English – English Literature A Level

English Literature is a subject that develops students’ enjoyment and understanding of literary texts and their contexts. It develops important skills such as analysing and evaluating, developing and considering arguments and communicating effectively. It is a good base for any university course and is well regarded by employers.

Students have progressed to a wide range of courses and careers with this qualification, including English at Oxford, Cambridge and Russell Group universities. It is a subject particularly well-suited to those who like to explore both big ideas and the smaller details that are so important in literary writing. Above all, it suits students who enjoy reading, both independently and as part of a group.

This course will involve the detailed analysis of a range of prose, poetry and drama texts; students will be studying the texts in more detail than at GCSE and will look specifically at the craft of the writer and the various contexts of the work. Students will be given many opportunities to express their own views, and discuss those of others in both discussion and writing.

In the first year students can expect to study a play, two novels – one a literary “classic”, the other written within their own lifetime – and a selection of poetry. In the second year students will build upon this learning further with a piece of coursework based on two texts, that will allow them to follow a theme, movement, author or period in detail. Students will also study a Shakespeare play in detail alongside an anthology of the best literary criticism about this. They will also study a range of poetry from a particular period in depth.

Course Specific Trips & Visits

The College runs a number of educational experiences each year to enable students to contextualise their learning. These experiences include trips to The Globe, The National Theatre, Chichester Festival and includes talks/workshops from visiting speakers.

Many English A Level students choose to continue their studies at university. Those who choose to follow other disciplines, benefit from the essay writing and analytical training, as well as the cultural insights that come from literary study. They will build strong communication skills as they learn to articulate a clear, well-informed point of view.

Russell Group universities particularly look for A Level English as part of their preferred qualifications profile. English A Level is highly regarded by all universities and employers.

Students wishing to include A Levels in their programme need to have (or expect to achieve) at least five GCSE passes, with at least two at Grade 5 or above (and a satisfactory school reference) in order to be accepted on an A Level/BTEC Level 3 Programme.

In addition, students should meet the following minimum GCSE requirement:

• Grade 5 in English Language and Grade 5 English Literature, if taken.