COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
GCSE English Literature Grade 4 or above.
WHAT IS THE COURSE CONTENT AND HOW WILL I BE EXAMINED?
IN YEAR 12, STUDENTS WILL STUDY:
- A play by Shakespeare, such as Othello or Measure for Measure
- An anthology of pre-1900 poems
- A modern novel, such as The Great Gatsby or Atonement
- A range of extracts from novels, learning how to apply an analytic framework to them
IN YEAR 13, STUDENTS WILL STUDY:
- A prose text, such as The Handmaid’s Tale or Regeneration
- A drama text, such as A Streetcar Named Desire or The Wiper’s Times
- A poetry text, such as collections by Sylvia Plath or Wilfred Owen
The course is assessed by terminal examination (80% of the marks; one 3 hour exam and one 2 ½ hour exam in year 13). In Year 2, students also write their Non-Examined Assessment, an extended essay comparing two texts from a point of view in which the students themselves are particularly interested worth the final 20%.
A-Level Exam Board:
AQA
Contact details:
Head of department Mr D Huws
d.huws@st-nicholas.cheshire.sch.uk
ST NICHOLAS EXTRA:
- We arrange trips outside school, for example, to Manchester, to attend Sixth Form Study Days.
- The English Department offers theatre trips, as well as the opportunity to hear visiting speakers and take part in speaking competitions like the Rotary’s Club’s “Youth Speaks”.
- Students studying A Levels in the English Department are also invited to mentor younger students and help them to develop their reading and writing skills.
