By Yeats College English teacher Sinead Caslin Cregg
English Paper One was a very fair and enjoyable paper with lots of scope for creativity. There was a lovely variety of questions under the theme of “Perspectives”.
Students were very happy with the range of essay titles. The personal essay on “some of the disappointments you have experienced” seems to have been a popular choice among students.
There was also an “article entitled ‘A love letter to Ireland’” and a nice “discursive essay” on “the power and value of…photographic images.”
Samantha Harvey’s Booker Prize winning novel “Orbital” featured in Text 3, and the questions were accessible and similar across the three texts.
The Question B tasks contained a few surprises, including an “online response” and a “reflection” for a podcast, which were slightly challenging options. But, Text One offered students a “talk” to their school sports teammates, so this will likely prove a popular choice.
Overall, the English Paper One exams at both Higher and Ordinary Level were very fair with plenty of choice for students.
