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GCSE English literature

How can we increase breadth and challenge?

2014-06-02T18:29:29+01:00June 2nd, 2014|English|

Over the past few days as sorry tale has unfolded. The new GCSE English literature specifications have been announced in draft form, full of sound and fury, signifying... nothing. The current GCSE lacks rigour and breadth and challenge. You're welcome to argue with this, but I think it's broadly true. Exam boards compete for business by positioning themselves as the 'easiest to get a C in' and schools, unsurprisingly considering the stakes, select the least challenging texts in the altogether understandable aim of getting as many students as possible to pass so that Ofsted will leave them alone. This is reality. [...]

Wanna play fantasy GCSE Literature specifications?

2015-12-08T19:24:35+00:00June 1st, 2014|English, Featured|

The exam boards have played their hands and they're relying on jokers rather than aces. GCSE English literature is a race to the bottom: with the overwhelming concern seemingly being how to retain schools' business by offering the most predictable, easiest texts. The biggest shock for me has been the suspicious consensus on what constitutes the canon. Every single board is specifying Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice, while Jeckyll and Hyde and A Christmas Carol are available on 3 out of the 4's lists. It's not that any of the texts are bad - they're not; I've read and enjoyed all of them - but [...]

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