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Progression: where this fits and where it leads

The Pearson Edexcel International Award in Lower Secondary English (LEH11) sits at the end of Key Stage 3. Its content is drawn from Year 9 of the iLowerSecondary English curriculum, building on Years 7 and 8, and it is designed to lead straight into International GCSE English Language.

The KS3 build-up: Years 7 → 8 → 9

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. In other words, the exam does not test a separate syllabus - it tests how securely the core KS3 reading and writing skills have matured by the end of Year 9.

Year 7

Foundations: retrieving information, basic inference, clear paragraphs, accurate sentence demarcation.

Year 8

Development: interpreting texts, commenting on language and structure, adapting writing to purpose.

Year 9

Mastery: evaluating writers’ methods and viewpoint, comparing non-fiction, controlled extended writing - the level the exam assesses.

Explore the full KS3 scheme of work - yearly expectations, termly plans and weekly lessons - on the KS3 English hub, and the skill-code progression Y7→Y8→Y9.

What Year 9 looks like (the exam’s level)

These are the Year 9 iLowerSecondary objective codes the exam draws on. Each links to the skill it assesses on this hub.

Code	What it expects by the end of Year 9
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.

How the reading and writing strands mature

Reading (skills 1.1-1.5)

Reading accurately with understanding
Developing a critical response to texts
Exploring the construction of a text
Exploring the writer's use of language
Identifying and exploring the writer's intention and viewpoint
Comparing non-fiction texts

Writing (skills 2.1-2.3)

Write appropriate to task
Structure and organise writing appropriately
Convey meaning in writing through the use of accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling

Where it leads next

A pass on this qualification is reported as S1-S4. It is built as the ideal preparation for:

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

The reading and writing skills practised here map directly onto International GCSE English Language. When you reach that stage, the IGCSE English hub continues the same method at the next level.

Your route on this hub

Start with the specification and exam format.
Build each reading and writing skill via the skill masterclasses.
Drill question types and sit practice papers.
Track yourself against grade targets S1-S4 and follow the study plan.

Qualification facts, assessment objectives and mark grids reproduced for educational guidance from the Pearson Edexcel International Award in Lower Secondary English Specification (Issue 2, November 2024, ISBN 978 1 446 95667 0) and the LEH11/01 October 2025 mark scheme. © Pearson Education Limited. The English Hub is not affiliated with or endorsed by Pearson. All practice texts on these pages are original works written by The English Hub and are not reproduced from any past paper.