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A guide for parents and teachers

If your child or class is preparing for the Pearson Edexcel International Award in Lower Secondary English (LEH11), this page explains - in plain English - what the qualification is, how the single exam works, what the grades mean, and the simple things you can do at home or in the classroom to help.

What is this qualification?

The Pearson Edexcel International Award in Lower Secondary English is a Pearson Edexcel award that checks how well a student has mastered the English reading and writing skills expected at this stage of lower secondary school - equivalent to Year 9 / KS3 in England. Skills are drawn from Year 9 of the Pearson Edexcel iLowerSecondary English Curriculum. The content amplification also includes aspects of learning from Years 7, 8 and 9. There is nothing to worry about in terms of entry requirements: there are no prior learning or other requirements for this qualification.

It is not a high-stakes school-leaving exam. Think of it as a well-designed checkpoint that confirms a child is on track and ready for the next step in their English studies.

How the exam works

There is just one exam: one externally-set achievement test (externally assessed), lasting 1 hour 45 minutes and worth 70 marks in total. It can be sat in June or October, and dictionaries are not allowed. The paper is split into two sections.

Section A: Reading

40 marks

Suggested time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Students answer questions on three unseen texts - two non-fiction and one fiction - linked by a common theme. Texts are provided in a separate Source Booklet. Students must complete all questions. This section consists of closed and short open-response questions.

Section B: Writing

30 marks

Suggested time: 35 minutes

Students complete a single writing task that requires extended writing and is related to the theme in Section A.

What the grades mean

Graded on a four-level scale from S1 to S4, of which S4 is the highest and S1 the lowest. Achievement below the minimum standard receives an unclassified (U) result. In everyday terms: every level shows real, evidenced achievement, and the scale is there to recognise progress rather than to label a child.

What the exam is really testing

Examiners use a set of “assessment objectives”. The official wording can sound technical, so here is each one in plain English alongside the formal descriptor.

RAO1reading

Find and pick out clear facts and details that are actually stated in a text.

Official descriptor: Identify and retrieve ideas and information from a range of texts.

RAO2reading

Read between the lines - work out what is suggested or implied, not just what is spelled out.

Official descriptor: Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts.

RAO3reading

Notice how a text is built and put in order, and why the writer arranged it that way.

Official descriptor: Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts.

RAO4reading

Look closely at the words and sentences the writer chose and the effect they create.

Official descriptor: Explore writers' use of grammatical and literary language at word and sentence level.

RAO5reading

Work out why the writer wrote the text, their point of view, and how it makes the reader feel.

Official descriptor: Consider writers' purposes and viewpoints, and the overall effect of the text on the reader.

WAO1writing

Write in the right style for the form, reader and purpose, with ideas organised in a clear, well-ordered way.

Official descriptor: Communicate appropriately according to form, audience and purpose; organise writing, sequencing and structuring information appropriately and coherently.

WAO2writing

Write with accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling so the meaning is clear.

Official descriptor: Communicate meaning in writing through the use of accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling.

Where it leads next

The skills built here lead directly into Pearson’s International GCSE English Language courses, so this award is a natural stepping stone rather than a dead end.

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in English Language (Specification A) (9-1)
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in English Language (Specification B) (9-1)

How parents can help at home

You do not need to be an English specialist. Three habits make a real difference.

1 · Read widely together

The reading exam draws on many text types. Mix non-fiction - autobiography/biography, blogs, journals, leaflets, brochures, guides, newspaper and magazine articles, instructions, recount, reports - with fiction across genres such as adventure, fantasy, historical, mystery, science fiction. Variety matters more than volume.

2 · Talk about what you read

A short conversation about a chapter or article builds the exact thinking the exam rewards. Use the ready-made discussion prompts below.

3 · Low-stakes writing

A diary entry, a letter, a short review - anything written for a real purpose. Keep it relaxed; the aim is fluency and confidence, not perfection.

Ready-made discussion questions

These come from the Pearson Teacher’s Guide guided-reading approach and work just as well at the kitchen table as in class.

Fiction

Characters

Which words describe their appearance?
What do we learn about them from what they do?
Does their speech tell us what they are thinking or are likely to do?
What do other characters think (say) about them?

Plot and structure

Where is the story set?
Is there a narrator?
Is the story mostly in the past or present tense?
What is the problem facing the main character(s)?
Are there clues early on about what will happen later?
Is the ending a surprise?
Is there a moral or a message?

Style and language

Find examples of formal and informal English.
Find a short sentence. Why has the writer chosen it?
Find a long sentence. Why has the writer chosen it?
Are there any particular descriptions that help us imagine the scene?
What is the impact of some of the writer's vocabulary choices?
Has the writer used a range of stylistic and rhetorical devices (repetition, alliteration, onomatopoeia, metaphors or similes)?

Non-fiction

Genre

What type of text is this? How can you tell?
Point at language features that indicate this text type (imperative verbs, impersonal pronouns, time conjunctions, persuasive language).

Text structure

What non-fiction text features has the writer used (sub-headings, captions, labels, diagrams, charts, photographs)?
Explain how these features support the text.

Paragraphs

What is the topic sentence in each paragraph?
How are other sentences linked to the topic sentence?

How teachers can use this hub

Every page is built around the official specification. These are the most useful starting points for planning and practice.

Full specification

The complete qualification reference - sections, content skills and assessment objectives.

Practice paper

An original, full-length practice achievement test written in the exact LEH11/01 style.

Mark scheme

How each question is marked, with the levelled writing grids explained.

Question types

Every question format, what it tests, and how to answer it for full marks.

Reading masterclass

Skill-by-skill teaching for Section A reading.

Writing masterclass

Skill-by-skill teaching for the Section B writing task.

Curriculum alignment (Year 9 objectives)

For teachers mapping schemes of work, these are the Year 9 iLowerSecondary English objective codes the assessment draws on. Use them to cross-reference your existing planning.

Code	Objective
R9.1B	Identify and retrieve a range of key and supporting information in a text or in spoken language.
R9.1E	Make inferences from a range of evidence found in two or more texts or instances of spoken language.
R9.2A	Respond to a writer's or speaker's intention and viewpoint.
R9.2B	Develop a critical response to a text through writing, discussion or presentation, by considering the text's features and their effects.
R9.3A	Respond to a writer's or speaker's key structural or organisational choices for effect and impact.
R9.4B	Respond to a writer's or speaker's vocabulary choices for effect and impact, including intonation, tone, volume and expression in spoken language.
W9.1A	Gather and shape a range of relevant ideas before writing.
W9.1B	Develop a reliable proofreading strategy based on an evaluation of strengths and weaknesses in written accuracy.
W9.1C	Review and revise sentence and text structure and vocabulary choice after writing.
W9.2C	Organise texts and spoken presentations or debates to achieve intention and purpose, selecting and using the form's organisational conventions correctly.
W9.3C	Develop variety, clarity and precision in single-clause sentences and subordinate structures in text and spoken language.
W9.3G	Select vocabulary in text and spoken language for effect and impact.
W9.3J	Use a wide range of grammatical terminology correctly and with confidence.