Please note this course is available to adults only. Applicants have to be 19 or over at the start of the academic year.
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Overview
The course will give you a full GCSE qualification in English Language. This is an exciting, innovative and enjoyable course which culminates in the new GCSE examination in English Language, which was first sat in June 2017. New initiatives mean that coursework, or controlled assessment essays, are no longer a part of the course. Instead there are two examination papers at the end: paper 1 is entitled ‘Explorations in creative reading and writing’, and paper 2 is called ‘Writer’s viewpoints and perspectives’. -
Entry Requirements
A previous English existing qualification is required to begin the course i.e. Functional Skills or GCSE English D-E. Once you apply for this course, you will be invited in to College to undertake an assessment (around 2 hour commitment). This assessment will help teaching staff determine what level of knowledge you already have, and offer you a place on the most suitable level for you. This may be Functional Skills to start with, but you will be given the opportunity to progress to GCSE in due course. -
Assessment Types
The course assessment is by external examination. These exams all take place at Keighley College in exam conditions under the control of external invigilators. -
Units/Modules
On paper 1, the focus is on a passage from a work of fiction with questions to follow, and one essay based on a picture stimulus. On paper 2 the reading sources will be non-fiction texts, especially a newspaper or magazine article. Again there are a set of questions that follow and finally an essay to argue, persuade or discuss an issue. You will progress in your own writing and develop your abilities to write clearly, confidently and accurately and use more ambitious vocabulary. Spelling, punctuation and grammar area also studied alongside reading and writing skills; these essential skills are normally taught via the use of Google classroom workshops which enable students to work at their own pace. -
Benefits/Skills
The GCSE course aims to develop the individual student’s reading and comprehension skills, including identifying key themes and ideas, how to support points with reference to the text, summarising the main points in a text, and reading between the lines and analysing a writer’s choice of language. You will also learn to develop your critical and thinking skills.