Sixth Form Prospectus - The Perse School

24 25EnglishLiteratureWhy study English Literature?English Literature is one of the most established, rigorous andwidely-recognised A level courses; it allows students to engage in astimulating and demanding way with a wide range of texts rangingfrom the fourteenth century English poet Chaucer to the contemporaryAmerican playwright David Mamet.Teaching and learning experiences will be lively and interactive, fromgroup work to student-led seminar presentations, from improvisationin class to analysing film language. Discussion of complex ideas andchallenging themes in a lively and supportive environment is integralto our working methods and students grow in skill and confidence asthey explore texts in detail.English is a subject to be enjoyed both inside and outside the classroomand there are many opportunities for theatre trips, lectures, directing,performing and filming as well as gallery and exhibition visits. There isa student-led Literary Society (visited in 2010/11 by the Poet LaureateCarol Ann Duffy), a Debating Society and an annual production stagedat the Edinburgh Festival. Last year our students went on a literary tourof New York; this year we are running a study visit to Dublin duringOctober half-term week.The English Literature course is popular and has an outstanding recordof success. The qualification is admired by universities and enablesstudents to go on to study a wide range of courses at the highest leveland subsequently embark on a variety of prestigious careers.Course contentStudents will follow the OCR AS and A2 specifications in EnglishLiterature (H071 and H471) which provide a balance betweencoursework and examined papers and include texts from a varietyof periods, genres and styles. There is the possibility of a creativewriting option at AS level, allowing students considerable freedomof expression. All AS papers are completed and examined at the endof the Lower Sixth Year; A2 papers are all taken at the end of theUpper Sixth.AS F661 : Poetry and Prose (1800–1945) Exam – 2 hoursAS F662 : Literature (post–1900) Coursework of 3000 wordsF663: Drama and Poetry (pre–1800) Exam – 2 hoursA2 F664 : Texts in Time Coursework of 3000 wordsFrenchWhy study French?The ability to understand and communicate in other languages isincreasingly important in our society and in the global economy.Languages contribute to the cultural and linguistic richness of oursociety, to personal fulfillment, mutual understanding, commercialsuccess, international trade and global citizenship. At The Perse we arebucking the national trend, and French is an increasingly popular subjectand attracts students from all subject specialisms who recognise thatthe ability to speak and understand a language beyond GCSE level willbe a real asset at university and beyond. French combines well with allsubjects, whether Arts, Sciences or Humanities and we regularly have 35to 40 Sixth Form students studying French, roughly a third of whom willcontinue to study languages at university in one form or another.We organise an annual French study day, held at the school in February,at which an outside speaker and French national delivers talks and leadsdiscussions on a number of topics taken from the AS and A2 syllabuses.AS and A2 students also have the opportunity to take part in an annual4 day cultural trip to Paris during February half-term and a biennialseven day visit to the island of La Réunion in the Indian Ocean at Easter.In addition we can offer penfriend links with Sixth Formers at ourpartner schools, Sainte Croix de Neuilly in Paris or Institut Florimontin Geneva, as well as advice on arranging a work experience placementin France.Course contentWe follow the AQA specification in French.The AS topics are:At A2 the syllabus combines a stimulating mix of contemporarytopics with the more traditional opportunity to study two culturaltopics, both on separate literary works.The A2 topics are:• Media• Youth culture• Health and well-being• Family and relationships.• The environment• Contemporary social issues• The multi-cultural society• Personal cultural topic (a novel or a film)• Whole-class cultural topic (a play)