English: sussedRaising Attainment in English   Student handbook

Contents

3 Foreward

4 Flowchart

5 FAQs

6 MeettheEnglishAmbassadors

8 ToKillaMockingbird

10 TheMayflowerTheatre

12 Artsjournalism

13 Theatremarketing

14 Howtowriteareview

15 Reviewwriting-planningtemplate

16 Winningreviews

18 Practicalwritingtips–movingupagrade!

21 Personallogs

26 Usefulresources

27 Feedbackfrompaststudents

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Foreward

English really is important… your teachers aren’t lying and it’s not a myth! English isn’t just about reading or writing in class. You use the skills you gain in English when you are outside the classroom and once you’ve finished school. Whether it’s reading instructions to put together a piece of furniture, writing an email, or communicating with customers at work you really do use English every day just to get by.

The activities, alongside this handbook, provided by Aimhigher are designed to help you see the benefits of getting a good English GCSE and to help you improve your English GCSE grade. You will also have the opportunity to meet university students and professionals who use English in their jobs and studies.

The handbook is a resource designed to help you make the most of your learning prior to, during and after the Mayflower visits. It contains useful tips and tools to help you write a good review, templates to help you plan your writing and examples of previous students work to help you identify the differences between a C grade and D grade piece of work.

Sarah-Louise Collins Aimhigher Projects Officer

All the best for the future!

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English Taster Day - University of Winchester - _______________

Complete and publish reviews, celebrate success! Participate in workshops and develop an awareness of the use of English in everyday life

Aimhigher English Session 2 - at school - ________________

Feedback on experience and learning at the Mayflower

Develop speaking and listening skills in a marketing/media activity

Behind the Scenes Day - The Mayflower Theatre - ___________March

Complete tasks in theatre marketing and arts journalism sessions

Review progress made and set targets for open task

To Kill a Mockingbird - The Mayflower Theatre - Thursday 3rd March

Watch show and engage in Q&A session, capture thoughts prior to the Behind the Scenes Day

Collect examples of writing around theatre/film e.g. reviews/programmes/marketing

Aimhigher English Session 1 - at school - _________________

Introduction to the project, prepare for theatre visits and develop key skills in review writing

Be alert to the differences between being a C grade and D grade student

ZONE OF COMFORT

(I can do it like that)

ZONE OF CHALLENGE

(I'll give it a go)

ZONE OF COMPETENCE

(I can choose it and use it)

ZONE OF CONFIDENCE

(I'll do whatever it takes)

In order to improve your English you will need to work through activities which you may find challenging… just try and give them a go! The English Ambassadors will be about to help and once you’ve grasped a concept you’ll find it much easier the next time around.

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FAQ’s

Why me?You have been identified by your teachers as showing the potential to get a C grade or above in your English GCSE, but would benefit from extra support from outside organisations including university students and theatre professionals to help you achieve this.

Why is getting a good English GCSE so important?Most jobs and university courses look for a good standard of English, i.e. an A*–C grade at GCSE. This is because no matter what course or what job you want to do, you will need to communicate with other people, using the English skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening!

Plus having a good qualification in English will help you succeed no matter what you want to do… don’t give an Employer a reason to turn you down!

What is expected of me?You are expected to actively contribute to all aspects of the project, including participating in group work and activities provided by the English Ambassadors, Aimhigher and Theatre staff.

A list of the expectations for each stage is provided in the flowchart, and you can review your learning and progress at each stage on the progress log at the back of the book.

Will I have to work with students from other schools?Yes. When visiting the Mayflower and the University of Winchester you will be placed in groups with students from other schools. We will always make sure there is someone else who comes from

the same school as you in your group, and this will be a fantastic opportunity for you to work with other students from a variety of backgrounds – like you would at college or university.

But doesn’t this mean more work?The activities are scheduled into your school day, however on occasion this may mean missing some other lessons and having to catch up on work. You may also be doing some extra work than friends in other English classes but this also means you will be getting extra opportunities to practice for future assessed work.

Do I have to pay for the trips?All costs are covered by Aimhigher including transport costs, theatre tickets and refreshments on the Behind the Scenes Day and University visit. However you will have to bring/buy your own refreshments on the 3 March when you visit the show, but you will have an opportunity to eat your lunch either at school or on the coach.

But I don’t like English…  this will be boring!English may not be your favourite subject, it may even be your least favourite, but you will have an opportunity to try out lots of different areas of English, from journalism and creative writing to drama. You never know – you might find an area of English you quite enjoy… and that it’s not that boring after all!

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Aimhigher English Ambassadors

NuraAge: 20Studies: Drama and EnglishFavourite food: Hot and spicy Thai green curryFavourite song: ‘What’s my name’ by Rihanna What do you like about English? Writing creatively and analysing all types of books, especially fictional ones!!!

JoshAge: 20Studies: EnglishHobbies: Basketball/Cricket/going to the cinemaFavourite TV show: Glee and Top gearWhy did you come to University? To give myself more opportunities and hopefully improve my chances in life!

MartinAge: 19Studies: English and Media StudiesFavourite TV show: The ApprenticeHobbies: watch TV/hang out with friends/Radio societyIf you could have one super power what would it be? Teleportation as you would get to travel to amazing places, plus it saves on bus fare!

EmilyAge: 18Studies: Choreography and Dance, with English LiteratureFavourite food: Yorkshire puddingHobbies: singing/dancing/badmintonIf you could take one thing to a desert island what would it be? My phone so I could stay in touch with all my friends and family!

LisaAge: 21Studies: English LiteratureHobbies: Going to gigs and the theatreFavourite song: ‘scars’ by Papa RoachWhat is your greatest achievement? Passing my driving test the 1st time around, plus getting 100% on my theory test!

Sophie Age: 20Studies: Creative WritingFavourite food: ChocolateFavourite song: Anything by SwitchfootDo you have any pet hates? People walking slowly in front of you… arghh!

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MattAge: 20Studies: EnglishFavourite song: ‘Dirt Sleaze’ by AmplificoFavourite TV show: LostWhat do you like about studying English? Its diversity and relevance to everyday life!

Sam Age: 20Studies: EnglishFavourite TV show: Family GuyHobbies: Writing novels and publishing poemsIf you could have one superpower what would it be? I would love to fly (but I’m afraid of heights!!)

DonnaAge: 27Studies: EnglishHobbies: reading/ singing, and spending as much time with my children as possible.Favourite Food: Thai Sweet Chilli Sensations or ChocolateWhat do you like about English? There are no wrong answers in English and I can look for myself in the subject and put my personality/opinions into what I am reading and writing.

Tom GAge: 22Studies: Primary Teacher Training Hobbies: running marathonsFavourite food: Chicken pasta bakeWhy did you come to university? To train to be a teacher

RosieAge: 18Studies: English and PsychologyFavourite TV show: Misfits/Gossip GirlFavourite song: ‘Tik Tok’ by KeshaDo you have any pet hates? My flatmates using my stuff and not washing it up afterwards!

Tom HAge: 20Studies: English and Creative WritingFavourite song: ‘3am’ by Matchbox 20Favourite food: ChineseWhat do you like about studying English? I can express myself through writing lyrics or stories

JemmaAge: 19 Studies: EnglishFavourite food: Sunday RoastFavourite song: ‘Champagne Supernova’ by Oasis.If you could have one superpower what would it be? To be invisible – so I could spy on people and go wherever I wanted to go! It would be fun.

NikkiAge: 19Studies: English and DramaHobbies: Skiing, horse riding, rounders, playing the guitarFavourite song: ‘Hoobastank’ by the ReasonDo you have any pet hates? Jellyfish and people turning their eyelids inside out

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To Kill a Mockingbird Thursday 3 MarchShow Dates: Mon 28 Feb – Sat 5 March 2011Mon – Sat 7.30pm, Thu & Sat 2.00pm

“This most beloved and widely read Pulitzer Prize winner, now in its 50th year of publication, tells the extraordinary and unforgettable story of life in the American Deep South through the inquiring eyes of a child…

Following his critically acclaimed performance in The Touring Consortium’s 2007 production of To Kill A Mockingbird, Duncan Preston is recreating his role as the iconic lawyer Atticus Finch. Duncan is probably best known for his recent appearance in Emmerdale, as well as the hugely popular TV series Dinner Ladies and Surgical Spirit, and his starring role in the award winning musical Acorn Antiques with Victoria Wood.” The Mayflower Theatre

Key factsTitle: To Kill a Mockingbird Author: Harper Lee Type: Novel, adapted for the stage and made into a successful film Genre: Coming-of-age story; social drama; courtroom drama; Southern dramaNarrator: Scout narrates the story, looking back at herself aged 6–9 years old. The story is in first person narrative.Tense: Past Setting (time): 1933–1935 (written in the 1950’s)Setting (place): The fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama Tone: Childlike, humorous, nostalgic, innocent and critical of societyThemes: Prejudice (racism/social class), Understanding, Loneliness, Courage and Innocence.

Main charactersJean Louise “Scout” Finch – Narrator. Scout lives with her father, Atticus, her brother, Jem, and their black cook, Calpurnia, in Maycomb. She is intelligent, inquisitive, thoughtful and a tomboy.Atticus Finch – Scout and Jem’s father, a Maycomb lawyer, agrees to defend Tom Robinson, a black man charged with raping a white woman. Atticus has a dry sense of humour, alongside a strong sense of morality and justice. Jeremy Atticus “Jem” Finch – Scout’s brother and constant playmate at the beginning of the story. Four years older than Scout, he gradually separates himself from her games, but he remains her close companion and protector throughout the novel.

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Charles Baker “Dill” Harris – Jem and Scout’s summer neighbour and friend. Dill has an active imagination, and was the first to suggest making Boo Radley come out. Arthur “Boo” Radley – A social recluse, emotionally damaged by his father, who never sets foot outside his house. Boo dominates the imaginations of Jem, Scout, and Dill.Tom Robinson – The black field hand accused of rape. Tom is a gentle giant, crippled along his left arm, who befriends Mayella Ewell.Mayella Ewell – The oldest of Mr Ewells eight children. Mayella is very lonely and is caught by her father trying to seduce Tom, the only man to show her any kindness. Bob Ewell – A drunken, mostly unem-ployed member of Maycomb’s poorest family. Rude, racist and ignorant, Bob Ewell accuses Tom of raping Mayella and attacks Scout and Jem following the trial.

ContextOriginally black people arrived in America as slaves during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They travelled across the Atlantic from Africa in large slave ships, to be sold on to work on cotton and sugar plantations in the Caribbean and Southern states of America.

In 1865 slavery was abolished, but black people still remained to be second class citizens, without the right to vote. The novel is set in Deep South America during the period of the Great Depression, when tensions were high and money was tight for everyone. During this time there was a policy called ‘segregation’, which meant that black people had to have their own schools, churches, football teams, and restrooms.

PlotThe story follows the Finch family for three years, as told through the eyes of Scout Finch, a 6-year-old tomboy. Throughout the story Scout and her

older brother Jem learn valuable lessons of morality, empathy and understanding through their father Atticus and from growing up in a judgemental small town.

The early part of the story focuses on the children’s fascination with one of their neighbours Boo Radley, a social recluse whom all the children locally are scared of. Scout and Jem, joined by their friend Dill, dare each other to go into the Radley yard and get Boo to come out.

Meanwhile Atticus agrees to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white women, much to the disapproval of the rest of the town. Although Atticus provides a strong defence for Tom, Tom is found guilty and sent to prison. Unable to cope with being in prison Tom is shot dead whilst attempting to escape.

Following the trial Bob Ewell is left humiliated and vows revenge on Atticus, leading him to attack Jem and Scout one day on their way home. Boo Radley comes to their rescue fatally stabbing him. Knowing Boo will be misunderstood and likely to be convicted like Tom, Atticus and the Sheriff agree to protect Boo by saying that Bob Ewell fell on his knife.

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The Mayflower Theatre Southampton A week after you come to the Mayflower Theatre  to watch To Kill a Mockingbird you will return for a Behind-the-scenes Day. 

The day will consist of three sessions:1 Arts journalism2 Theatre marketing3 Theatre tour.

Welcome to the Mayflower Theatre for your Aimhigher

day focussed on ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’.

In so many aspects of theatre, good English is vitally

important. Whether performing on stage, working

backstage or in any of the numerous departments

that enable a theatre to exist, each individual must be

able to communicate competently with colleagues and

the public. Whether you aspire to be an Actor, Script

Writer, Stage Manager, Lighting Technician, Sound

Engineer, Usher, Corporate Events Representative,

Press Liaison, Marketing Officer or member of the

Box Office staff, clear spoken and written English is

essential to a thriving theatre.

We hope you enjoy your day!

Briony Adams

Deputy Sales & Development Manager

The Mayflower Theatre

Act: A unit of division of a play, each of which is composed of one or more scenes.

Auditorium: Description of the area of a theatre seating or accommodating the audience.

Backstage: The entire area behind or beyond the stage, including the dressing rooms. Sometimes includes the “wings”, or sides of the stage area.

Costume: Clothing or accessories worn by an actor to signify period and portay character.

Curtain call: The final appearance of the cast, at the end of the play, to receive the applause of the audience.

Dialogue: Passages of speech between characters in a play.

Downstage: Stage direction – the front of the stage/closest to audience.

House lights: The lights used to illuminate the auditorium before and after a performance, and during the intermission.

Glossary of theatre words and meanings

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* In 1928, the doors of the theatre first opened to the public. It was originally called The Empire, then The Gaumont, and in 1987 it opened as The Mayflower.

* The theatre seats over 2,300 and is the largest theatre on the South Coast. This enables The Mayflower to stage bigger productions than many other local theatres. The Mayflower is well known for hosting professional West End musicals, world-class ballet and opera, as well as music concerts and live comedy.

* The Mayflower Theatre is a receiving house, this means that all the shows they stage are brought in from production companies who tour nationally with their show as opposed to putting on a show that has been produced, designed, and built specifically at The Mayflower.

The Mayflower Theatre fact file

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Arts journalism

In this session you can develop your own reviews for ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. Lorelei Reddin, Entertainments Editor for The Southern daily Echo, will be on hand to provide helpful hints and tips, as well as practical examples. You can then complete your review back at home or school and enter it into a competition to win family tickets to a Mayflower show! 

Good English is absolutely critical to the success of any written review. As the writer, it is your job to convey your feelings and opinions on a subject eloquently and keep the reader interested with your excellent use of language. If the grammar is consistently incorrect and the use of English poor, the reader will find it difficult to believe you are a credible source of information. A reader may not notice that an article is perfectly written, but they will definitely notice when it is not.

Lorelei ReddinEntertainments Editorfor Southern Daily Echo

Lorelei studied Journalism at Southampton Solent University and has worked as a journalist in Hampshire for the past 10 years, specialising in Arts and Entertainment since 2005.

For up-to-the-minute news and information dailyecho.co.uk

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

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with Lorelei Reddin, Entertainments Editorlorelei.reddin@dailyecho.co.uk

Theultimateguide towhat’s on in the South:dailyecho.co.uk/leisure

scenesouth

Joseph and the AmazingTechnicolor Dreamcoat, TheMayflower

ELVIS, cowboys andcheerleaders.I’m not entirely sure why any ofthem would appear in the biblicaltale of Joseph, but the cast cer-tainly had a good time trying towork it all out for us.BBC TV’s Any Dream Will Dorunner-up Keith Jack andhis talented colleagueshad their tongues firm-ly in their cheeks inthis updated BillK e n w r i g h tversion ofTim Riceand AndrewL l o y dWebber’s hitmusical.

From curtain up, they dodgedpop up sheep, a winkingTutankhamun and all sorts ofother objects during the energeticdance numbers.But comedy aside, there weresome great vocal performances,particularly from the narratorJennifer Potts, all backed by theJoseph choir of children fromStagecoach Salisbury andDownton.Despite a few first night soundproblems, the companyhad the whole audi-ence singing alongto catchy tuneslike Close EveryDoor, Go Go GoJoseph andP h a r o a h ’ sStory.

The story ofthe return ofJacob’s favouriteson to the family foldafter an attempted mur-

der at the hands of his jealousbrothers – via prison and thepalace – took a backseat as med-leys of the hits were performedfor the majority of the show.Each song had its own globaltheme and the ensemble stoppedat nothing, even diving into theaudience during the medley, tokeep the mood uproarious.If you gave them a bit of poeticlicence, and suspended disbelieffor a couple of hours, it was reallyrather fun.Lorelei Reddin

Joseph runs until Sunday.Tickets: 023 8071 1811

To read reviews onlinelog onto

dailyecho.co.uk/leisure

For onesie and allTHE onesie craze has reached aSouthampton nightspot.Staff and revellers at Unit donnedtheir trendy pyjamas and danced thenight away to a host of number onerecords and one hit wonders frompop, dance, indie, rock and urban.More onesie nights are in the offing.

TECHNICOLOUR DREAMS

AN amazing collection of adven-ture, action, sports andenvironmental filmsis coming back to theUK for a second big-ger and even moreinspiring and adrena-line packed year in2011.Following sold outshows across the UKlast year, the BanffMountain FilmFestival World Tour isreturning and visitsLighthouse Poole onFebruary 5.

The World Tourtravels the globeevery year visitingmore than 280 com-

munities and over 30 differentcountries, underlining the world-wide popularity ofmountain sports andculture.One of the largestand most prestigiousmountain festivals inthe world, the BanffMountain Film Fest-ival features a collec-tion of thought-pro-voking films, withsubject matter rang-ing from remotelandscapes and cul-tures to adrenaline-packed action sports.Tickets: 0844 4068666 or visit light-housepoole.co.uk

Festival hits new heights

ACTION: Jared Jumping,part of the BanffMountain Film Festival.

LASTNIGHT’SREVIEW

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Theatre marketing

This session will teach you techniques currently used by The Mayflower Theatre to market shows. You will also learn about ‘guerrilla marketing’, an unconventional system of promotions that relies on time, energy and imagination rather than a big marketing budget. The objective of guerrilla marketing is to create a unique and thought-provoking concept to generate a buzz!

Guerilla marketing should be:

DefinitionsMarketing: the way that organisations communicate information about a product or a service to customers.

Guerilla Marketing: Unconventional and unexpected marketing, intended to get maximum results from minimal resources in unique and creative ways.Source: Citrus Media Group

Unexpected Thought provoking Creative

Engaging Imaginative Innovative Unusual

Memorable Interactive

sourc

e: C

itru

s M

edia

Gro

up

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How to write a review

The most important part of the review is the critical evaluation, this means that whatever you are reviewing you need to discuss and evaluate it and not just describe it. 

Give your opinion! The most important part of any review is the author’s opinion. Whilst it is important to give some details (e.g. cast/plot), what the reader really wants to know is whether it’s worth spending time or money going to watch/buy/read it. So it’s your job as a reviewer to express your opinion… do you love it, hate it or are you not bothered either way. But remember you can’t just say ‘it was great’ or ‘it was rubbish’, you need to explain why e.g. ‘it was great because…’

Things to includeDetails/facts key facts will help the reader know how to access the film/show/book and if they might like it because it has their favourite actor/author in it. Think who wrote it? Who is in it? Where is it available? What genre is it?

Story/plot interesting information about it, without giving too much away. Think What happens? Characters / Main storyline / Sub storyline / themes

Opinion/rating how you would rate it and why? Think will you use a rating system (stars/thumbs up)?

Activity  Compare other reviews!

Prior to writing your own reviews it is best to look at a range of other reviews from a variety of sources as each review will have a different style, purpose and tone depending on its intended audience.

Purpose: why the text was written and what it is trying to say(e.g. persuade/inform/discuss/entertain)Style: how the text appears(e.g. formal/informal/persuasive/personal)Tone: the attitude of the writer (e.g. serious/conversational/light‑hearted/mature)Audience: who the text is aimed at(e.g. female/male, children/ teenagers/adults)

Definition of a review

An article that gives a critical

evaluation of a film, play, book, etc.

Key point A review should be:

Short and Catchy

Informative and Opinionated

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Theatre review planning template

Facts about the show? title, dates showing, location / theatre, cast, directors

Type of show? How do you know e.g. musical / drama / comedy?

Summary / plot? What happens? Keep it short and snappy

Themes? What are the key issues e.g. racism / loyalty / love?

Chosen audience? What style and tone will you use to appeal to them?

Your opinion and rating system? Thumbs / stars / wording

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Winning reviewsLast year’s students wrote reviews on the musical ‘Whistle Down the Wind’. Below you will find some examples of winning reviews picked out by Lorelei Reddin, Southern Daily Echo. 

The Mayflower has set up a brilliant and inspiring performance; some of the scenes in the play ‘whistle down the wind’ were absolutely amazing. A fugitive escaped from the prison, a young girl finds herself in the midst of a crisis with a man claiming to be Jesus and her father telling her to stay away from strangers. Should she trust her father, or put her faith in the stranger who claims to be able to bring her mother back and make all of her wishes come true. A drawn out beginning builds up the suspense for an ending which shows complete self sacrifice and a true act of a man who couldn’t possibly commit the crime he was imprisoned for. The young actors and actresses in this play have put on a show which will create and inspire young people for generations to come to go into show business to entertain frighten and even make some people cry. This is a performance that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a flash of comedy mixed in with a strong personal incentive to go against everything they have been told is true. Liam Renwick – Quilley School of Engineering

Whistle down the wind soon sprung

into action after a slow start,

with Jonathon Ansell stealing

the show and proving that acting

is definitely something that he

has a pure talent for. The cast

all proved that they are all

all-round performers, singing,

dancing and acting their way

through each scene.

The narrative at points became

somewhat confusing however things

quickly became clearer after

the interval. The SFX (special

effects) were used superbly to

the highest standard which left

the audience gasping at the

stage in awe and amazement, for

example, when the lighting was

used to create the effect of the

barn ablaze.

The costumes were matched to the

characters extremely well showing

off their personalities, the hair

and make-up was mostly subtle

however appropriate for the

time the show was set. Overall

a show definitely to recommend

for all the family to experience

the great naivety and curiosity

portrayed by the children within

the show.

A great debt for Jonathon Ansell

showing he is an all-round

talented performer; now we are

just left waiting to see where

his talents will take him next.

Alice Raynor – Ryde High School

One Lord only: Jesus Christ or a low life convict you choose? The man was an escapee from the state penitentiary. He crashed at a local barn where he was woken by an innocent young girl. The parts were fantastically played but the only let down was the plot, which at times was repetitive and dragging. To finish on a good note the singing was a five star performance and also it was wonderful to see adults and children mix in such a great show.Jamie Reed – The Vyne

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G4 star lights up MayflowerThe only good part of this performance was when G5 star Jonathan Ansell finally got burned so we didn’t have to watch this shambles of a musical. This musical could have been improved if Jesus himself had come down and still I don’t think it could have made me want to watch it. the naiveness of Carly Bowden was so annoying I wanted to rip my own leg of just so I had something to throw at her I mean who finds a bloody tramp in there barn and thinks its Jesus, I’m glad there was someone near to me to wake me up when it was thankfully over.

Kristian Forsythe

G4’s Jonathan Ansell’s debut

‘whistle down the wind’, was

spectacular. The way the play

connected romance, crime,

religion and racism baffled me.

It was one of the most amazing

musicals I have ever seen.

Jonathan Ansell gave a real life

performance of the lead man –

‘the man/Jesus’. They couldn’t

have chosen anyone better.

Carly Bowden, Josh Simpon and

Charlotte Oldroyd, who played

the three main children, are

they only children of widowed

father Boone, played by Zincoln

Slone. Considering the children

were so young, and had maybe not

done anything like this before,

blew my breath away. The amazing

special effects caught my eye as

well.

Jade Bosworth – Cranbourne

Business and Enterprise College

Carly Bowden playing swallow made an excellent character which would have been hard to play. The character was fighting to be grown up, while seeming childish, difficult for the actress who had already grown out of that stage. Jonathan Ansell playing the scruffy Jesus – a runaway criminal was an odd but compelling if not slightly ironic twist to the casting as the opera star seems very clean cut. Instead of a love triangle it is more of a love square with the relationship between Amos and Candy, forbidden because of racism. Amos’s relationship with swallow pushing her into the relationship and swallow relationship with the man, where he has obvious feelings but cant show them because other misconception of who he actually is. She makes his as an idol where he thinks of himself as something, she should stay away from. The vibrancy of the children’s chorus makes a minor part much more significant. Bethenie Bulman – Oak Farm Community School

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Practical writing tips moving up a grade!Have you ever noticed that the more ticks you get on an English essay, usually the higher your mark is? 

Q. So what do we want to know?A. How to get more ticks!

You get ticks for these main things, and ticks = marks!• Using a wide, mature vocabulary –

use a thesaurus when you can, to remind you what words you know. Show off the posh words you know, even if you’re not sure of the spelling. You get marks for trying to use a clever word, you get nothing for not trying ...

• Using English ‘jargon’; words like tone, similes, genre, emotive words etc

• Explaining the effect of a device like metaphors, similes, emotive words etc.

• Clear, fluent sentence construction. (PEE/PEA/SEA sentences are great tick-getters)

Some examples of ‘wide, mature vocabulary’ • Don’t say, ‘The man walked across

the road’ DO SAY ‘The man hobbled/limped/struggled/raced across the road.

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• Don’t put, ‘She said...’ DO PUT, ‘She declared/announced/whispered

• Don’t write, ‘The weather got colder’, DO WRITE, ‘The weather grew/became/cracked into coldness.

Basically, avoid simple words like ‘got’ ‘big’ ‘said’ ‘old’ and use some of those longer, more interesting words hiding in the back of your memory. Tip: Using a few ‘mature’ words can move you from a D to a C grade so don’t feel embarrassed about ‘showing off/being a geek.

Clear sentence structure REMEMBER… PEE - Point Example ExplainPoint - Make a point. This can be anything from a short sentence to a few lines.Example - Quote the text. The quote needs to be related to the point you made.Explanation - Explain the quote, what it means, how it works, and how it backs up the point you made originally.

More on ticks... 4 4 4

English exams are partly marked by ‘impression marking’ because it isn’t factual, like maths or biology.

So you need to create a ‘good impression’ by:

• the maturity of the words you use and • the quality of the sentences you write. These are the two most important things you need to do.

Teachers give ticks for different things as they read through an essay.This is one way of imagining what we give ticks for:• Bronze ticks (D/C grade area) are

for important but simple comments or facts eg. ‘Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet’ or ‘The poet uses imagery in his poem.’ or ‘The poem is about love’ or ‘The advert is trying to sell you a car’.

• Silver ticks (C/B grade area) are for things like: a good choice of word to describe something; the beginning of clever explanation of a writer’s use of language or imagery; touching on an interesting idea; some well phrased writing or analysis. (see examples below)

• Gold ticks (B/A grade area) are for things like fluent, well developed ideas using PEE/PEA/SEA/three part sentence structure where you can; using a lot of mature vocabulary; clever ideas about a poet’s imagery or a writer’s themes - ideas that all of you can think of but many forget to write down. (see examples below)

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B C D

Explores Explains DescribesUses paragraphs to enhance meaning

Paragraphs make meaning clear and are usually coherent

Uses clear, if mechanical, paragraphs

Well-formed sentences Uses range of sentence structures to achieve effects

Begins to use some variety of sentences to achieve effects

Assured match of style and form to tone and audience

Uses varied vocabulary to achieve effects

Begins to use some variety of vocabulary to achieve effects

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Poetry example...Ten thousand saw I at a glance,Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. from Daffodils by W.Wordsworth

Student response to the metaphor in the last line:• Bronze: There is an effective

metaphor in the last line. (D grade: statement of fact. Vague)

• Silver: There is a metaphor, ‘Tossing their heads..dance’, which suggests the flowers are happy. (C grade: showing some evaluation of the effect of an image)

• Gold: The metaphor, ‘Tossing their heads..dance’ suggests the flowers are being blown about in such an animated way by the breeze that they look like they’re ‘dancing’ joyfully and their yellow ‘heads’ are bouncing around wildly as if they are really enjoying themselves. (A grade: complex, fluent sentence structure; mature, precise choice of vocabulary; focus on key image and ‘echoing back’ the language of the key image in their own words)

The BAD NEWS is, to get silver and gold ticks you have to write more about a point you want to make.

The GOOD NEWS is you can write about fewer points because often, quality-is-better-than-quantity.

Now see if you can award bronze, silver and gold ticks to the following examples:

Examples of ‘original writing/ writing to describe’(one is a D grade, one a C/B grade and one an A grade. See if you can work out which grade for each one)Examples of writing styles:1 I saw the big door. It was a little bit open so I went inside. I saw the dark, scary staircase. I didn’t like the cobwebs and spiders. There was a bad smell and I couldn’t see where I was going.

2 An ancient wooden door stared at me from the beneath a fringe of ivy leaves. It groaned as if in pain or to warn me of secret horrors the house concealed. Inside, the foul stench of something rotting hung in the fetid air and I had to fight through the sticky traps of cobwebs to see where to tread. Spiders trickled over my hands, arms and face and I had to stifle a scream while they scurried away.

3 There was an old, wooden door at the front of the house which was covered in ivy. The door creaked painfully as I entered the house. It smelled horrible inside, like something had died and lay rotting somewhere. It made me feel sick. Suddenly, I screamed as spiders ran all over me from the cobwebs.

*Tip: notice how each sentence starts; if simple, compound or complex sentences are used; whether metaphors or similes are used; the kind of vocabulary used and the overall effect of combining these elements.

Notice how some people can say a lot without really saying anything useful that can get them those all important ticks .

The grades for the descriptive writing examples (I saw the big door etc): example one = D grade; example two = A grade; example three = C/B

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Personal log

Aimhigher English Session 1 Date:

Aims: Introduction to the project, prepare for theatre visits and develop key skills in review writing Be alert to the differences between being a C grade and D grade student

Notes:

Targets for next activity:

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To Kill a Mockingbird – The Mayflower Theatre

Date:

Aims: Watch show and engage in Q&A session, capture thoughts prior to the Behind the Scenes DayCollect examples of writing around theatre/film e.g. reviews/programmes/marketing

Notes:

Targets for next activity:

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Behind the Scenes Day – The Mayflower Theatre

Date:

Aims: Complete tasks in theatre marketing and arts journalism sessionsReview progress made and set targets for open task

Notes:

Targets for next activity:

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Aimhigher English Session 2 Date:

Aims: Feedback on experience and learning at the MayflowerDevelop speaking and listening skills in a marketing/media activity

Notes:

Targets for next activity:

25

English Taster Day – University of Winchester

Date:

Aims: Complete and publish reviews, celebrate success! Participate in workshops and develop an awareness of the use of English in everyday life

Notes:

Targets for next activity:

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Useful resources

English tips and revision

GCSE Bitesize The BBC’s secondary school revision resource for students studying their GCSEs www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english/

English Biz Essay writing guides, revision tips and advice from teacherswww.englishbiz.co.uk/

S-coolrevision websitewww.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/english.html

University and careersAimhigherInformation on University and careerswww.aimhigherhants.ac.uk

ConnexionsAdvice and careers guidance for young peoplewww.connexions-direct.com

Fast Tomato interactive careers and educationwww.fasttomato.com

UniAid Information on student finance and interactive game ‘Student Survivor’www.uniaid.org.uk

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Feedback from past students

“I got to see how English language can help with your future.”

“I enjoyed meeting the cast and finding that they were just like us.”

“It helped me with my confidence!”

“English isn’t boring!”

“I really liked every bit of the 

project … The Mayflower was 

fun and I enjoyed watching the play.”

Aimhigher Hampshire & Isle of WightUniversity of WinchesterWinchesterSO22 4NR01962 827144aimhigher@winchester.ac.uk