EMC/GCSE 2010 Blog 3: What to consider as you start to plan new GCSE courses for 2010

In this blog we’re posing a series of ‘did you realise?’ questions for your department to consider as you begin to plan your GCSE course with the 2010 specifications. These are questions you could think about now, regardless of which exam board you eventually choose, or what the finalised specifications look like.

The questions assume that you already have an understanding of the three Englishes, and of what controlled assessment means. For more information on these topics, have a read of our first two blogs.

We have also brainstormed some possible ways to organise a GCSE offer. As you firm up the route your department is going to take, we would be interested to hear from you about the decisions being made and the discussions taking place.

Did you realise?
• Did you realise that the requirements for English, English Language and Literature overlap? The exam boards are finding various ways to make the most of these overlaps to allow you to make a late decision about who is entered for which exam.

• Did you realise that, because of the overlap, you cannot take English with either English Language or English Literature?

• Did you realise that a ‘C’ in English counts on the A*–C league tables but that a ‘C’ in English Language counts only if the pupil is also entered (yes ‘entered’) for English Literature? This is because a student taking Language only would not have covered all the requirements of the National Curriculum. Only students exempt from National Curriculum requirements (e.g. Post-16 or recently arrived EAL) can take English Language (or Literature) alone.

• Did you realise that all the specifications can be taught in a modular way, with students sitting modules in January or June? Students can retake any module once.

• Did you realise that students can be entered in different tiers for different modules?

• Did you realise that tasks for controlled assessment will be released before the summer holiday for teaching the following year?

• Did you realise that a controlled assessment task must be taken in the same academic year that it is set by the board (because the tasks change each year). For example, a controlled assessment task released by the board in May 2010 is to be taught, taken, assessed and submitted to the board in the academic year beginning September 2010. In other words, with controlled assessment students cannot produce a piece in year 9 or year 10 and redraft it before submitting it in year 11. This may be an issue, if, for example, you currently have a fast track set sitting GCSE at the end of year 10 who complete some coursework towards the end of year 9.

• Did you realise that there is one English Language specification designed to be taken in a year, particularly for mature candidates? This is the AQA B English Language specification.

What might shape might an English GCSE course take in 2010?
Taking all the above points into account, some of the options you could consider include:
• Enter all for English Language + Literature
• Enter all for English Language + Literature, except a group who will not manage Literature. This group are entered for English only, but given same amount of teaching time as the double entry group to boost their grades
• Offer English Language + Literature for students considering A Level English. Everyone else takes English only
• Create a core English course for all in year 10. This could mean students sit an overlapping module in the June examination period of year 10 and/or complete an overlapping controlled assessment task. Then, in year 11, students are re-grouped to continue with either English Language + Literature or English only.
• Offer several different routes for taking two English related GCSEs. For example, some take English Language + Literature, others take English with Media Studies, Drama or Film Studies. Edexcel are also offering or something called ‘English Studies’ which is designed to complement an English course while providing opportunities for work around digital communication and moving image. It can be taken alongside English or English Language and English Literature, allowing a student to achieve three GCSEs in English subjects.

Of course there are various ways to mix and match the above options. The ‘right’ way for your department will be a mixture of pragmatic and idealistic considerations. On one level you will want to debate what would best suit your students, the strengths, weaknesses and resources of your department and how the diplomas are going to affect English teaching and the timetable in your school. On another level you will probably find yourselves debating questions such as whether you want all your students to experience literature at GCSE level, or how you see the place of Media in a GCSE offer suitable for the 21st Century. We also know some departments will have little involvement in the decision, with choices being made for them by senior managers with an eye to such practical considerations as budget, staffing, timetable and A*–C league tables.

Whatever your situation, we would love to hear from you. We are sure that it will be useful for everyone to hear the debates and choices being made around the country.

A big thank you to all of you who have taken the time to write lovely messages about finding the blog useful. Keep us informed about what you think and what you would like next!

Stop Press
The draft specifications, sample assessment materials and draft resources have been published on the web. To check them out, follow these links:

AQA
http://www.aqa.org.uk/resourceZone/englishIndex.php

AQA English
http://www.aqa.org.uk/resourceZone/english.php

AQA English Language A
http://www.aqa.org.uk/resourceZone/englishLangA.php

AQA English Language B
http://www.aqa.org.uk/resourceZone/englishLangB.php

AQA English Literature
http://www.aqa.org.uk/resourceZone/englishLit.php

OCR English
http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/gcsefor2010/english/index.html

OCR English Language
http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/gcsefor2010/english_lang/index.html

OCR English Literature
http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/gcsefor2010/english_lit/index.html

WJEC
http://www.wjec.co.uk/index.php?subject=51&level=7

WJEC English
http://www.wjec.co.uk/uploads/publications/8315.pdf
Sample Assessment Materials: http://www.wjec.co.uk/uploads/publications/8325.pdf

WJEC English Language
Spec: http://www.wjec.co.uk/uploads/publications/8317.pdf
Sample Assessment Materials: http://www.wjec.co.uk/uploads/publications/8321.pdf

WJEC English Literature
Spec: http://www.wjec.co.uk/uploads/publications/8319.pdf
Sample Assessment Materials: http://www.wjec.co.uk/uploads/publications/8323.pdf

Edexcel
http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gcse/gcse10/english/Pages/default.aspx

English
http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gcse/gcse10/english/Documents/GCSE_English_final.pdf

English Lang
http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gcse/gcse10/english/Documents/GCSE_English_Language_final.pdf

English Literature
http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gcse/gcse10/english/Documents/GCSE_English_Literature_final.pdf

English Studies
http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gcse/gcse10/english/Documents/GCSE_English_Studies_final.pdf