Like all GCSE texts, it is important consider one thing – What is the writer trying to make us think about?

If you consider that question and then think of all of the various messages within the text, it really supports you achieving a higher grade.

For example, consider the Ghost of Christmas Past – on the surface it shows Scrooge as an isolated, neglected and “solitary” child, however, what it does is make the reader think that Scrooge acts the way he does in adulthood due to this treatment. The wider message is that if Scrooge had been shown the love he sought as a child, especially from his sister, then he would have had love in his adult life.

If you consider the context and progression of the character in the story, it does not have to be only about the Victorian era. This is what helps you achieve a ‘perceptive’ mark band in Literature and is one of the many examples of what knowledge you will gain from signing up to a tuition course with us.

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There is no simple answers, however, here are a few great tips to secure it and make progress:

5 top tips:

• Use a range of quotes which you understand
• Comment on the character/ theme and the change throughout
• Think about a bigger idea of human behaviour for writer’s message
• Be concise and precise
• Be outside of the text

Here is an example of this in action with An Inspector Calls and the difference between a mark band 4 (grade 5/6) and a mark band 6 (grade 8/9) answer:

How does Priestley use the Inspector to show social change?

Mark Band 4:

Priestley uses the Inspector to challenge the Birling family as he does not feel challenged by the superior social class. This is highlighted through the phrase “I don’t play golf” which shows how he does not want to take part in situations where class matters as Birling “plays golf with the chief inspector”. Priestley uses the Inspector to show how the Birling family and their attitude is wrong and needs to change. This is further shown when he uses the metaphor of them being taught in “fire and blood and anguish” as they do not care about the lower classes, and then society will crumble because of their attitude. This is a warning by Priestley towards society and the audience.

Mark Band 6:

Priestley uses the morality play to explore the themes of socialism and capitalism within society through employing different symbolic characters. The most pertinent example is the usage of The Inspector who is Priestley’s mouthpiece and also a microcosm for the challenge towards the capitalist nature within society. The post-war society and the beginning of normality posed a certain threat in Priestley’s eyes as he believed society would resort to a capitalist mindset and exploit the poor, represented by Eva Smith. This challenge throughout the play is enacted by the Inspector, who arrives with “purposefulness” and maybe the “solidarity” of society which Priestley aims for. The consistent use of how the Inspector “cutting in”, is how Priestley wanted to almost cut in to the “nonsense” displayed by capitalists such as Birling.

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Here are some of the best pieces of advice when writing a grade 9 story:

• Ambitious vocabulary spelt correctly is a must
• Use pathetic fallacy to create an immediate tone for the examiner
• Include a change in tone which is subtle rather than dramatic
• Varying sentence lengths and types is integral
• Do not try and cover a range of ideas in a lack of depth
• Use a pre-planned structure to build confidence before the exam – for example Drop, Zoom, Flash, End

Here is an example opening, incorporating the above tips:

Stealthily, the fog crept towards the room and enveloped any remaining hope. Alarmed. That was the best way to describe the couple and their current emotion. Hopeless. Hapless. They were other synonyms, however, all contributed to the same feeling of futility.

There did not seem to be an escape, except from the small glimmer of light which offered salvation.

Salvation. It was an interesting concept as before it did not seem like it was plausible. Now there it was. Almost like a beacon of light from a lighthouse acting as a guide for them.

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Reading fluency is integral for pupils to be able to comprehend texts. “The most significant barrier to comprehension of written texts is that of reading fluency. Too many students in secondary schools simply cannot decode quickly enough to read effortlessly” Didau 2019. Improving reading fluency became a passion of mine in my previous role of Head of English and seeing students improve their oracy was joyous. I have designed a whole curriculum for reading fluency which is designed to build on the 4 aspects of fluency defined by Rasinksi’s rubric.

If you would like to download the first one for free, just click the link above and enter your email address and I will send it to you.

The first scheme is based on the short story ‘Lark’ – it introduces certain aspects of fluency and has a range of reading strategies within it. The picture is an example of the visible instructions and what to expect within the scheme.

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