RAZZLE DAZZLE BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY PETAZEL 'EM

In the latter part of the summer of 2013, we waited anxiously for the arrival of the new English Language GCSE. Would this newborn be a horror or a joy? Before its birth, we knew that it would come with fresh challenges: no tiers, no coursework and a new grading system, but we were ready and we had braced ourselves for the birth of English Language GCSE 9-1.



On analysis of the first specimen paper, we quickly became aware that this baby would prove to be a “tricky little sucker” for our students and teaching them to just use PEE to formulate their analysis would not suffice. This child came with dietary needs: it demanded identification and explanation of technique, and simply PEEing would not gain as much merit. Whereas previously vaguer allusions to techniques would be rewarded by examiners, now analysis needed to be tightly focused, with techniques identified with pin-point accuracy.  True, understanding writers’ methods is the bread and butter of most schemes of work and ours were no exception, but to reach the top levels, it seemed to us that analysis now needed to be precise, following a more rigid and formulaic approach rather than the more organic fluidity of times past; no mother’s milk for this new baby – formula all the way! Therefore, we realised that to allow our students to thrive too, we would need to drill them to always identify and explain, and to succeed, they would need a prompt, a framework. Welcome to the birth of the new GCSE Language twin!



So, to help our students tackle each question, we started with the framework PETE. We are happy to confess that one of us even resorted to placing TOWIE’s Pete Wicks’ photo up on their classroom wall to remind the students to use PETE, after all we are from Essex and Mr Wicks is quite easy on the eye. Yet, PETE seemed to lack a certain element - PETEE followed, replaced by PETAL and then PETZEE. Our students were dizzy from the formulae and so were we. Along with the analytical prompts of What? How? And Why? for the more independent learners, we finally settled on PETAZEL and our students loved it. It was “bling” enough to amuse, and it took them through the steps to master this newborn GCSE.



So Ladies, Gentlemen, Students and Fellow Teachers raise your jazz hands and sing along to the tune of ‘RAZZLE DAZZLE’ from ‘Chicago’ as we introduce PETAZEL to you - drum roll......our POINT, EVIDENCE, TECHNIQUE, ANALYSE WRITERS’ INTENTIONS, ZOOM ON KEY WORD AND EFFECTS ON THE READER AND LINK BACK TO THE QUESTION!



Give ‘em them the old razzle dazzle

PETAZEL them                                                                  

Give them a point with lots of passion in

Salient evidence will bedazzle them

Give them the old hocus pocus

Now just focus on

How technique may clearly clarify

Let analysis add the sparkle

Zoom explain and link to title

Just PETAZEL them

And let your students fly



And no joke, or word of a lie, we have heard this sung in the corridors. And after another amazing year of results from a non-selective school, we are bedazzled by PETAZEL!