English Literature
Studying A-Level English Literature sharpens your analytical skills and helps you understand the world through other people’s eyes. By drawing out themes and ideas from texts and connecting them with productions, theories and historical events, you demonstrate that you can handle complex ideas, identify patterns and interpret information in a wider context. If you enjoy reading everything from Renaissance poetry to post-modern American prose, this course allows you to do just that – and more.
Year 12: Love Through The Ages
In Year 12 you study Paper 1: Love Through The Ages. You will explore texts that are unified by the theme of love – or, in many cases, the absence of it – and the lengths people will go to in order to get what they desire. Alongside unseen poetry on the theme of love, you will study a range of core texts.
These typically include William Shakespeare’s Othello (play), F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (prose) and the AQA Anthology: Love Through The Ages (poetry). Together, these texts develop your ability to compare, analyse and respond to literature from different genres and historical periods.
Year 13: Literature of Modern Times
In Year 13 you study Paper 2: Literature of Modern Times. You will focus on modern texts that explore contemporary themes such as identity, gender, inequality, disillusionment and race. Alongside unseen prose from the era, you will study a modern play, novel and poetry collection.
These typically include Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire (play), Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (prose) and Carol Ann Duffy’s Feminine Gospels (poetry). Please be aware that specific texts may change depending on class and teacher preference. In addition, you will complete an NEA (coursework) which involves a comparative essay on two texts of your own choosing, one of which must be written pre-1900.
Assessment Components
Component 1
Component 2
Assessment combines examinations on set and unseen texts with an NEA worth 20% of the overall grade, where you write a comparative essay on two texts of your choice. One of these must be pre-1900, and they may be plays, novels or poetry collections.
Opportunities
A qualification in English Literature opens a vast range of opportunities for both employment and further study. It naturally supports the further study of English, but is also an essential qualification for students who wish to pursue degrees or careers in journalism, teaching, law, writing for stage or screen, library sciences, copywriting and editing.
Universities and employers value English Literature for the way it develops skills in critical thinking, communication, independent reading and research.
Entrance Requirements
Essential Grade 5 in English Literature.
Desirable Grade 6 in English Literature.
English Literature (A-Level)
Studying A-Level English Literature sharpens analytical skills and helps students understand the world through other people’s eyes. By drawing out themes and ideas from texts and connecting them to productions, theories and historical events, learners show that they can handle complex ideas, search for patterns and interpret information in a wider context. Across the course they study plays, novels and poetry, as well as unseen texts from similar eras or topics.
Year 12
Students study Paper 1: Love Through The Ages. They explore texts linked by the theme of love and the lengths people go to in order to achieve their desires. Alongside unseen poetry, they typically study Shakespeare’s Othello, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and the AQA Anthology: Love Through The Ages.
Year 13
Students study Paper 2: Literature of Modern Times, focusing on modern texts that examine themes such as identity, gender, inequality, disillusionment and race. Alongside unseen prose from the period, they typically study Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Carol Ann Duffy’s Feminine Gospels. Text choices may vary according to class and teacher preference. Students also complete an NEA worth 20% of the overall grade, writing a comparative essay on two texts of their choosing, one of which must be pre-1900.
Assessment Components
Examinations assess knowledge and understanding of set and unseen texts, while the NEA assesses students’ ability to compare texts and construct a sustained, analytical argument.
Opportunities
English Literature supports progression to degrees and careers in English, journalism, teaching, law, writing for stage or screen, library sciences, copywriting and editing.
Entrance Requirements
Essential: Grade 5 in English Literature.
Desirable: Grade 6 in English Literature.