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Are there still 2 English GCSEs?

28 replies

wineoclocktimeye · 24/10/2014 21:35

Language and literature?

Watch Educating the East End and they seem just to be talking about a 'English' GCSE

OP posts:
NeedaDiscoNap · 24/10/2014 21:36

Yes, language and literature. For some reason they referred to one of them as 'poetry'. Odd. (Obviously poetry is part of the lit exam, but it involves other things).

wineoclocktimeye · 24/10/2014 21:44

Thank you

OP posts:
BackforGood · 24/10/2014 21:44

Yes.

For A-level, you can choose

Eng Lit
Eng Lan
Eng Lit and Lang! (as in, this is one A-level )

BobPatandIgglePiggle · 24/10/2014 21:48

You can do a gcse in just 'English' wjec board I think

Thehedgehogsong · 24/10/2014 21:50

Yes there are but the two are taught in the same English class so kids probably don't distinguish the two.

mummytime · 24/10/2014 22:18

Maybe in Wales you can do just English, but until you are 16 (could be 18) in England you have to study for both - I think thats what I read.

Bunbaker · 24/10/2014 22:20

DD is doing both language and literature. I wonder if they just do one GCSE for foundation English?

ElephantsNeverForgive · 24/10/2014 22:25

Yes and no.
Top Sets do lit and Lang in the same lessons and DD1 did of mice and men for both, so it was very confusing.

Lower sets may do only English Lang and lowest ability groups may do a non GCSE English exam.

Our school had an awful lot of English on their timetable because a Ofsted are in love with it and we had to get back on their good side.

My dyslexic DD1 is not very taken with Ofsted Grin

BobPatandIgglePiggle · 24/10/2014 22:26

Our college just does 'English' for resits in one school. My school within the same college does both Language and Literature.

skylark2 · 25/10/2014 09:41

Yes there are still both, but people who are talking about "passing English" in the sense that getting a GCSE grade C or not is a big issue will be talking about English Language. Eng Lit isn't individually important - it's just another GCSE.

Agggghast · 25/10/2014 10:35

Currently a child can take GCSE English, a combined course where the Literature element is covered through Controlled Assessments, or GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature. From 2015 the English course will cease to exist.

Greengrow · 25/10/2014 19:01

All the schools with brighter pupils and academic private and state schools which are selective will require every child to do two separate GCSEs -English lit and English lang. Don't let a school con you into doing less. At A level only English lit is a university facilitating subject - again don't be conned into doing A level English lang.

TombStoneTessie · 25/10/2014 19:49

Ds is just studying GCSE English and is in Year 10. Does that mean he is wasting his time if it ceases to exist in 2015?

straggle · 26/10/2014 08:20

I know someone who has just done English Lit, English Lang and History at A-level (and achieved As) and got offers from Russell Group universities.

tywysogesgymraeg · 26/10/2014 08:25

Actually there are three English GCSEs. My DDs did English Media GCSE as well.

Flopsyfreddie · 26/10/2014 08:29

There are 3 options for English

1 - english literature
2 english language
3 - English paper

A lot of schools do the lit and Lang - ESP for the higher sets.

If you don't do both, then you do the 'english' exam. This exam comprises parts of both lit and Lang. Lit stuff is mostly controlled assessment, language is bit of ca and all of exam.

And he is not wasting time doing it. It is still a gcse in English, it make no real difference which one it is.

Flopsyfreddie · 26/10/2014 08:30

English a nd media are separate subjects. There is a media(ish) element in the gcse exam,mbut there is not an English media gcse.

Bunbaker · 26/10/2014 08:34

What is English Media? Is it not media studies? If so, it doesn't come under the English GCSE umbrella.

tywysogesgymraeg · 26/10/2014 09:47

No. Its not media studies. Its English Media. The kids in the fast track English stream did it as an extra GCSE. Media Studies was offered separately.

When I was in school a hundred years ago I also did an extra English O Level called Use of English. Its similar to that, with less grammar.

Greengrow · 26/10/2014 09:51

Yes, the person who said english lit, english lang and history for university for A levels - that includes two facilitation subjects 0 English lit and history so is an okay choice. However if someone just had english lang and not 2 facilitating subjects that would not be so good.

Of course for those who will find it hard to pass GCSEs some of the easier options are not wrong to choose as long as parents and teenagers are aware of the implications of those choices.

Bunbaker · 26/10/2014 10:00

I can't find English Media listed as a GCSE. Which exam board is it?

Flopsyfreddie · 26/10/2014 11:04

It is possible to do AQA media studies in a year - they have a double award course and a single award course. we do the double, but a lot of schools do the single over 2 years (as normal gcses). However some schools will do the single award (so equivalent of 1 gcse) in a year for their top sets if they take English a year early. It is still the media GCSE though.

Not heard of English media - could it be that is how your school 'sold' it to you?

Bunbaker · 26/10/2014 11:05

Perhaps English media as a GCSE is now defunct?

littlesupersparks · 26/10/2014 11:11

Nearly all our students are entered for two - English Language and English Literature. Our lowest set this year is just taking English GCSE - this combines Lit and Lang parts of the syllabus. Most years the whole cohort does two but we judge it on a year-by-year basis.

Agggghast · 26/10/2014 20:22

Sorry Ty your school just did Media Studies as an add on to English. AQA in particular sold this option when they launched the course in 2010. Not that there is anything wrong with Media Studies unless it is done at the expense of Lit which Is unlikely since that is needed to validate English Language. However if it is done in addition to just English that can be a problem for university.

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