GCSE English Language and Literature
GCSE sessions will run alongside your formal teaching, providing additional support to your curriculum.
Before our first session, I ask that you discuss with your teacher what elements they believe will be best to focus on in our sessions. We will, of course, work on developing all the required skills as we progress through our meetings, but most of our sessions will hold a focus on improving the aspects identified by your teacher. However, I will also ask if there are any aspects YOU feel you want to work on: these are your sessions, and we will tailor them for you.
Our sessions will, ideally, run concurrently with your formal teaching, allowing us the chance to fully develop your skills as opposed to dividing your attention between two different aspects and risking confusion. As we go, we will discuss how different topics can look in the exam paper, and we will set reasonable, short-term goals to highlight your progress through the sessions.
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As we work, we can utilise our sessions to build your revision materials in preparation for your exams. As every students learns in their own unique way, we will adapt your materials to best suit your needs, whether this be mind maps for visual learners, revision videos for auditory learners or simply making detailed notes for reading/writing learners. I will also prepare a series of practice questions for you, to prepare you for the expectations of the exam.
GCSE English Language
For GCSE English Language, students are expected to learn how to:
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read a wide range of texts, fluently and with good understanding
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read critically, and use knowledge gained from wide reading to inform and improve their own writing
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write effectively and coherently using Standard English appropriately
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use grammar correctly, punctuate and spell accurately
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acquire and apply a wide vocabulary, alongside a knowledge and understanding of grammatical terminology
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use linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
(assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7bfd7640f0b63f7572aa8b/GCSE_English_language.pdf)
As a core subject and a requirement for most colleges, sixth forms and universities, English Language is considered one of the most important GCSEs a student should pass. English Language sessions will focus on developing literary techniques, and we will work on a number of the different skills you will need, such as:
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Writing skills, including sentence structures, punctuation and grammar
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Reading skills, such as comprehensive reading tasks
GCSE English Literature
For GCSE English Literature, students are expected to learn how to:
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read a wide range of classic literature fluently and with good understanding, and make connections across their reading
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read in depth, critically and evaluatively, so that they are able to discuss and explain their understanding and ideas
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develop the habit of reading widely and often
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appreciate the depth and power of the English literary heritage
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write accurately, effectively and analytically about their reading, using Standard English
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acquire and use a wide vocabulary, including the grammatical terminology and other literary and linguistic terms they need to criticise and analyse what they read
(assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7ca069e5274a29d8363d20/GCSE_English_literature.pdf)
In English Literature sessions, we will focus on the same topics as your formal teaching, but there will be a focus of developing the analytical skills required of the coursework and exams to ensure you are able to aim for the most marks possible. As you read through the set texts and poetry provided in your formal sessions, our private sessions will draw focus from these sessions, and we will work on ensuring your complete understanding of the text, themes and if applicable, characters.