AQA English Language
(2015)
AQA English Literature
(2015)
New GCSEs for 2015-17: What’s
changed?
• No coursework or controlled
assessment – all assessment is from
exams in May/June 2017
• A*-G grades are replaced by grades 1-9
• Some changes to texts and unit topics
• More freedom to teach reading and
writing skills!
100% Exam
AQA GCSE English
Language (2015)
AQA GCSE English
Literature (2015)
Explorations in Creative Reading and
Writing
• Reading an ‘unseen’ fiction text
• Descriptive or narrative writing
• 1 hour 45 minutes
• Worth 50% of the GCSE
Shakespeare and the 19th Century
Novel
• One question on Macbeth
• One question on A Christmas Carol
• No copies of the texts
• 1 hour 45 minutes
• 40% of GCSE
Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives
• Comparing two non-fiction texts
• Writing to present a viewpoint
• 1 hour 45 minutes
• Worth 50% of the GCSE
Modern texts and Poetry
• One question on Animal Farm
• One comparative question on poems
from the Poetry Anthology
• One question on an ‘unseen’ poem
• 2 hours 15 minutes
• Worth 60% of the GCSE
Spoken Language
• Assessed by the teacher throughout
• Marked by the teacher
• 0% of the GCSE
A*-G Grades Replaced by 1-9
• Spread of top grades has
been increased to avoid
‘bunching’ at the top
• The rough equivalent of a C
grade is the bottom of
grade 4
• A similar percentage of
pupils nationally are
expected to achieve grades
4-9 as have achieved
grades A*-C in the past
For
your
child:
9
In the
past:
8
A*
7
A
6
B
5
C
4
D
3
E
2
F
1
G
Texts and Unit Topics
Y10
A1
Animal Farm
A2
Poetry
Anthology
Literature
Paper 2
Mock
Y11
Reading non- A Christmas
Fiction
Carol
Lit Paper 1
Mock
Lit Paper 2
Mock
Lang Paper 1
Mock
Sp1
Reading
Literary
Fiction
Sp2
Descriptive/
Narrative
Writing
Lit Paper 2
Mock
Lang Paper 1
Mock
Non-Fiction:
Unseen
Writing from Poetry Skills
a viewpoint / Anthology
Su1
Macbeth
Su2
Macbeth
Lit Paper 2
Mock
Lang Paper 1
Mock
Macbeth
Question
Revision skills
and Exams
More Freedom to Teach English
Skills!
The new course creates more time for:
• Looking at different perspectives on issues raised by
a text
• Understanding the history behind Animal Farm
(Communism and the Russian revolution), Macbeth
(Elizabethan England) and A Christmas Carol
(Victorian England)
• Reading and writing skills that will enhance your
child’s life
What can you do to help?
• Reasoning, forming arguments and
thinking of different perspectives – talk
to them and help them with these skills!
• The Russian Revolution, and
Elizabethan and Victorian England –
test your knowledge and theirs!
• Reading widely and regularly – make
sure your child has a book on the go,
and they have a varied diet of quality
fiction and non-fiction.
• Make sure they have a clear, calm space
to do their homework.
BBC Bitesize is a good
place to go for
curriculum knowledge.