punctuation and grammar; imaginative and well considered descriptions should also feature. Having said all of this, it doesn’t mean that if you’re not J.K Rowling then you’re not going to do well. As always, the most important thing you can do is try; if you do, then we’ll help you do the best you can. Who could ask for more?

5. Twentieth Century Drama
Commonly used texts: Hobson’s Choice, An Inspector Calls, Our Day Out, Educating Rita and A View from The Bridge.

In this assignment we read and analyse a play or, more commonly, a specific part of a play. The essay must focus on the playwright’s craft and all manner of features of the play such as stage directions and dialogue. Hidden meaning, or subtext, is usually a big feature in this assignment and pupils often surprise staff by pointing out things nobody’s ever noticed before. Everyone’s an expert.

Well, that’s the written work covered in Year Ten. It’s not as bad as it looks, we will have some time for oral assignments and a break from the work to just read a story or two and enjoy English for what it is.