English Literature

Course summary

Year 12 The GCSE Literature course will have provided a sound foundation for the advanced study of Literature in Key Stage Five, when English is no longer a compulsory subject. The choice of this A level should be informed by students’ genuine enthusiasm for reading literature and exploring texts through discussion and written analysis. We have chosen a range of texts to reflect the diversity of English literature, to enable students to develop their own reading tastes and to provide a secure basis for the possible study of this subject at university. Year 13 Students begin the year with the Shakespearean tragedy ‘Othello’, building on the foundations they have already built in the study of drama throughout year 12. Alongside this, they study an anthology of critical writing exploring different approaches to and interpretations of the play, building resilience with literary criticism. Their responses to the critical reading are an important element in the exam essays students will write on this text.