GCSE English – Adult

This course offers you the opportunity to develop literacy skills that are essential for higher education or gaining employment. 

It has been designed for those who wish to achieve a grade 4 (previously grade C) or higher in GCSE English. 

The course uses a varied selection of materials suitable for learners aged 19 or over and aims to help you to improve your communication skills using a variety of different techniques.

You will be taught using the following methods:

• Tutor-led sessions

• Tutorials and discussions

• Individual, paired and group tasks

You will also be required to complete homework outside of your lessons. 

You will read and be assessed on high-quality, challenging texts from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.

For each text studied, you will complete a substantial follow-up, focusing on the content, structure and quality of language.

The texts, across a range of genres and types, will support you in developing your own writing style. Texts will include literature and extended literary non-fiction, and other pieces of writing such as essays, reviews and journalism. 

• Before joining the course you will be required to attend an assessment session to confirm you are working at levels appropriate for the GCSE.

• If you are not currently working at a level which is suitable for the course, alternative course options such as Functional Skills English, may be offered.

• If you have recently achieved a grade 3 (D) GCSE or a Level 2 Functional Skills qualification, then you may not be required to attend an assessment. 

• Two examinations, comprised of reading and writing tasks based on previously unseen texts. 

• A non-examination assessment of spoken language will also be carried out by your teacher and it is a compulsory element of this course.

• Your exams will be assessed by external examiners.

You will be expected to provide your own folders and stationary.

We have a dedicated Skills Development team who can provide specialised support to students with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia or dyspraxia.

Achieving a grade 9 to 4 will show that you possess the vital written and oral skills that will help you move on to a more advanced course or employment opportunities.

It is a vital qualification for many kinds of employment, usually at grade 4 or above. It is also a requirement for most further education courses, including A Level.  

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