Course Description
In this course, we will be focusing on exam technique tips for GCSE English Literature. Knowing your set texts is one thing – hitting those all important Assessment Objectives is quite another, and requires a strong exam strategy. Each section of this course will develop:
- close reading skills for set texts and unseen poems
- uses of context that are tied specifically to essay argument
- selecting key quotes and scenes for Shakespeare
- planning in timed conditions, and structuring exam answers
All lessons will identify the key Assessment Objectives for your exam board. You can purchase each day as a standalone option, ensuring you only join the days that are relevant for your exam board and set texts.
Each session has multiple date options available, therefore we advise that only 1 date per topic is booked as content will be repeated.
An Inspector Calls (Robbie)
Writing on J.B Priestley’s three act drama: an analysis of the dialogue, structure, plot, and characters; the political and historical context of the play; essay structures and styles to meet the assessment objectives.
Lord of the Flies (Joseph)
Understanding William Golding's allegorical novel - an exploration of the plot, characters, themes, and symbolism. How do we use the writer's techniques and the social, political and historical context of the book in our analysis? How can we structure our answers to maximise our marks? We will tackle these key questions, amongst others, to ensure students are exam and/or coursework ready.
Macbeth (Michael)
Writing on the ‘Scottish play’: key scenes for key characters; themes of ambition, the supernatural, nobility, darkness and death; iambic pentameter, and why the Porter matters; essay structures for passage-based and whole-text questions.
Of Mice and Men (Michael)
Getting Steinbeck’s ‘Vision of America’ sorted: 'A guy needs somebody – to be near him' – the importance of friendship; key contexts including The Great Depression and migrant work; 'starting with the extract' – how to balance the exam passage with the novel as a whole.
Romeo and Juliet (Michael)
Writing on the ‘star-cross’d lovers’: themes of civil war and uncivil blood, tragedy vs comedy, and romantic love; Juliet and Romeo’s death scenes; iambic pentameter, and why the Prologue foreshadows all; essay structures for passage-based and whole-text questions.
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Michael)
Writing on this classic tale of the Alter-Ego: the narrative voice and Mr Utterson’s role; “my insensate readiness to evil” – Hyde as Darwinian or Satanic character; themes of human nature, reputation and the perilous modern city; “starting with the extract” – how to balance the exam passage with the novel as a whole.
Unseen Poetry (Michael)
On poems we’ve never seen: “The Unseen could be anything!” – common poetry styles in unseen poems for AQA and CIE; “There’s nothing to write about!” – foolproof language techniques for any poem; essay structures for responding to unseen poems
Detailed feedback: An end of course report is sent on completion detailing the student’s achievements and areas for further work.
Michael is a graduate of King's College, London and also has a PhD in English. He joined Keystone in 2017 as a full-time tutor and he has helped over 130 families since then and taught over 4,000 hours of lessons.
Robbie is a Professional English Tutor with a love for writing and for the theatre. He teaches from the Primary Level up to A Level. Robbie joined Keystone in 2018 and has since helped over 100 families.
Joseph is a Durham graduate and a highly personable tutor who has taught 1,200 hours through Keystone. He helps with a wide range of subjects from English to Science. Joseph has a structured but adaptive approach to lessons, which aims to build up students’ confidence in their subject area and develop their independent learning skills.
- Maximum Class Size: We teach in groups of no more than 10 with the average number in our classes being 5
- Platform: Lessons will take place on Zoom. Our team will be on hand to help you get setup before your first session. Take a look at this video to see our online teaching in action.
- Age group: Year 11
Each session has multiple date options available, therefore we advise that only 1 date per topic is booked as content will be repeated.
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