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Case study examination: tourist brochure dissected An examiner discusses the opening paragraphs of three candidates’ answers in the NEAB’s Case Study examination. The opening of any newspaper article has got to grab your attention immediately, otherwise you won’t read it, however interesting or relevant it might be. These three texts below were the opening paragraphs of answers in this year’s NEAB Case Study examination. Candidates had to write an article for a tabloid newspaper featuring unusual places of interest and possible educational value, to enable parents to decide for themselves whether to go on a visit. Sellafield was the unusual place. Successful answers to NEAB Case Studies and to the AEB’s Textual Recasting and Edexcel’s Desk Studies are similar to newspaper articles. Like them, one of the most important factors in success is the opening. It must make the examiner want to read on. Of course, if the only good thing about the answer is its start, then few marks would be gained. The most important question that examiners ask of any script in this part of the examination is: how effective would this be for its intended reader? So, if it’s meant to be a radio programme, would the listener have switched off way before the end? Or if you’re writing a prospectus for a nursery school, would parents be keen to send their children to your school? If after reading answers to this second assignment the examiner is quite sure that Kiddiewinks is only slightly preferable to Wormwood Scrubs, then obviously it’s been an ineffective prospectus and that candidate has got to fail. Clearly in our three examples, Text Two is a non-starter. It plunges straight in by giving you AAtype directions to Sellafield and provides little context for the writing. In fact, we’re not told what Sellafield actually is, no BNFL. So although there might well be interactive experiments and fascinating displays of technology, these could be on the mating habits of Abyssinian guinea pigs or sewage disposal. We just don’t know. Would parents take their children off into the unknown? Though readers might well guess something about Sellafield from the later reference to nuclear fuel, what they certainly don’t want is a science essay on reprocessing, which is what the script seems to be turning into. So Text Two comes out bottom of the pile. It’s a little less easy to decide which of the other two texts would be the more effective, because they’ve both got good qualities. They’ve both chosen a friendly and approachable tone in which to address the reader; they’re both quite informative and neither overwhelms you with technological information. But, on balance, the winner has got to be Text One because it’s snappy, gets straight to the point (who would actually think of visiting a nuclear power station?) and addresses the readers (Fear not). Text Three at times seems just a little too much like a formal lecture (nuclear power plants are licensed on the basis that there will be no undue hazard or significant effect on the public health or safety). Just for comparison, and because articles should not only begin strongly but also end strongly, here’s the opening of a recent Sunday Mirror feature on another unusual place to visit - a dude ranch in Texas. Jason could hit a jackrabbit at 10 feet with a shot of his baccy juice. His dip tin, the mark of a real cowboy, made a permanent bulge in the back of his Wranglers. Do y’all know how to make the horses stop and go? He drawled as we rode out on the trail from the Bar H Dude Ranch. I grunted nonchalantly, South London’s answer to the Lone Ranger. Minutes later I was unmasked. The trail boss bawled me out for overtaking the lead horse at a fast trot. You have to hold the horse back or he’ll tire early, Jason explained. The American Quarterhorse is bred for slow cattle drives from Texas to Montana. But race him and he’ll tire after a quarter mile - which is how he got his name.

The writer here would be well on the way to an A grade in English Language A-level. I’m sure she’ll be pleased to know that. e Text one Unusual indeed! Who would actually think of visiting a nuclear power station? Well, last year

170,000 people not only considered it, they actually went. Of course, they didn’t go inside the plant itself, they went to the Sellafield Visitors’ Centre. This is a wonder of modern technology, highly computerised and adding to its list of attractions all the time. If money is a worry, fear not. Admission is free. Funded by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd ( BNFL ), who own Sellafield, the centre is open for visitors to see what really goes on there. Text two The Sellafield Visitors’ Centre is off the A595 west Cumbrian coast road and promises an amazing interactive experience containing all the excitement you can handle. It’s a totally different experience that explores and explains the world of BNFL. Designed to inform and entertain the whole family, Sellafield features interactive experiments, intriguing shows and fascinating displays of technology. Sellafield was set up in 1972 when used nuclear fuel was transported from European reactors for reprocessing. What is reprocessing? Once fuel has been put into a reactor and irradiated it is know as ‘spent fuel’. There are two different ways to manage spent fuel. It can either be stored in a dry store or underwater disposal, which is the choice for most spent fuel. Reprocessing involves a simple chemical process of dissolving the spent fuel in nitric acid. Text three Firstly, don’t be put off by the reputation, rumours and jokes about Sellafield. In our opinion it provides one of the most enjoyable and educational days out available in Britain. So, what is there at Sellafield? In short, a lot. Firstly there is the nuclear power plant Sellafield is known for. Now, don’t be alarmed by this. There is no danger at all. Nuclear plants are licensed on the basis that there will be no undue hazard or significant effect on the public health and safety. There is certainly a lot that can be learnt about how nuclear energy is made at Sellafield, but there is another aspect to Sellafield you may find even more interesting. The Sellafield plant houses one of only three nuclear reprocessing plants in the world.