Family Holidays
Controlled
Assessment
Writing
LEARNING OBJECTIVES…
• To know what the examiner is looking for
in this part of the controlled assessment…
• To be able to write a script for a podcast.
How do I show off my writing skills?
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Varied sentences
Wide range of vocabulary
A sense of audience (pronouns)
Organisation (introduction, conclusion,
coherent argument)
Sentences
You are showing off your writing skills so remember to use a
variety of sentences.
• Short – The beach was golden.
• One clause (simple) – The palm tree swayed.
• Multi-clause (compound or complex) – The
sand was hot so we needed our flip-flops.
Multi-clause sentences will help your writing become
sophisticated, so be sure to use them. Practise by completing
the sentences on the next slide…
1. Waiting at the airport, the family…
2. Finishing her ice cream, Lauren…
3. Deciding it was getting late, I…
4. Hoping school wouldn’t mind, Mrs
Mount…
5. Jumping up onto the truck, Old Sam…
Audience
• Your audience is young people, which is
ideal. You know what you would
understand because you are the
audience.
• Think of the expressions and the
references that would appeal to you – that
would interest you in the podcast and
make you want to listen.
Vocabulary
Education
Attendance
Advantage
Disadvantage
Knowledge
Benefits
Intellectual
Society
Experience
Privilege
Rewarding
Affordable
Reasonable
Recreation
Culture
Admiration
Harmony
Heritage
Relationships
Generation
Environment
Stimulating
Sentence Starters
It’s all very well saying that… but…
Like many young people, I…
Your audience will surely agree with me when I
say…
As controversial as it may be, I think…
While I respect the opinions of others, I believe…
Facts you may wish to use
• You spend 36 weeks a year in school (195 days)
• 16 weeks on holiday
• Holiday companies charge less for holidays and
flights in term-time
• a child who has 10 days holiday each year of
their school life will miss 24 weeks (nearly a full
school year) of their formal education.
• £60 fine, per child, for unauthorised absence
Useful statistics
• By researching on the internet, I have
compiled some useful statistics, taken
from a survey of parents in Surrey.
• You may do further research in your own
time, but make note of the statistics on the
next slide…
• 69% feel it’s deeply unfair private-school families don’t get
fined for taking their children on holiday in term time
• The cost of flights can increase by over 80% between
when private schools and state schools break up
• Because of this, 53% of parents are willing to risk fines by
taking their children out of school during term time
• 50 % of UK parents have already lied to schools about
their child’s absence to avoid fines
• 67% are prepared to be dishonest about absence to save
money
• Higher income earners are the biggest culprits
• One in ten parents would report a family lying to a school
about taking holidays during term time
Your Task
Write the script for a podcast for a
young people’s website about an issue
related to family holidays.
Your Task
Form
Audience
Write the script for a podcast for a
young people’s website about an issue
related to family holidays.
Notice there is no stated purpose. This
means you can inform, you can persuade or
you can argue!
We know how to persuade!
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Alliteration
Personal pronouns
Fact
Flattery
Opinion
Rhetorical Question/Repetition
Emotive Language/Exaggeration
Statistics
Three (Rule of)
Opening Model
00:00
Presenter: How many of you have missed school
or college in order to go on holiday with your
families? How do you feel about your school
telling you when you can and cannot go away?
Does your education matter to you as much as it
matters to the government?
In today’s podcast we will be talking to a
young person who has strong views on the
national decision to fine parents if their children
go on holiday during term-time.
Structure
• Introduction to the programme. Tell the
audience what will be discussed and who
will be talking.
• You can include references to a previous
programme to show that you understand
the form of a podcast.
E.g. In last week’s podcast, we focused on education and
the stress we can all suffer from exam pressure. This week
we are looking at the flipside: relaxation. But is the
government interfering with our right to ‘chill out’?
• Guest - Have your guest give their opinion
on family holidays in term-time. They
should talk for a long time and give one
point of view: either for or against. They
are persuading listeners to agree with
them.(Use AFOREST!)
• Presenter – Your presenter should give
the other point of view. Use them to
challenge the points that your guest
makes. They are arguing a point.
Endings/conclusion
• When you have covered both points of view, you
will need an ending to the podcast.
• Your presenter will sum up what has been
discussed and leave the audience to decide who
they agree with.
• E.g. Well, you’ve heard our opinions on termtime family holidays. It’s a debate that’s likely to
run forever… or at least until holiday companies
wake up to the plight of our parents. Tune in
next week for…
How your writing will be marked
First a mark out of 13 for…
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The quality of your ideas
Suitability for purpose and audience
Sophistication of vocabulary
Organisation of writing/paragraphing.
How your writing will be marked
Then a mark out of 7 for…
• Spelling
• Punctuation
• Sentences
All together, it’s out of 20.
Hints
• Use your plan wisely!! Good Luck 
• Write in full sentences – remember the basics.
Use simple, short and complex sentences.
• Aim to include rhetorical questioning.
• Impress me with your use of language. Include
metaphorical language / alliteration and higher
level order words.
• PARAGRAPH!
• Use a range of punctuation! (.,!?:;)