English

Year 9 English works at the threshold of GCSE. Pupils write full literature essays on set texts, analyse unseen prose and poetry under timed conditions, and produce transactional writing that would stand up in a GCSE paper.

Analysis becomes evaluative — not just identifying a technique but arguing about how successfully a writer achieves an effect, and considering context and alternative interpretations.

In Wales, English Language and English Literature are separate WJEC GCSEs with distinct demands, so pupils start learning to switch between the two styles of response this year.