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English

Functional Skills English - Level 1 and 2

The Functional Skills English qualifications are designed to build upon students’ understanding of reading, writing and speaking, listening and communication to prepare students successfully for real life situations. There is an external exam for reading and writing. For the speaking and listening component, students participate in a group discussion and give a presentation.

GCSE English Language

This GCSE in English Language develops the skills required for critical reading and comprehension, summary and synthesis, evaluation of a writer’s choice of vocabulary, comparing texts, producing clear and coherent texts, writing for impact, presenting information and ideas, responding to spoken language and using spoken Standard English.

The qualification is made up of two externally-assessed examination components, assessing both reading and writing, and one internally assessed non-examination component, assessing speaking and listening skills. The component 1 paper is based on fiction. The reading section is an analysis of a narrative extract and in the writing section students produce a short story. In component 2, students analyse and compare two non-fiction texts in the reading section. In the writing section, students produce two non-fiction text types (letter, review, article etc). For the assessment of speaking and listening, students plan and deliver a presentation to an audience.