English Language

GCSE

English Language, one of our core subjects at GCSE, helps you become a confident communicator. You’ll appreciate how language can shape response and thought, as well as how to craft your own language for effect. The course develops adaptive communication skills and an attentiveness to the small details in texts, sharpening your thinking, strengthening your writing, and preparing you for every subject—and every future—where words matter.

What will I learn at GCSE?

You will develop your reading, writing, and analytical skills through the study of a wide range of texts, including non- fiction, poetry, and prose. You’ll learn how to structure your own writing for maximum impact and how to respond to structural features in texts. You’ll practise adjusting language to suit different contexts and audiences, both in imaginative and transactional writing. Alongside expressing yourself clearly and effectively, you will develop the ability to communicate about how language shapes the world around us, appreciating the power of words to influence thought, feeling, and perspective.

How is the course structured?

The course includes one examined component and one coursework component. For the exam, you study a selection of non-fiction texts and practise writing for different real-world purposes, learning to analyse language by imitating styles and techniques from accomplished writers. There is plenty of scope for imaginative and creative thinking, balanced with building a technical skill set to break down how writing works. For the coursework, you complete two assignments: one analytical essay comparing three literary texts from the anthology, and one piece of imaginative writing where you apply the techniques you have studied to craft your own original work.

How is the course examined?

Sixty percent of the course is assessed through a two-hour and fifteen-minute exam focusing on non-fiction reading and transactional writing. In the reading section, you will respond to an unseen text and compare it to an anthology text through a range of comprehension, analysis, and comparative tasks. Strong communication and careful reading are essential, with plenty of overlap in the skills required for the Literature course. The remaining 40% is assessed through coursework: two written assignments completed under controlled conditions and marked internally.