English Literature GCSE - Paper 1 - 'Macbeth and 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde' OR 'A Christmas Carol'  

English Literature GCSE - Paper 2 - 'Animal Farm' OR 'DNA', Poetry Anthology, Unseen Poetry and Unseen Poetry Comparison.  

Steps to success: 

Revision Tools/ Tasks 

• The set texts need to be re-read at home, more than once. The set texts need to be highlighted and annotated with themes and characters and key quotes identified. 
• The set texts can be listened to via audio books, links sent on Class Charts, there are also film/ Tv versions which can be watched and enjoyed as family and many abridged versions and cartoons available on YouTube, BBC Bite Size, SparkNotes and the GCSE Pod.  
• The CGP Guides to the literature texts have a unique digital code that allows online content full of quizzes and the GCSE Pod has a quiz on each of the texts.  
• Knowledge organizers about each of the texts and poems have been given out, in bright poster friendly large format, these are ideas to display around the house, study or bedroom to help revisions. 
• Ensure you know the characters and themes of each book, along with the narrative sequence and chapter numbers.  
• Make sure you know about the writer of each text and their background and the ear in which they wrote. Be secure in referring correctly to the Jacobian Era ('Macbeth') the Victorian Era ('Jekyll & Hyde'/ 'Christmas Carol') and the various eras when the 15 different poems were written. 
• Poetry Anthology should be fully annotated, and all poems read and studied several times. 
• Unseen Poetry can be studied with the help of the GCSE pod, YouTube videos of Mr. Bruff for the target grades of 4's and 5's and Mr. Salles for the target grades of 6 and above. 
• All poetry terminology needs to be learnt and applied in each poetry exam, consistent and correct use of terminology will ensure success. 
• Please revise each poem from the anthology in small manageable chunks, pair up the poems into themes and which poem would compare well to another.  

To move from your current Grade of a 3 to an actual Grade 4 - English Literature   

• You need to reread the set texts in full - not just use guides. The books need to be read over the course of a few days only for maximum impact. Set aside three to four hours over the course of a weekend to sit and read.  
• When writing about the set texts make sure you know the history of the time it was written in and who wrote the texts, and why. Use this knowledge in your exam answers. 
• When writing part B of your 'Macbeth', 'Jekyll & Hyde' or 'Christmas Carol' you need to use quotes about the character or theme in the text as whole. You will need to learn a handful of quotes. 
• Do not forget the basics of spelling, punctuation and grammar and the correct use of capital letters - especially on names like Banquo, Boxer and Utterson. 
• In your 'Animal Farm' or 'DNA' exam you will not have any extracts to support you so all quotes need to be learnt - to ensure a grade 4 you must learn relevant quotes. 
• Your essay must be planned before you start and have three clear points in it that focus on the question being asked. 
• When writing about quotes always state what the word type is that you have quoted (noun, verb, adjective etc.) and why the writer chose that word. 
• Make a clear comparison in your poetry essay and make sure you write the same amount for each poem.  
• Always refer to the questions asked to check you have answered as fully as possible. 
• Write for the whole of the time allowed. 

To move your current grade of a 4 to an actual grade 5 - English Literature  

• You need to reread the set texts in full.  For a grade 5 you should be on the third to fourth reading of the whole text. 
• When writing about the set texts make sure you know the full range of AO3 points including the history of the era it was crafted in and the reason and purpose behind its production, short and relevant autobiographical details. Use this knowledge in your exam answers. 
• When writing part B of your 'Macbeth', 'Jekyll & Hyde' or 'Christmas Carol' you need to use quotations about the steer of the question in the text as whole. A range of short, insightful quotes will need to be learnt along with their subsequence connotations. 
• In your 'Animal Farm' or 'DNA' exam you will not have any extracts to support you so all quotations will need to be memorised - to ensure a grade 5 you must learn a wide range of short and relevant quotes. 
• Your essay must be planned before you start and have four strong, key points that focus on the steer of the question. 
• When writing about quotes always state what the word type that you have quoted (noun, verb, adjective etc.) and why the writer chose that word, what impact did that word choice have on the reader? What imagery did it create? This is the same for all figurative language techniques you discover - analyse why they have been chosen, and for what impact. 
• Make a clear comparison in your poetry essay, a well-balanced, even, solid comparison structure, using three points per poem. Ensure a plan is made before you start writing. 
• Always refer to the steer of the questions asked and spend a few moments at the end to check you have answered as fully as possible. 
• Write for the whole of the time allowed. 

To achieve the highest grades in English Literature Paper 1 and Paper 2 

• Strictly adhere to the timings of the exam. Every question across the two papers has a time limit on it, and not running over the allotted time per question will allow the correct focus being given to higher weighted questions. 
• Being familiar with the layout, timings, wording, and expectations of the exam papers - see Class Charts, Google, CGP Guides or your teacher for copies of papers. 
• Plan your answers for higher mark questions, the plan will allow you to keep on track and produce a well-structured, insightful piece of writing. Equally weight Part A and Part B of the papers, for a logical essay and full marks. 
• Correct use of quotations and quote marks - ensure that all words that are taken from the text are in quote marks, make sure they are analysed and do not use a long quote. Higher grades are rewarded to pupils who can analysis and say a lot about a little - keep the quote short and focused.  
• Know your terminology - apply the terminology correctly, do not shy away from using it through all your English exams. 
• Wide, impressive vocabulary will be needed in both papers, learn the correct terms which can be unique to set texts -for example Macbeth weakness his hamartia.  
• Be able to apply in-depth AO3 knowledge about The Elizabethan World Order, or Robert Louis Stevenson's allegorical morality tale about drug misuse of the 1800's - be able to link Charles' Dicken's traumatic childhood to his purpose of crafting this novella.   
• Top grades in literature of based around the mark schemes key words of "Exploratory" and "Insightful". The pupils have to be confident enough in their own knowledge and understanding of the set texts and poems that they can make new and deeper links between characters, writers, and themes. The insight can be unique and unusual and often the top grades go to the pupil who bravely creates their ideas or perspectives about a piece of writing. The pupil who explores a text and sees a link or fresh perspective in a play, novel or poem tends towards top grades.