Any a level English teachers about?

[Esker]

Just to share experience really.

Was wondering what the minimum GCSE grade at other schools is to do a English. At ours it is a B, and as English is not a popular subject at ks5 at my school, we only have one class, which means that the spectrum of ability is huge. Some of the kids can barely write a decent sentence and struggle to come up with the most basic of responses to texts, whilst others are flying- I find it incredibly difficult to meet all their varying needs at once!

Anyone else in the same position, and any advice?

Also- and this is just a rant for rant's sake- but I find many of my year 12s diabolically lazy, whilst at the same time bizarrely entitled - ie get really huffy and put out when they get Ds etc in assessments, failing to understand that it takes a bit of work on their part!

I thought it was well accepted that language was seen as soft?

Language and literature combined is a separate course to language. When I did it we studied Shakespeare, Chaucer, Janes Joyce, Grahame Greene etc. On the language side we did the spoken word and creative writing.

This was about 10 years ago, but the specs look pretty similar today.

But you're right, language as a single qualification however was regarded as a 'soft' option at my sixth form.

I teach Language, Lit and the Langlit course. Like them all for different reasons tho language not acceptable to Russell group unis.

We have C grade entry level meaning kids who have been quite rigidly streamed through school suddenly find themselves in a mixed ability set ! I find a mix of the following helpful:-

Sitting them in ability groupings
Sending them back to common room of they are lazy/chatty/on phones etc - I do tell them off and send them away for wasting my time if they having done the reading!
Regular contact with parents of lazier kids - essentially treat them like yr 8 if they don't demonstrate the maturity!
Offer differentiated homework - reading round for the able, skills work for the weaker ones
Individual tutorials while others work on coursework

And of course, they love cake and stickers!!