Eduqas GCSE English

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GCSEENGLISH LANGUAGE10

© WJEC CBAC Ltd.

Below are the assessment objectives for this qualification.

AO1



Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas



Select and synthesise evidence

from different texts

AO2

Explain, comment on analyse how writers use language and structure to achieve
effects and influence readers, using relevant subject terminology to support their
views

AO3

Compare writers' ideas and perspectives, as well as how
these are conveyed,
across two or more texts

AO4

Evaluate texts critically and support this with appropriate textual references

AO5



Communicate clearly, effectively, and imaginatively, selecting and adapting
tone, style and register for
different forms, purposes and audiences



Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to
support coherence and cohesion of texts

AO6

Candidates must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity,
purpose and eff

ect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. (This requirement
must constitute 20% of the marks for each specification as a whole.)

AO7

Demonstrate presentation skills in a formal setting

AO8

Listen and respond
appropriately to spoken language, including to questions and
feedback to presentations

AO9

Use spoken Standard English effectively in speeches and presentations.

Please note, AO7, AO8 and AO9 are used to assess Spoken language which will be
reported as

part of the qualification, but it will not form part of the final mark and
grade.

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The table below shows the weighting of each assessment objective for the
qualification as a whole for all series.

AO1

AO2

AO3

AO4

AO5

AO6

10%

20%

7.5%

12.5%

30%

20%

Reading is assessed by AO1, AO2, AO3 and AO4. This constitutes 50% of the
qualification.
Writing is assessed by AO5 and AO6. This makes up the remaining 50% of the
qualification.

Spoken language is assessed by AO7, AO8 and AO9. This
assessment is
unweighted in the qualification.

SPOKEN LANGUAGE ENDORSEMENT FOR GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

This endorsement will be reported as a separate grade (Pass, Merit, Distinction or
Not Classified) and will not

contribute to the result of the GCSE English Language
qualification.

This outline of the requirements has been produced in collaboration with all the
relevant awarding bodies. Further clarification will be available in the
JCQ

Instructions for conductin

g non

-

examination assessments.

Tasks

Candidates must undertake a prepared spoken presentation on a specific topic. As a
guide, the duration of the whole assessment should be no more than ten minutes.
The key requirements are:



Presentations must be
formal but may take a wide variety of forms, including
talks, debates, speeches and dialogues.



Candidates

must identify the subject for their presentations in advance and agree
with their teacher.



Presentations must be planned and organised. Candidates should be advised
that
lack of preparation
is likely to prevent access to the criteria for the higher
grades.



Candidat

es may use pre

-

prepared notes, PowerP

oint etc to assist them during
their presen

tations but this is not a requirement.



As part of, or following, the presentation, candidates must listen to and respond
appropriately to questions and feedback.



Where the audience is the teacher only, the presentation and dialogue must be
designed in su

ch a way that it could have a potentially wider audience than just
one person (e.g. it replicates a television interview).

GCSE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
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© WJEC CBAC Ltd.

Assessment

No mar

ks will be assigned to a candidate

's performance
-

it will be assessed

holistically as a grade, using a 'competency' basis on

criteria which are provided
on
page 14

.
Competency means that a student must meet all the criteria in one grade
before moving
on to the next. Candidates who do not reach the Pass standard must
be rec

orded as Not Classified.

Centres must make arrangements for internal standardisation of assessments. This
should take place as far as possible
before

assessment begins in earnest. Internal
standardisation should include a preliminary trial assessment
session (including all
teachers involved in assessment) using exemplar material provided by the awarding
bodies, in order to ensure that there is a common understanding of the assessment
criteria.

Monitoring
The endorsement will be assessed by centres.
Each centre is required to provide
audio

-

visual recordings of the presentations of a sample of candidates

(see below).

These will allow us to check that centres have used appropriate tasks, and have
applied the assessment criteria correctly and consisten

tly.

The centre must provide recordings of the presentations of a sample of candidates.
The recording of each candidate's presentation, including questions and feedback
from the audience, must be complete and unedited.

Usin

g their knowledge of candidate

s'

likely performance, centres should select the
sample following the guidance shown in the table below. Centres are recommended
to record slightly more than the minimum number at each grade to allow for
candidates whose performance is awarded a higher or

lower grade than the centre
had anticipated.
WJEC

will provide details regarding the storage and submission of
recordings.

Table 1

Sample Sizes
No of
cand

idate

s
at centre

No. of cand

idate

s whose
presentations must be
recorded

Minimum no. of
cand

idates

at each
grade

(D, M, P)

30 or fewer

All cand

idates

10

Over 30

30

10

GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAG

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This is a broad overview of what is required.
Further information on arrangements for
learners with communication issues and / or hearing needs may be found in the
appendices.
If the awarding body has concerns as a result of monitoring, the centre will be
provided with additional support (which may
include a visit by a monitor) in the
following academic year. In exceptional circumstances there will be enhanced
monitoring arrangements which may include an earlier deadline for submission of
assessments or a requirement to record the presentations of a

ll candidates.

Candidate

absence

Where a candidate misses the scheduled date/time for his/her presentation, the
centre must organise an alternative session.

A candidate who is unable to undertake his/her presentation because of persistent
absence (wheth

er through ill health or any other reason) will not qualify for special
consideration and will receive a 'Not Classified' result for the Spoken Language
endorsement. However, standard procedures for sitting at an alternative venue do
apply

,

if appropriate

.

Entries and centre declaration

Entries for GCSE

English Language automatically include the Spoken Language
endorsement.

The head of centre is required to provide a written declaration to us by a published
deadline to confirm that reasonable steps have

been taken to ensure that all
candidates who

m

the centre has entered for GCSE English Language have
undertaken the Spoken Language endorsement.

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ENGLISH LANGUAGE
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© WJEC CBAC Ltd.

Spoken Language Criteria for Pass, M

e

rit and Distinction

General criteria

To be awarded a Pass, Merit or D

istinction a
Learner

must

–



be audible, and


use Spoken
Standard English which, for the purpose of the spoken language
assessment, means that a Learner must
–



be intelligible, and



generally use language appropriate to the formal setting of the
presentation.

Pass

Merit

Distinction

In addition to the general
criteria, to be awarded a Pass
a Learner's performance in
his or her spoken language
assessment must meet all of
the following criteria
–



expresses
straightforward/ideas
information/feelings,


makes an attempt to
organise and structure his
or her presentation,



makes an attempt to meet
the needs of the
audience

, and


listens to
questions/feedback and
provides an appropriate
response
in a
straightforward manner.

In addition to the general
criteria, to be awarded a Merit
a Learner's performance in
his or her spoken language
assessment must meet all of
the following criteria
–



e

xpresses challenging
ideas/information/ feelings
using a
range of
vocabulary

,



organises and structures
his or her presentation
clearly and appropriately
to meet the need of the
audience,



achieves the purpose of
his or her presentation,
and



l

istens to
questions/feedback
responding formally and in
some detai

l.

In addition to the general
criteria, to be awarded a
Distinction a
Learner

's
performance in his or her
spoken language assessment
must meet all of the following
criteria
–



expresses sophisticated
ideas/information feelings
using a sophisticated
repertoire of vocabulary,


organise

s

and structures
his or her presentation
using an effective range of
strategies to engage the
audience,



achieves the purpose of
his or her prese

ntation and



listen

s

to
questions/feedback,
responds perceptively an

d

if appropriate elaborates
with further ideas and
information.

GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAG

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This is a linear qualification in which all assessments must be taken
at the end of the
course. Assessment opportunities will be available in the summer and November
series each year, until the end of the life of this specification. Summer 2017 will be
the first assessment opportunity.

Where candidates wish to re

-

sit the qualification, both Components 1 and 2 must be
retaken whereas grades for Component 3 may be

carried forward. Results for
Component

3 have a shelf

-

life limited only by the shelf

-

life of the
qualification

.

Candidates who take an assessment in the November series must have reached at
least the age of 16 on or before 31 Aug

ust in the same calendar year as the
assessment.

The entry code appears below.

WJEC Eduqas

GCSE English Language: C700QS

The current edition of our
Entry Procedures and Coding Information

gives up

-

to

-

date
entry procedures.

GCSE qualifications are reported on a nine point scale from 1 to 9, where 9 is the
highest grade. Results not attaining the minimum standard for the award will be
reported as U (unclassified).

GCSE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
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© WJEC CBAC Ltd.

Introduction

This document has been produced by the awarding bodies for England to support
learners with communication and/or hearing needs in the Spoken Language
Endorse

ment for GCSE English Language. It has been developed jointly with
representatives from the British Association of Teachers of the Deaf, The
Communication Trust, National Deaf Children's Society and the Royal National
Institute of Blind People. It should b

e read in conjunction with the GCSE English
Language specification from your awarding body and common assessment criteria.
The aim of this document is to encourage access to the Endorsement for as many
learners as possible and provide practical guidance

and support for their teachers.

This document focuses on the arrangements for the assessment element of the
Spoken Language Endorsement. However, it is important to ensure that, throughout
the GCSE course and particularly for learners with communication

and/or hearing
needs, there is continuing language development work that is over and above any of
the requirements specifically related to the Endorsement.

Access to the Endorsement
For Heads of Centre the most important responsibility in relation to

the Endorsement
is to ensure that as many learners as possible are offered full access to the
opportunities that the Endorsement will give. While exemption may be appropriate for
some learners with protected characteristics (as defined in the Equality Act

2010), for
most

it will not be. In these latter cases it is the responsibility of the Head of Centre to
ensure that all such learners have the opportunity to take the Endorsement.

Heads' responsibilities in this area will be supported in two main ways:



They will have to sign the annual Head of Centre declaration.



There will be an annual monitoring exercise undertaken by the awarding bodies
to identify and understand patterns of centre behaviour where surprisingly large
numbers of Exemptions/Not Classifi

ed results occurred.

Flexibility of the Requirements

To support full access, Ofqual's requirements for the Endorsement contain
considerable flexibility around provision for individual learners. Of special interest to
teachers of learners with communica

tion and/or hearing needs are the following:

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

Format

Various formats of presentation are allowed, including talks, debates, speeches and
dialogues. The most common format in mainstream centres is likely to be the formal
individual 'talk', in front of an
audience followed by questions, but there are other
ways in which lea

r

ners can perform. Sample assessment materials, for example,
show

learners in an individual dialog

ic

format, where they are interviewed by a
teacher as part

of a media type presentation.
It is suggested that discussions are held with the learner and any specialist
professional (

e.g.

speech and language therapist) and/or any specialist teachers (

e.g.

Teachers of the Deaf) to consider the most appropriate format.



The Requirement for Audib

ility and Intelligibility
The Assessment Criteria require as a starting point that the learner should be audible
and intelligible. The interpretation of 'audible' for the purposes of the endorsement
means the learner is audible to the person undertaking
the assessment and any
audience present. Prompts can be given to encourage/remind the learner to speak
louder

.

Some learner

s

can only be clearly understood by peers and staff who have become
accustomed to their speech. Therefore, 'intelligibility' for the

purposes of this
endorsement requires that the learner is intelligible to the person making the
assessment, who will have become attuned to the learner's speech over time.


Presentation skills

The Assessment Criteria refer to learners

'

'making an attemp

t to meet the needs of
the audience', which might be interpreted as including an assessment of their
presentation skills. Assessors should be mindful of the possible impact of a disability
such as vision impairment on a learner's body language and their ab

ility to make eye
contact with the audience. Where this may be a factor, assessment should be carried
out by someone who is familiar with the learner and their individual needs.


Recording
Not all learners have to be recorded. A sample of learners needs

to be recorded,
once the centre entry goes beyond 30, but the centre chooses the sample.
Mainstream centres therefore do not need to record learners with communication
and/or hearing needs if they do not want to. Specialist centres, with 30 or fewer
learn

ers, will still be able to apply to their awarding bodies for an exemption from
recording for those learners where recording would be a significant problem.


Timings

There are no

time limits to the presentation (at either end of the time scale).
Guidance

will indicate that learners can do all that is necessary to access the highest
attainment levels within a presentation of 10 minutes but, where more time is
required, this is permissible. Guidance will also suggest that a very brief presentation
will offe

r learners limited opportunities to demonstrate their skills.

Pauses and rest period

s

are allowable
-

for instance between
the presentation and
questions.

GCSE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
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© WJEC CBAC Ltd.



Notes, aids, amplification systems

Notes, PowerPoint, and visual aids are all permissible without
restrictions on their
content, length etc. Amplification systems, such as FM systems for deaf learners are
permitted.



Acoustic and room layout

It is important that all assessments for deaf learners (whether they have mild,
moderate, severe or profound los

s) take place in locations with an acceptable
acoustic environment and with lighting good enough to facilitate speech/lip reading.
In fact, this will be to the benefit of all candidates.
Additionally, the seating arrangements/layout of the room are also
very important for
speech/lip reading, e.g. if a member of the audience, assessor or questioner has
their back to a window, the deaf candidate will find it hard to speech/lip read.

A
suitably experienced professional (e.g. Teacher of the Deaf) should advis

e on
appropriate layout and lighting.



Composition of Audience

There is flexibility in the make

-

up and size of the presentation audience. An audience
can be a whole class, a small group, or an individual teacher. It could also comprise
older students,
governors, teaching assistant

s

, learning mentors etc. If the audience
comprises one person, they must ensure that their questions allow the learners the
opportunities to demonstrate their skills. Audience members are allowed to offer
encouragement, prompts

and support to a learner. It is permissible to ask a learner to
speak up, repeat etc.



A Prompter

A prompter could help a learner remember where they are up to their presentation, or
remind them what they have just said.
Arrangements which require A

warding Body approval



Augmentative and alternative communication systems (AAC)

If the learners use alternative communication devices as their normal method of
communication, they can apply to the awarding body for permission to use this
method for their
presentation.



Sign Supported English
or Cued Speech
Sign Supported English (SSE)

or Cued Speech
can be used, during the presentation,
or during the question stage to ensure that the learner is fully aware of the questions
being asked.
The use of Sign Supported English (SSE)
or Cued Speech
requires approval from
the awarding body


British Sign Language

Please note that British Sign Language is NOT allowed, as this is a distinct language
in its own right and so is different from English

.

GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAG

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Conclusion

Awarding bodies hope that as many learners as possible will complete the Spoken
Language Endorsement alongside their GCSE in English Language. Where there are
issues which go beyond the scope of this document, please contact a specialist
p

ractitioner (e.g. a Teacher of the Deaf or Speech and Language Therapist) and/or
your awarding body as appropriate for further advice