Originally posted by Serendipity

Well just a little addition, I take English language as one of my AS Levels and I got into quite a good college (was placed number 1 in the UK in 06 and in various other places the following years).

Anyway, as someone from a working class, not private schooled in anyway and the same with many others that got in to this college and who are in my class for English Language, can tell you that GCSE English is nothing compared to A Levels. A lot more terminology and the fact basics are not even taught in the curriculum's set by the exams board (basics like what's a noun, verb e.t.c - no joke 16 yr olds at this good college taking English had no idea how to define them).

Basically English needs a real shake up, with quite a few subjects. We've constantly been rechanging exams so often that the GCSE's I got this summer will have no credit or value come next year because they'll be too out of context with what seems "fit" and "current".