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English Literature is a course for students who love to read and have a creative mind. This course will encourage you to engage with the cultural aspect of literary texts, discuss values, and explore communication. You will study works of literature from around the world, from the Middle Ages to the present day, and genres from tragedy and comedy to crime writing and political protest writing. English Literature is ideal for students who want to develop their critical and analytical skills while understanding literary texts in all their complexity.
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AQA-B A-Level English Literature is taught within the two-year A-Level programme.
In their first year, students will explore the three genres of drama, prose, and poetry in the genres of either tragedy or comedy. They will gain a solid understanding of how texts can be connected and interpreted in multiple ways, and become confident independent readers.
In their second year, students will also explore more modern texts engaging in a range of theoretical ideas that go beyond the established genres: either crime writing, or political and social protest writing. Students will also develop independent study skills while producing coursework, learning how to apply different theoretical and critical methods to their own areas of interest.
The course encompasses the study of Twelfth Night, Emma and The Importance of Being Earnest, The Handmaid’s Tale, Songs of Innocence and of Experience and The Kite Runner. Students have a free choice of coursework.
Exam board: AQA-B
| Paper | Modules | Weighting | Format |
| 1 | Literary Genres:
Option 1A: Aspects of tragedy Option 1B: Aspects of comedy (Study of three texts: one Shakespeare text; a second drama text; and one further text, of which one must be written pre-1900) |
40% | • Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Closed book |
2 |
Texts and genres
Option 2A: Elements of crime writing Option 2B: Elements of political and social protest writing
(Study of three texts: one post-2000 prose text; one poetry; and one further text, of which one must be written pre-1900) |
40% |
• Written exam: 3 hours • Open book (Exam will include an unseen passage) |
| 3 | Non-exam assessment: Theory and independence | 20% | Students produce:
Two essays of 1,250–1,500 words, each responding to a different text and linking to a different aspect of the critical anthology (One essay can be re-creative. The re-creative piece will be accompanied by a commentary.) • Assessed by teachers • Moderated by AQA |
In addition to AQA-B, AQA-A, Edexcel and OCR A-Level English Literature are available as retake programmes.
5 GCSEs grade 5 or above including Maths and English or equivalent international qualifications.
For international students who have taken IELTS, we require an overall score of 5.5 with a minimum of 5.5 for each of the reading and writing components.
For international students who have taken IGCSE English (Second Language), we require grade 5 or above.
An interest in the variety of human experience, an appreciation of how language is used in literary texts, and imagination are the key qualities needed for students of English Literature. An aptitude for writing clear and coherent English is also essential.