24th May 2024

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am writing to inform you of the Year 9 English Exam which will take place on Friday 21st June 2024 during
period four of the normal school day.

Throughout the year, students sit a total of three formal assessments on the topics they have studied. Two
of these assessments have taken place and these were sat in classrooms. However, now that students have
started their GCSE Course by studying the Love and Relationships Poetry we will be assessing them in a more
formal capacity. The exam is their final assessment of the year and the result will be weighted more heavily
when generating their overall, final grade in English.

Students are currently studying the poetry in class with their teachers and will have the opportunity to
prepare and revise for two possible exam questions – the exam will be one of these prepared questions. The
question is a comparison question, where students must compare two poems that they have studied in class
on a particular theme. One poem will be printed in full, students will also be provided with a list of the other
poems that they have studied. Students will not be allowed their notes or plans in the exam and so they
must revise the points and quotes they have planned to use for each possible question.

Students will sit the exam in GCSE exam conditions, this means that they must have a clear pencil case, with
a black pen, no phones or smart watches will be allowed, water bottles must have the label removed. The
exam will last an hour long. Any student that requires access arrangements will be catered for
appropriately.

Marking will then be distributed equally across the department to ensure accuracy and fairness for all.
Students will receive their exams back in class and be provided with a final mark and target.

We look forward to seeing Year 9 demonstrate their knowledge in a formal capacity – they have already
made such a positive start to their GCSE course and it has been noted how maturely and seriously they are
taking this term’s learning.

Yours faithfully,

Mrs E Hobart

Key Stage Three Coordinator