A new VCE English study design, introduced at Units 1&2 from this year, has meant a number of significant changes about how we teach VCE English, including removing the compare and contrast area of study and replacing it with a ‘creating texts’ unit. This change, along with more minor changes to the text response and analysis of argument units, will impact on the curriculum outlines schools have created at Years 7-10 as a pathway into VCE English. This workshop will explain the changes to the study design, the different skills students now need at VCE English and discuss ways English faculties can alter their Year 7-10 courses in the next few years to give students the foundation of skills they will need for VCE English.