IGCSE

With Cambridge’s upcoming changes to IGCSE First Language English in 2027, I’ve been working hard to create new resources for students and parents. Below you’ll find a free Paper 2 for 2027 First Language English IGCSE 0500: on the topic of AI in Schools. This includes a mark scheme and sample answer.

The men arrive without warning. They are peculiar-looking creatures—these sudden strangers—clad in neither tunic nor armor but a clinging fabric smoother than creased linen and tougher than soft wool. Wielding a gleaming cylinder-shaped contraption with a wiry serpentine tail, they battle the earth with thunderous surges of air, as if they have bound Aeolus, god of winds, to their will. 

Macbeth, a Jacobean tragedy written by William Shakespeare, presents kingship as a necessary component that influences a country’s power. As the play progresses under the ruling of three kings – Duncan, Macbeth, and Malcolm – Shakespeare suggests that peace and power are only maintained under the right leader, and chaos will take over once a wrong leader takes the place.

Revision video, PowerPoint and study notes for The Whale Rider IGCSE English Literature, especially for students of Edexcel 4ET1.

Read my A* exemplar for Directed Writing formal letter writing. Video lesson, PowerPoint, study notes and full length model answer.

The full moon stared down in dismay as Leisl sighed. She had only a moment until the rite must be performed, yet the leaves on the ancient oak tree refused to regrow. Geisterholz Forest remained barren; bare branches twisted their arthritic fingers into the gloom of the blackened sky.

Travelling in The Whale Rider symbolises the emotional journeys and changes the characters undergo, as Witi Ihimaera aims to make the reader understand that traditional cultures should modernise whilst holding onto their history and cultural identities. Travelling is a metaphor for maturing and progress, particularly with Rawiri’s trip to Australia and Papua New Guinea, …

Swiping bold stripes of face paint on my cheeks, I felt the adrenaline soaring through my body. This would be the year I’d come first, get my name in the newspapers, and finally beat Benson. It was my seventh time competing… and my seventh time coming second place.

The City Planners by Margaret Atwood expresses disdain for the City Planners, who attempt to impose order upon fundamentally chaotic subjects: humanity and nature. Through her personification of the landscape, puns of insanity and use of free verse, Atwood critiques the sterile and oppressive nature of modern urban planning and argues…

Are you gearing up for the IGCSE First Language English Paper 2 and feeling a bit daunted by the directed writing section? Fear not! In this blog post, I’ll break down the key elements of directed writing, focusing on reading skills and evaluation – the secret ingredients to securing those top marks.