Why Study this Course?

A Level English Literature is perhaps the course that offers the clearest possible progression from GCSE: we build on existing skills and knowledge that you have already gained throughout study at KS3 and KS4, including building interpretations and analysing writer’s choices. If you like Literature lessons at GCSE, you’re probably going to like A Level English Literature lessons too!

WHAT WILL I STUDY?

YEAR 1:

In the first year, you will begin by studying our drama set texts: The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare and Journey’s End by R C Sheriff. You will also study for the unseen love poetry and unseen war prose, as well as our first comparison element: The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald and a collection of pre-1900 poetry on the theme of Love Through the Ages.

YEAR 2:

In the second year, you will complete your Non-Exam Assessment, which is a 2500 word essay comparing two texts of your choice, and you will study the final set texts: Wake by Anna Hope and a selection of poetry about WW1 and its aftermath. Plus you’ll revise the content from Year 12.

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?

The course is assessed at the end of Y13 through completion of 2 final exams and a piece of coursework that will be marked and moderated by your subject teachers:

Paper 1: Love Through the Ages – 3 hours, worth 40% of your A Level

Paper 2: World War I and its aftermath – 2.5 hours, worth 40% of your A Level.

A 2500-word Non-Exam Assessment (essay) worth 20% of your A Level.

WHERE CAN IT LEAD

Studying English Literature will help you to develop essential, transferable skills such as communication and understanding of other people.

It will allow you to adopt analytical and exploratory approaches to important literary topics, in ways that will broaden and deepen your knowledge.

This is a subject that can create and enhance job opportunities – studying English Literature can open up many different, varied career paths and many of those will give you the opportunity to be creative in the work that you do.

You will become a student of a prestigious subject – English Literature has a high academic reputation in most areas of employment and with universities and colleges.

You will develop essay-writing skills that will be essential for any higher education study.

The study of English Literature will enable you to connect with others through discussion and debate focused on literature.

Studying Literature can lead you into Teaching, Journalism, Advertising, Publishing, Law, Media, and it works well with Drama, Law, Foreign Languages, History and Social Sciences.

COURSE MATERIALS