English Literature

Course summary

The course focuses on: • Poetry from Chaucer to the present day. • Drama, including Shakespearean tragedy. • Prose written after 1900. Two teachers deliver the English Literature course to each group in the Sixth Form. Teaching is usually in a seminar style and a key element of every lesson is the contribution from students as they discuss their personal responses to literary works whilst exploring how other readers may interpret the same text differently. A lot of emphasis is placed on students extending, linking and defending their ideas. To support our Sixth Form courses, the English Department arranges theatre trips, lecture days and other outside visits which are designed to help all students get the very most out of their studies.