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English

AIMS

The aim of the English curriculum at Bedford Free School is to combine what we believe to be the essentials of literacy in the traditional sense of reading and writing with the broader notion of cultural literacy. To ensure the former, we have a rigorous, knowledge-based approach to grammar, spelling and punctuation. For the latter we ensure our students are introduced to what might be regarded as ‘difficult texts’ from year 7.  Combined with our daily DEAR (drop everything and read) sessions, pupils at BFS are able to draw upon a broad range of social and historical ‘contexts’, which may be applied to many other texts of similar periods, genres and linguistic structures.

Whilst there is much to ‘memorise’ in English at BFS (in terms of cultural, thematic, contextual and linguistic features) we encourage active teaching and learning. Our teachers demonstrate and explain, but also continually interact with pupils through well-constructed questioning. All Key Stage 3 pupils are required to learn a Shakespeare speech off by heart each year, but they are also given the opportunity to act and bring this great poetry to life. We also believe that all pupils should be given the opportunity to practice public speaking and practically employ the age-old features of oratory and rhetoric for public speaking, which they will have identified in their reading.

With the combined knowledge, understanding and practical skills acquired in the study of English Language and Literature at BFS, we firmly believe all pupils will be well prepared for future academic progress at 6th Form, University and lifelong learning. They will be literate in every sense of that word, and ready to use, understand and interpret the English language throughout their lives.

Key Stage 3

Year 7

Our Year 7 curriculum aims to consolidate important fundamentals: grammatical knowledge; accuracy in writing, and joined up handwriting. Pupils begin to explore what it means to ‘study’ English as a discipline, through modern retellings of ancient stories, and finishing the year with Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and an introduction to understanding playscripts and archaic parts of speech.

Year 8

Our Year 8 curriculum aims to teach pupils how to write descriptively and discursively. Pupils are introduced to different literary forms and themes, including a more detailed discussion of poetic devices and conventions, and they continue to build their understanding of literary chronology through the Early Modern period.

Year 9

Our Year 9 curriculum aims to pull together the work of the previous two years, as pupils learn how to combine ideas into more extended analytical writing. Texts are drawn from the Romantic, Victorian and Modern periods, as pupils begin to think about how politics and ideologies can influence literature.

Key Stage 4

English Literature GCSE

Assessments

  • All assessments are closed book: any stimulus materials required will be provided as part of the assessment.
  • All assessments are compulsory.

Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel

What’s assessed?

  • Shakespeare – Macbeth
  • The 19th-century novel: A Christmas Carol

How it’s assessed:

  • Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • 64 marks
  • 40% of GCSE
  • Questions

Section A – Shakespeare: students will answer one question on Macbeth. They will be required to write in detail about an extract from the play and then to write about the play as a whole. In preparation they will study context, close reading for language and overall themes and characters.

Section B – The 19th-century novel: pupils will answer one question on A Christmas Carol. They will be required to write in detail about an extract from the novel and then to write about the novel as a whole. In preparation they will study context, close reading for language and overall themes and characters

Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry

  • Modern drama texts: An Inspector Calls
  • The poetry anthology: Power and Conflict
  • Unseen poetry

How it is assessed:

  • A written exam: 2 hour 15 minutes
  • 96 marks
  • 60% of GCSE
  • Questions

Section A – Modern texts: pupils will answer one essay question (34 marks) from a choice of two on their An Inspector Calls

Section B – Poetry: pupils will answer one comparative question (30 marks) on one named poem printed on the paper and one other poem from their chosen anthology cluster.

Section C – Unseen poetry: Pupils will answer one question on one unseen poem (24 marks) and one short (8 mark) question comparing this poem with a second unseen poem.

 

English Language GCSE

Subject content

  • Explorations in creative reading and writing
  • Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives
  • Non-exam assessment

For the award of the GCSE in English Language pupils must offer all three assessments.

Assessments:

All texts in the examination will be unseen.

Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing

Section A – Reading: One unseen prose fiction text

Section B – Writing: Descriptive or narrative writing

How it’s assessed:

  • Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • 80 marks
  • 50% of GCSE

Questions

Reading (40 marks) (25%) – one single text

  • 1 short form question (1 x 4 marks)
  • 2 longer form questions (2 x 8 marks)
  • 1 extended question (1 x 20 marks)
  • Writing (40 marks) (25%)
  • 1 extended writing question (24 marks for content, 16 marks for technical accuracy)

Paper 2: Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives

Section A: Reading: One non-fiction text and one literary non-fiction text

Section B: Writing: Writing to present a viewpoint

How it’s assessed:

  • Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • 80 marks
  • 50% of GCSE

Questions

Reading (40 marks) (25%) – two linked texts

  • 1 short form question (1 x 4 marks)
  • 2 longer form questions (1 x 8, 1 x 12 marks)
  • 1 extended question (1 x 16 marks)
  • Writing (40 marks) (25%)

Writing (40 marks) (25%)

  • 1 extended writing question (24 marks for content, 16 marks for technical accuracy)

Non-examination Assessment: Spoken Language

Presenting/responding to questions and feedback use of Standard English

How it’s assessed:

  • teacher set throughout course
  • marked by teacher
  • separate endorsement (0% weighting of GCSE)

Department contact

Mr Scanlan, Head of English: gscanlan@bedfordfreeschool.co.uk

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