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English Literature

Introduction:

Having successfully completed your GCSE English Literature course at grade 6 or above, you are now ready to engage with the greater depth and critical thinking required at A Level. OCR A Level English Literature offers the opportunity to explore a wide and rich literary heritage - from Shakespeare to contemporary voices - through close reading, discussion, and analytical writing.

This course invites you to explore how writers use form, structure, and language to shape meaning, and how texts reflect and respond to their social, political, and literary contexts. Students are encouraged to develop independent, informed responses to texts while strengthening their own interpretations through comparison, critical theory, and wider reading.

English Literature is a subject that sharpens your ability to communicate, think critically, and appreciate diverse perspectives - skills that are highly valued in both higher education and the world of work.

 

Aims:

The course aims to:

·         Develop students’ ability to read widely and critically across a range of literary genres and periods.

·         Enable students to engage with different interpretations and critical perspectives.

·         Foster independent analysis and personal engagement with texts.

·         Lay strong foundations for further study in English and related subjects.

The OCR course includes the study of:

·         Drama and poetry pre-1900 (A Doll’s House and Christina Rossetti)

·         Shakespeare (Hamlet)

·         Comparative and contextual study (The Gothic Genre – Frankenstein and The Bloody Chamber)

·         Literature post-1900 coursework (students choose and compare two texts, one of which must be post-2000)

Why choose this subject?

This is your course because you can’t put a book down or you want to know how language can manipulate your feelings. You will study and gain insight into a wide range of texts from all over the world.  All exams are essay based and require a close analysis of a variety of texts.  In each year, there is also a coursework module where students are required to produce a coursework folder of 3000 words, covering 3 different poetry and prose texts.

Combine this course with:Drama, History, a Language, Economics

Essential if you go on to:Journalism, Teaching, Law, Personnel Management, the Media.

Overview of Curriculum

Year 12 - English Literature

  Autumn 1 and 2 Spring 1 and 2
Teacher One

Drama & Poetry pre 1900 - exam

Component 01

Ibsens A Doll’s House (A01, 3 and 5)

Paper 1: Rossetti (A01, 3 and 5)		  

Assessment

Shakespeare:

  
Teacher Two

Introduction to Critical Analysis: Paper 2

(A01, A02 and A03)

Introduction to the Gothic

Comparison Skills: P1 and P2

(A04)

Frankenstein: Paper 2

(A01, 3 and 5)The Bloody Chamber: paper 2

(A01,3 and 5)
Assessment

Gothic Critical Analysis based on following extracts:

Dracula, Beloved,

Wuthering Heights,

Great Expectations

  

Year 13 - English Literature

  Autumn 1 and 2 Spring 1 and 2
Teacher One Hamlet revision

Drama & Poetry pre 1900 - exam

Component 01

Ibsens A Doll’s House (A01, 3 and 5)

Paper 1: Rossetti (A01, 3 and 5)
Assessment    
Teacher Two

Introduction to Critical Analysis: Paper 2

(A01, A02 and A03)

Introduction to the Gothic

Comparison Skills: P1 and P2

(A04)

Frankenstein: Paper 2

(A01, 3 and 5)The Bloody Chamber: paper 2

(A01,3 and 5)
Assessment

Gothic Critical Analysis based on following extracts:

Dracula, Beloved,

Wuthering Heights,

Great Expectations

  

Assessment:  All students have to sit an End of unit assessment just before every half term holiday. These scores and levels are recorded and monitored for progress. In addition to this several skills test with exam style questions are given to assess different topics. This will embed AQA Assessment Goals. Students are expected to attempt one HW on a weekly basis. Tasks will be provided by the teacher.

Students should have at least an extended piece of writing every 3 weeks. This should be teacher or peer assessed.

 

Careers Links

English students are considered valuable in virtually all career paths, from literature-related fields like education and research to communication-based roles in sales and ICT. Careers in journalism, teaching and management are particularly well-suited to English students. This challenging and traditional subject is welcomed by all employers.

A large number of our current cohort study A Level English to support their applications for Mathematics, Engineering and a range of science degrees, reflecting the wide skills set that the subject enables students to develop and engage that are beneficial beyond the subject itself.

What other subjects will support my career path?
History, Geography, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Media Studies and Sociology.

A Level Results 2024

Congratulations to the Year 13 students on achieving:

English Literature              

Grades A*-C   66.67%