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GCSE from 2010
English Language

Overview

Changing awarding body made easy

Changing awarding body can be a daunting prospect but there are simple ways to minimise the risk and stress. Here are some tips from an experienced Head of Department in an Edexcel pilot school who made the switch.

Above all, remember that if you are unsure about anything, you can always contact a member of the Edexcel support team - they are there to help.
  

Attend the moderator-led INSET at the earliest opportunity
Use a simple spreadsheet* to enable you to record progress against targets
Plan resits carefully to ensure maximum opportunity
Think carefully about when to schedule examined elements – whether examination or controlled assessment
Once you have made your choice, display the specification in ‘student speak’ so everyone knows what they are doing
Design your delivery grid with care
Don't skimp the planning stage


   
Information for AQA centres

Switching from one awarding body to another can be a testing time, but Edexcel’s new specifications have been carefully designed to make this process as painless as possible. A great many of your current teaching resources and texts can be re-used. This table highlights some of the continuities with one of the most popular current options.

AQA specification A Edexcel 2010 specifications 
Original Writing

Unit 3 in English Language asks students to write for the spoken voice, which is similar to the dramatic monologue piece that some centres completed as original writing coursework.
  

Media

Units 1 and 2 in both English and English Language will continue to focus on audience and purpose.
 

Prose Study (Literature)

Great Expectations and Pride and Prejudice are popular novels used in the Prose Study which are included in Edexcel’s English Literature specification.
    

20th Century Drama

Edexcel does not prescribe texts, so students continue to study contemporary drama in the Edexcel specification and texts used with AQA can be used with Edexcel. Students can also respond to drama as a Speaking and Listening piece. There is the added benefit, for boys in particular, of being able to respond using multimodal presentation techniques within the Edexcel specification.
 

Shakespeare

In Unit 3 English Literature, Edexcel will offer a controlled assessment task that closely relates to those completed for AQA; there will be no change for centres here. Free choice of Shakespeare texts means you can re-use your AQA resources.
 

Paper 1 Section A
Reading Non-fiction and Media Texts

Paper 1 reading skills are covered in Unit 1 of Edexcel’s specification for English and English Language, with the added benefit of flexibility and the choice to use more dynamic texts. Language, image and presentation are not fragmented into artificially delineated questions. Students are asked to develop a whole analysis in controlled conditions.
 

Paper 1 Section B
Writing to Argue, Persuade and Advise

Units 1 and 2 in English and English Language continue to focus on the needs of audience and purpose. The mark scheme, like AQA's, splits audience, purpose and structure from QWC.
    

Paper 2 Different Culture Poetry 

Unseen Poetry Skills in Unit 2 English Literature can be taught using AQA anthology materials. Edexcel anthology teaching is very similar to AQA's – with the demand for only two poems to be compared, not four - and is supported by extensive free resources.
  

Paper 2 Section B Writing to Describe, Explain and Inform

Units 1 and 2 in English and English Language continue to focus on the needs of audience and purpose. The mark scheme, like AQA's, splits audience, purpose, structure from QWC. 
  

Literature Section B: Pre- and post-1914 poetry

Heroes, To Kill a Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men can be studied in English, English Language or English Literature, and are all used or have been used by AQA so will be in most department stock cupboards.
 

Literature Section B: Pre- and post-1914 poetry 

English Literature Unit 2 Unseen Poetry Skills can be taught using AQA anthology materials. Edexcel's anthology teaching is very similar to AQA's – with the demand for only two poems to be compared, not four.