English

Details of exam

Exam 1: Reading (45 minutes)

1 Response to Prose 1. A question about ‘The Wind Singer’ by William Nicholson. You will be required to write about one of the three extracts that you studied (the extract will be provided in the exam). 2. In your answer, you could also refer to other parts of the novel. 3. The exam question will be worded in this way:

Either:

 How does Nicholson present the character of X in the novel…?

Or:

 How does Nicholson present the theme of … in the novel? / How does Nicholson present ideas about…? 18 5 minutes to plan 40 minutes to write = 45 minutes

Exam 2: Creative Writing (45 minutes)

2 This exam assess your ability to narrate and/or describe. You will choose ONE of two written tasks: A) Either respond to a question that asks you to describe. B) Or respond to a question that asks you to narrate. 18 5 minutes to plan + 30 write + 5 check = 45 minutes

You are assessed on your ability to produce: • A developed response with structure and vocabulary chosen for effect. • Accurate use of a range of punctuation beyond full-stops, commas, capital letters and apostrophes. • Accurate spelling of all words including some ambitious vocabulary. • Accurate use of paragraphs which are shaped for effect.

Marks Timing (planning & writing)

Topics to revise

Reading and writing tasks linked to the three extracts that you studied.

Reading and writing tasks linked to ‘The Wind Singer’ and three extracts that you studied. Creative writing General: Vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Reading and Comprehension Revision

1. Read the practice exams that you have already done, including CATs. 2. What are your targets? 3. Write a list of targets (e.g. use quotation marks, zoom in on words, and answer in more detail). 4. Learn terminology: simile, alliteration, metaphor, personification and onomatopoeia (SAMPO). 5. The best way to develop your comprehension skills is to read as widely as possible outside the classroom.

Creative Writing Revision

1. Revise planning. Remember: one character, one place, one event. 2. In your plan, include: • A range of descriptive words and techniques such as simile , alliteration, metaphor, personification and onomatopoeia. • The senses (sight, sound, touch, smell and taste) • At least one interesting structural feature. Examples: A) A flashback B) A sentence of one paragraph for emphasis C) A maximum of two lines of dialogue • The punctuation marks that you have revised this academic year • Sequencing words and phrases e.g. Then, The next day, I remember when...etc.

Topics to revise continued...

Creative Writing Revision

3. Scatter the ideas from your plan into your writing, remembering to vary your sentences. 4. Keep your eye on the clock so that you finish your story 5 minutes before the end of the exam. 5. Check your work and correct any errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar.

General Topics to Revise Vocabulary

1. Read through your homework in your exercise book. Do you repeat the same words (e.g. ‘nice’)? Use an online thesaurus to makes lists of other words that you might use. 2. Make a list of new vocabulary that you come across in your regular reading in your exercise book. Try and use these words. 3. The best way to increase your vocabulary is to read as widely as possible outside the classroom.

Spelling

1. Read through your homework in your exercise book. 2. Review classwork on spelling rules, advice on how to learn spellings, homophones, etc. 3. Learn the spelling of a few words a day.

Punctuation and Grammar

1. Read through the work from your VSPaG lessons. Learn terminology. 2. Read through your homework in your exercise book: • If you have done additional VSPaG work (e.g. revising TipTop paragraphing rules), review that. • If your teacher has corrected your use of grammar, learn the correction(s). 3. Give yourself grammar targets, so that you do not repeat the same mistakes.

Other tips

Look at interesting pictures and practise planning for ten minutes.

Further revision for spelling, punctuation and grammar is in ‘Mr Bruff’s Guide to Grammar’, which is on the DLS.

Free Rice is a very useful website for developing your vocabulary. The quizzes adjust to accommodate your ability, growing gradually harder as you become more accomplished. Free Rice also provides grammar quizzes. It is also a social enterprise; the more questions you answer correctly, the more rice they donate to charity! http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/1950

Oxford Dictionaries: Spellings is an invaluable website for practising tricky and/or irregular spellings. A small notebook and committing to learning around five of the spellings from this list per week could significantly help you in your English attainment. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/spelling/common-misspellings

BBC Bitesize contains a range of activities and resources to support your development in English: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/z3kw2hv

The VSPaG support is also fantastic: http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/english

General grammar: https://www.grammarbook.com/#google_vignette

Details of exam

This will be a written examination of 1 hour of short questions and longer questions to apply your knowledge.

Topics to revise

Nutrition

Food groups and nutrients – main nutrients and their function.

Eatwell guide and 8 Tips for Eating well and how to apply rules to meals. Food science and commodities Food skills and Health & Safety

Review questions on white sauce making and gelatinization.

Review recipe sheets and skills and also health and safety needed to produce a good quality dish.

Revision tasks to be completed

Use your revision booklet to help you, there is a filled in copy on Sparkjar in the topic called revision.

Other tips

Make sure you give examples in higher mark questions. Remember PEEL – Point, example, evidence and link.