This past year I have been teaching re-sit GCSE English language to a bunch of teenagers at the local FE college. They are mostly on vocational courses, such as engineering and outdoor pursuits. It's hard enough to get them to read anything, let alone a story in archaic language about people so far out of their experience that they may as well be reading Game of Thrones. Ironically, quite a few of them said that they enjoyed Mice and Men.

The syllabus we've been following (WJEC) doesn't require them to read a novel, but it's still not practically based enough. All my students do need to improve their literacy, especially their writing skills, but answering questions on a short story under exam conditions is not really appropriate to their needs.

I really used to like the old Key Skills qualifications but most teachers used to the old idea of "We teach the kids then they sit a test" way of working never could get the hang of making them work. Sadly. :(