English GCSE (Cancelled) (CL12Q51A)

Study GCSE English in a small, friendly class.
This course will start online and continue in a classroom as soon as government Covid-19 guidelines permit

Course overview

You will develop your English skills of reading, creative writing, text analysis and oral communication, leading to the completion of the GCSE exams which will take place in June 2021.
Where Claverham Community College, North Trade Road, Battle, TN33 0HT.
When Tuesday, 6:30pm - 9:00pm from 15th September 2020 until 25th May 2021 for 31 weeks.

27th October (Half Term), 15th, 22nd, 29th December (Christmas break), 16th February (Half Term), 6th, 13th April (Spring break)
Cost The full fee is £0.00.


Additional Costs
This course is free if you do not hold an A*- C or equivalent English GCSE. Books and texts will be provided but students may choose to purchase their own copies of books. Please do not buy anything until advised by your tutor.

During the course

This course will start online and move to Claverham Community College, Battle as soon as government Covid-19 guidelines permit. You will stay with the same tutor for online and face to face classes.

The online element of the course will be taught in real time using a video platform (usually Google Meet), supported by other online resources. To ensure you get the most out of the course and can fully participate in the sessions you will interact with your tutor and other students through speaking, listening and the chat function, as well as being able to see each other via the video links, though you can turn off your camera and microphone at any time. You will therefore need to have access to either a laptop, computer or portable device (eg tablet or phone) (this ideally needs to be less than 5 years old), with a camera / webcam and microphone, as well as a good broadband / Wi-Fi connection.

Though not a prerequisite, we would advise that you create a separate email account for your online learning prior to the start of the course and let the ACRES' Office and your tutor know the address.This will be more secure and also allow you to share your email address with other students on the course to enhance your learning experience, without disclosing your personal information.
All exams take place at Uckfield College. Dates you need to be available for:
Saturday 27th March - Mock exam
Exam board is AQA. Expected exam dates (you will be informed if these are altered):
Monday 7th June - English GCSE exam 1 - typically am
Thursday 10th June 2021 - English GCSE exam 2 - typically am

IMPORTANT:
Exam dates given are based on usual exam situations. Due to the disruption from Covid 19 there may be changes to the dates of the exams and the end of the course. We recommend that you do not book any holidays and remain available for a further 2 weeks. As soon as the dates are issued you will be informed.

What you already need to know

To gain a GCSE in 1 year, regular attendance, a high level of commitment and 3 - 4 hours of home study a week are required. You are expected to have a good standard of literacy to enable you to write timed essays and read and analyse the course texts.
Some students may opt to do the Preparing for GCSE course first to develop their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills over a longer period. This will help to build successful study habits and confidence.
The enrolment process will include a pre-course assessment and short online interview to ensure you are on the course that is most suitable for you.

What you will learn

You will learn how to read and evaluate a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts from the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
You will learn the techniques writers use to express meaning, and practise using these in your own writing, producing creative texts, both fiction and non-fiction.
You will also build your oral communication skills and confidence.

How you will learn it

You will learn from tutor-led discussions, group discussions, small group activities and writing tasks. You will be given handouts to enhance learning.
You will improve your communication skills by participating in discussions and delivering a presentation to fulfill the speaking and listening aspects of the GCSE coursework.
You will undertake two final exams at the end of the course, which will be held in Uckfield College.

The course is starting one week later than originally advertised and the first session will be 15th September. This will not impact on your learning time and you will be offered opportunities later in the course to take part in either an additional lesson or a tutorial to ensure you are on track for your exams.

Bring to the first session

Please bring a pen and A4 lined paper with you. It would be useful to purchase an A4 ring binder for handouts and notes.
There are no set texts as we will study a variety of extracts and compare how writers use language in each of them. These will be provided by ACRES.
You may wish to purchase the CGP GCSE English Language grade 9 -1 complete revision and practice guide (AQA) but this is not compulsory.
To avoid unnecessary cost please do not purchase any materials until you are certain that your course will run. Course decisions are normally made a week prior to the course start date.

Extra study or practice

It is expected that you will need to spend at least 3 - 4 hours per week of home study to consolidate learning and practice newly acquired skills.

How to enrol

Students enrolling for this course will need to be interviewed before the course starts to ensure that they are on the right level of course. Contact the ACRES Office on 01825 761820 or email adultlearning@acres.org.uk and you will be sent an enrolment pack which needs to be completed and returned as soon as possible so that we can arrange an online interview with the tutor. The ACRES Office is currently open for telephone calls from Tuesday - Thursday 10:00 - 15:00.

Previous students say

"The course has given me more confidence and also changed the way that I read articles and books."
"I was so nervous when I started but I have gained confidence, not just in the class but at work and with people generally."
"I felt like my life was on hold because I didn't have any qualifications, I can't believe I passed, I am going to do my Maths next."

Next steps within this subject with ACRES

Consider studying Functional Maths or GCSE Maths in with ACRES. There are daytime and evening courses available.

Future steps beyond ACRES

Find out about other courses with the National Careers Service for opportunities to extend your skills and knowledge.

Further information

Please visit the ACRES website, see our brochure, or alternatively contact a member of the team on 01825 761820.