English Literature

Course summary

Studying English Literature at A level builds upon core skills acquired at GCSE: close reading and language analysis; critical thinking; research and referencing; sustaining a complex argument and responding to counter-arguments; effective communication (including grammar and spelling); creativity and the ability to take a range of critical approaches to a variety of texts underpinned by a secure understanding of British social history. In Year 12 you will study ‘Love through the Ages’ which takes a thematic approach to literature from Shakespeare to the modern day. This unit explores various aspects of love and texts studied will be wide ranging, encompassing drama, poetry and prose written at differing points in history. ‘Texts Within a Shared Context’ will cover texts post-1945 to the present day, again involving the study of drama, poetry and prose. You will explore contemporary literature’s engagement with some of the social, political, personal and literary issues which have helped to shape the latter half of the 20th century and the early decades of the 21st century.