Entry Requirements:
An average point score of 4.5 or above, calculated over your best 8 results. A minimum of a level 5 in English Literature is essential.
You can:
Apply to enrol on the A level course. This course places a strong emphasis on analytical skills and text recreation. Both of these skills are assessed by focusing on coursework and examinations.
This will mean:
You will be encouraged to engage in an active way with a variety of different texts: poetry, prose and drama: spanning the 1600s to present day. The teacher will support and guide you in reflecting upon and responding to the materials in this interesting and engaging course. There is a strong focus on essay writing skills and keen analytical skills are essential.
This course will appeal to any student who:
Enjoyed English Literature at GCSE and enjoys reading in their spare time.
You will:
Complete two exam papers and a 2 part, combined coursework in year 2. There will be mocks and regular assessments using the exam and coursework criteria to support your progress and prepare you for the final assessments, throughout the 2 year course.
Course Modules are:
Written Papers
Assessed externally by Exam
- Paper 1 - You will study a Shakespeare play, pre-1900 Drama and Pre-1900 poetry. You are expected to demonstrate an appreciation of the significance of cultural and contextual influences on the writers, and audiences and ability to explore relationships between texts.
- Paper 2 – You will study Dystopian texts. You will study at least two whole texts in this topic area, at least one of which must be from the set text list.
COURSEWORK
The texts will be studied as a class whilst the task will be chosen by you in discussion with your teacher.
- TASK 1 - You will either complete a piece of re-creative writing based on a selected passage or poem from their chosen text, with a commentary explaining the links between the learner’s own writing and the original.
Or, you will complete close language analysis of a poem focusing on the writer’s crafting.
- TASK 2 -You are required to submit an essay which explores contrasts and comparisons between two texts, informed by different interpretations and an understanding of contexts.
Exam texts currently being covered over the two year course are 1984 by George Orwell, The poems of Christina Rossetti, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Ashwood, The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster, and Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. Students have also studied a selection of dystopian texts in preparation for Paper 2.
Recent coursework texts have included Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, Atonement by Ian McEwan, and selected poems by Sylvia Plath.
With this subject you could:
Enter a range of different professions or study a variety of different courses. English Literature is a versatile A Level which can be used in many areas. It has a strong focus on written communication and prepares students well for careers in law, journalism and publishing, amongst others. The ability to write analytically is relevant to many different disciplines and students who have left us to study medicine have been praised for their skills in their written assignments.
For more information contact:
Mrs R Pearce rpearce@ndonline.org (Head of English)