GCSE and iGCSE
English language and literature
Rates
AQA | Cambridge | Edexcel |OCR Exam Boards
£45-£50 per hour | Years 9, 10 & 11
Service
Continuous appraisal of your child's aptitude to meet the KS4 Assessment Objectives | Lesson Plans and Teaching Objectives aligned with the National Curriculum | Planning and preparation before lessons to ensure that each session provides what your child specifically needs | Creation and/or downloading of educational resources | Additional subject and/or pedagogical research, as required | Regular post-lesson feedback | Brief reviews of any written work/answers sent to me at least 24 hours before the lesson (for a more comprehensive review, please see details below)
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See the latest offers for details!
Aims
To appreciate the depth and power of the English literary heritage | To analyse a writer’s choice of vocabulary, form, grammatical and structural features | To evaluate a writer's effectiveness and impact | To adapt a student's writing for a wide range of purposes and audiences | To restructure writing to improve coherence, consistency and clarity | To speak confidently, audibly and effectively
Texts
​Macbeth | Romeo & Juliet | Midsummer Night's Dream | Jane Eyre | Pride and Prejudice | The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde | War of the Worlds | A Christmas Carol | The Sign of Four | Journey's End | Lord of the Flies | Animal Farm | An Inspector Calls | Of Mice & Men | A View from the Bridge | Blood Brothers
Poetry, fiction and non-fiction anthologies
Topics
Language
Each exam board assesses students' reading and writing skills for two papers that comprise the English language GCSE. One paper focuses on fiction, whilst the other focuses on non-fiction.
The English language GCSE requires students to satisfy six different Assessment Objectives, while the English literature GCSE covers only four, so for many of my students, the language GCSE is the most challenging.
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In school, students often practise answering questions from past papers to prepare for the language exam. However, because the English language GCSE requires students to be adept at various skills, and each student is different, many students can often be ill-prepared for the final exams.
One-to-one tuition allows me to understand and manage individual concerns, needs and learning styles. Through repeated, collaborative practice that is paced effectively, I can ensure that my students master each of the assessment objectives in time for the exams.
Creative writing
Creative writing is a topic included in the English language fiction paper and is the question with the highest marks.
In my experience, students are either extremely confident in their creative writing or struggle to know where to start. For many, tuition allows them to practise creative writing at a pace that is appropriate to them. Together, we clarify means of expression, investigate new vocabulary, and celebrate language in a way essay-writing doesn't allow.
Poetry
My absolute favourite!
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Some students have a fear of poetry that is almost always vanquished during one-to-one tuition. For many, the biggest challenge is allowing themselves to think and, most importantly, feel. Tuition allows me to explain, clarify and demonstrate the technical language of poetry, giving students the confidence to explore their interpretations.
For many of my students, it is the revelation of poetry's experimental use of language and structure that leaves than with the legacy of its infinite magic.
Shakespeare
Shakespeare is a staple of our literary heritage, and whether your teenager is studying Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, or one of the other popular GCSE plays, Shakespeare deserves their attention. Each of Shakespeare's plays provides a wealth of themes, characters, and language that rewards students with profound insights into human nature and society.
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Navigating Shakespeare's language can be tricky for some students, with which tuition can be invaluable. For other teenagers, tuition can enhance their studies of Shakespeare's plays in several ways.
The personalised attention only possible in private tuition enables a more active engagement with the play through discussion and interactive activities. Such methods help to break down scenes to explain the nuances of structure and language according to individual needs.