English – Key Stage 4 Entry Level
Entry Level Courses are subject-based qualifications targeted at students who are working at a level below that required from GCSE Grade G/ 1. Entry Level Certificates are nationally recognised qualifications that give students the opportunity to achieve a certified award.
The Entry Level English programme of study is delivered at the School to students in Key Stage 4 who are working at National Curriculum Levels 1 to 3 at the end of Key Stage 3. The assessments allow accredited attainment to be recognised at Entry Levels 1, 2 and 3. The course encourages students to develop the skills they need to read and understand a range of texts as well as to write clearly, coherently and accurately using a range of vocabulary and sentence structures.
The course provides opportunities to experience a variety of written tasks including media, descriptive and imaginative writing. It promotes an awareness of varying presentation styles, techniques and texts including Shakespeare and Dickens. Reading is encouraged and students are exposed to a broad range of genres. The qualification is tailored to students’ needs through either Silver Step or Gold Step. Silver Step is aimed at Entry 1 and Entry 2 students and Gold Step is for Entry 3 students. The assessments are designed to inspire and motivate students, providing appropriate stretch and challenge whilst ensuring that the assessment and texts are accessible to Entry Level students.
Entry Level Certificate specifications use appropriate short term goals and tasks are set at an appropriate level to meet individual needs. The aims of this course are to help students to develop skills in:
- Speaking, Listening and responding
- Group discussion and interaction
- Drama
- Standard English and language variation
- Phonemic awareness and phonic knowledge
- Word recognition and symbolic knowledge
- Grammatical awareness
- Contextual understanding
- Reading for information
- Literature
- Composition
- Planning and drafting
- Spelling and punctuation
- Standard English and language variation
- ICT
Those students who are working at Entry level but are unable to complete the quantity of work required in the new Entry Level specifications, will develop their skills and demostarte teir cognitive abilities through a selections of units accredited with AQA’s United Award Scheme