ENGLISH LITERATURE
ENGLISH LITERATURE
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
“LITERATURE IS WHERE I GO TO EXPLORE THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST
PLACES IN HUMAN SOCIETY AND IN THE HUMAN SPIRIT, WHERE I HOPE
TO FIND NOT ABSOLUTE TRUTH BUT THE TRUTH OF THE TALE, OF THE
IMAGINATION AND OF THE HEART.”
SALMAN RUSHDIE
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.
