Edexcel iPrimary and iLowerSecondary English
Pearson's year-by-year English curriculum for international schools, from Year 1 to Year 9, and the two external tests that sit at the end of each stage.
This is a curriculum, not a single examination
Parents often say my child does Edexcel and mean one of several quite different things. The Edexcel graded curriculum described on these pages runs year by year from Year 1 to Year 9 and is taught in school; it is not the same as an International GCSE, which is a two-year qualification taken at the end of Year 11.
There are external tests, but only two in nine years: one at the end of Year 6 and one at the end of Year 9. Everything between them is taught and assessed inside the school.
The two stages at a glance
| iPrimary English | iLowerSecondary English | |
|---|---|---|
| Full qualification title | Pearson Edexcel International Award in Primary English | Pearson Edexcel International Award in Lower Secondary English |
| Specification code | JEH11 | LEH11 |
| Paper code | JEH11/01 | LEH11/01 |
| Year groups | Years 1 to 6 | Years 7 to 9 |
| First teaching / first assessment | 2018 / June 2019 | 2018 / 2019 |
| External test taken at the end of | Year 6 | Year 9 |
| Time allowed | 1 hour 30 minutes | 1 hour 45 minutes |
| Total marks | 60 | 70 |
| Texts | Two, on a theme: one non-fiction, one fiction. Pre-released at least four weeks before the test. | Three, on a theme: two non-fiction, one fiction. Unseen, in a Source Booklet with the paper. |
| Dictionaries | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Curriculum strands | Three: Spoken Language, Reading, Writing | Two: Reading and Writing, with Speaking and Listening woven through both |
| Progresses to | iLowerSecondary English | International GCSE English, from Year 10 |
| Full guide | iPrimary English | iLowerSecondary English |
The one difference that changes how you prepare
iPrimary texts are pre-released. The two Year 6 texts are published by Pearson at least four weeks before the test, and Pearson's own guidance recommends that schools spend around two weeks of lesson time - eight to ten hours - working on them. A Year 6 child who has not seen the texts before test day is at a serious and entirely avoidable disadvantage.
iLowerSecondary texts are unseen. The three Year 9 texts arrive in a Source Booklet with the paper. Preparation therefore has to be about method rather than about content.
Parents moving a child between schools should check which stage their child is in and whether the school has downloaded the pre-release.
How this guide handles Pearson's material
Facts are stated; documents are linked, never copied. Codes, timings, mark totals and assessment-objective weightings are facts about the qualification and are given here with their source. Pearson's curriculum documents, schemes of work, past papers and mark schemes belong to Pearson and are not reproduced on this site.
The detailed year-by-year learning objectives are not published here. Pearson releases the full curriculum only to subscribing centres, and it is theirs to release. What follows is the published structure, plus RCF English's own guidance and original practice material.
RCF English is not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by Pearson Edexcel.
Official Pearson pages
| What | Official source |
|---|---|
| iPrimary curriculum, all subjects | Pearson Edexcel iPrimary Curriculum |
| iPrimary English (2018), JEH11 - specification and materials | iPrimary Curriculum English (2018) |
| iLowerSecondary curriculum, all subjects | Pearson Edexcel iLowerSecondary Curriculum |
| iLowerSecondary English (2018), LEH11 - specification and materials | International Lower Secondary Curriculum - English |
| About the international primary curriculum | About the Edexcel International Primary Curriculum |
The two stages in full
iPrimary English: Years 1 to 6
The three strands and all fourteen sub-strands, the JEH11/01 test section by section, the assessment objectives with their exact weightings, and how to use the pre-release properly.
- 60 marks in 1 hour 30 minutes
- Reading 30, Grammar and punctuation 15, Writing 15
- Original RCF practice material
iLowerSecondary English: Years 7 to 9
The two strands and their sub-strands, the LEH11/01 test verified from an official paper, and a method for handling three unseen texts in seventy minutes.
- 70 marks in 1 hour 45 minutes
- Reading 40, Writing 30
- Original RCF practice material
Common questions
Is the Edexcel iPrimary curriculum the same as an International GCSE?
No. iPrimary covers Years 1 to 6 and iLowerSecondary covers Years 7 to 9. International GCSE is a separate two-year qualification taken in Years 10 and 11.
The three are designed to run into one another - iPrimary prepares for iLowerSecondary, which prepares for International GCSE English, either as a first language or as a second language - but they are different qualifications with different codes and different examinations.
Who is the Edexcel iPrimary English curriculum designed for?
Pearson states that it is designed for students who are not native speakers of English but who study most of their other subjects in English. It combines approaches from a first-language English curriculum with the progression and scaffolding that English-as-an-additional-language learners need.
This matters for parents choosing a school in a country such as Sri Lanka: the curriculum assumes English is the medium of instruction, not the home language.
How many external examinations are there between Year 1 and Year 9?
Two: the Year 6 Achievement Test (JEH11/01) and the Year 9 Achievement Test (LEH11/01).
Schools also use internal Progress Tests in other years, but those are set and marked within the school rather than externally certificated.
Can I download the full curriculum objectives?
Only through a subscribing school. Pearson publishes free overview documents describing the strands and giving sample objectives, and it publishes the specification, past papers and mark schemes openly. The complete year-by-year curriculum, schemes of work and lesson plans are released to centres that subscribe to the programme.
This site does not reproduce them. If you need them, ask your child's school, which will have them if it is registered.
Where can I find past papers for the Year 9 test?
On the official iLowerSecondary English page, where Pearson publishes question papers and mark schemes for past series.
Use the mark schemes rather than only the papers. A Year 9 student who reads how the 30-mark writing task is actually marked will gain more than one who does another paper unmarked.
Related pages
iPrimary English
Years 1 to 6 in full.
iLowerSecondary English
Years 7 to 9 in full.
International GCSE English
What comes next, from Year 10.
Global English overview
Every international English qualification covered here.