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English Literature: AS and A2 Level
A study of literary texts (plays, poems and novels) from
the middle ages to the present day.
Course details
AS
LT1 – Philip Larkin, The Whitsun Weddings
– Diane Samuels, Kindertransport
LT2 – Prose study and creative reading: F Scott Fitzgerald,
The Great Gatsby
A2
LT3 – Coursework: three texts, chosen by students, of
different types and periods
LT4 – Geoffrey Chaucer, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue
and Tale
– William Shakespeare, King Lear; Sophocles,
Oedipus Rex
How is it assessed? Exams for all modules LT1 and LT4;
internal assessment for LT2 and LT3.
Course duration One year at AS level. One year at
A2 level.
What do I need to study this subject? Five A*-Cs at GCSE,
including C in English Language and Literature. The
course requires a lot of reading, so an interest in books is
essential.
Where can this lead me? To an English/Humanities degree
at university, then to careers in publishing, journalism,
management, academia, or the arts.
What are the enrichment opportunities? A variety of visits,
including trips to the theatre, to Canterbury and to
Shakespeare workshops.
English Language and Literature:
AS and A2 Level
This course involves looking at literary and non-literary,
written and spoken texts in an analytical and evaluative
way.
Course details
AS
LL1: Critical Reading of Literary and Non-Literary Texts
(Summer exam 30%). In this unit you study an anthology
of pre-20th Century poetry and two novels, to be agreed.
LL2: Creative Writing (Coursework 20%). Here you compile
your own 3,000-word original writing portfolio of literary
and non-literary texts and accompanying analysis.
A2
LL3: Analysing and Producing Performance Texts
(Coursework 20%). In this unit you compare Shakespeare’s
‘King Lear’ with a partner text and write and perform a
series of performance texts such as a film script, a play or
a television documentary, and write a commentary on
your work.
LL4: Comparative Textual Analysis and Review (Summer
exam 30%). Here you will analyse a series of thematically
linked unseen excerpts from novels, plays, poems and
spoken language texts, as well as contextualise and
evaluate 20th Century political journalism.
How is it assessed? 60% of the course is assessed by
examinations in the summer of each year, with 40%
assessed by creative writing and comparative analysis
in both years.
Course duration One year at AS level. One year at
A2 level.
What do I need to study this subject? You should have
five GCSE grades A*-C, including English Literature and
English Language, as well as an interest in literary texts
and the workings of language.
Where can this lead me? Students may progress to a
degree in English or Humanities, and to any career that
requires effective communication skills.
What are the enrichment opportunities? We attend plays
in the West End, Shakespeare workshops at the Globe
theatre, and arrange creative writing workshops with a
professional poet and singer.
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