Why study A-Level English Literature?

From a practical standpoint, there are numerous good reasons to study English Literature at A-Level: it helps students to be more analytical, more articulate, and more eloquent; skills which are highly-sought amongst employers. However, we feel that, for all the practical benefits gained from studying English, the single best reason why pupils should study English Literature is quite simply because it is enriching. At its core, the subject deals with the human condition: what it means to be human; the exploration of humanity in all its guises. One of the primary reasons why great literature endures and stands the test of time is because it manages to speak to all generations. It is for this reason that we study both centuries-old works and contemporary texts. Studying English Literature at A-Level equips pupils with the knowledge, skills, and enjoyment to understand, engage with, and truly appreciate these great works.

Course Content

^{Year 12}

Terms 1 and 2

• Paper 1 Love Through the Ages: Section C – Comparing Texts (The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald).
• Paper 1 Love Through the Ages: Section C – Comparing Texts (AQA Anthology of Love Poetry Through the Ages pre-1900 by various).

Terms 3 and 4

• Paper 1 Love Through the Ages: Section A – Shakespeare (Othello by William Shakespeare) *This is a closed-book question*.
• Paper 1 Love Through the Ages: Section B – Unseen Poetry.

Terms 5 and 6

• Revision for Year 12 Exam.

• Preparation for the Non-Exam Assessment.

Year 13

Terms 1 and 2

• Preparation for the Non-Exam Assessment.
• Paper 2: Texts in Shared Contexts – WW1 and its Aftermath: Section A – (Birdsong by Sebastien Faulks).
• Paper 2: Texts in Shared Contexts – WW1 and its Aftermath: Section B – (My Boy Jack by David Haig).

Terms 3 and 4

• Paper 2: Texts in Shared Contexts – WW1 and its Aftermath: Section A – (Birdsong by Sebastien Faulks).
• Paper 2: Texts in Shared Contexts – WW1 and its Aftermath: Section B – (My Boy Jack by David Haig).

Terms 5 and 6

• Paper 2: Texts in Shared Contexts – WW1 and its Aftermath: Section B – (Scars Upon my Heart by various).
• Paper 2: Texts in Shared Contexts – WW1 and its Aftermath: Section B – (Unseen extract analysis).

Assessment

Non-Exam Assessment: Independent Critical Study – Texts Across Time

• The NEA is a 2,500-word essay plus a bibliography.
• It is worth 50 marks (20% of your A-level).
• You will have to produce a comparative critical study of two texts, which includes at least one text written before 1900.

Paper 1: Love Through the Ages

• Paper 1 is a 3 hour exam.
• It is worth 75 marks (40% of your A-level).

Section A:

• Section A is worth 25 marks.
• You are advised to spend 1 hour answering this question.
• Section A will be a question on a Shakespeare text (Othello). It will be a passage-based question that leads into an essay on the whole play. It is a closed-book question.
• Example:

‘Typically, texts about husbands and wives present marriage from a male point of view.’

In the light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents the relationship between Othello and Desdemona in this extract and elsewhere in the play.

Section B:

• Section B is worth 25 marks.
• You are advised to spend 1 hour answering this question.
• Section B will be a compulsory essay question on two unseen poems.
• Example:

It has been said that Rossetti’s poem is conventional and celebratory, whereas Millay’s poem offers a very different view of love.

Compare and contrast the presentation of love in the following poems in the light of this comment.

Section C:

• Section C is worth 25 marks.
• You are advised to spend 1 hour answering this question.
• Section C will be a compulsory essay question asking you to compare two texts you have studied (Anthology of Love Poetry Through the Ages: pre-1900 and The Great Gatsby). You will be given a choice of two questions. It is an open-book question.
• Example:

Compare how the authors of two texts you have studied present barriers to love.

Paper 2: Texts in Shared Contexts – WW1 and its Aftermath

• Paper 2 is a 2 hour and 30 minute exam.
• It is worth 75 marks (40% of your A-level).
• In this exam paper, you will have to answer questions on all three of your set texts (Birdsong, My Boy Jack, and Scars Upon My Heart), plus a question on an unseen prose extract.

Section A:

• Section A is worth 25 marks.
• You are advised to spend 50 minutes answering this question.
• Section A will be an essay question on a set text (Birdsong).
• Example:

‘Faulks uses birdsong to suggest a range of possible ideas within the novel.’

 Examine the significance of the title of the novel in the light of this comment.

Section B:

• Section B is made up of two 25 mark questions.
• You are advised to spend 50 minutes answering each question.
• One question will be an analysis of an unseen extract; the other question will be a comparison of your two remaining texts (My Boy Jack and Scars Upon My Heart).                                                                                               
• Example 1:

An introduction is printed on the examination paper to contextualise the extract:

Read the insert carefully. It is taken from the novel Fly Away Peter by David Malouf, published in 1982. In this scene Jim, the protagonist, visits his comrade, Eric, who has been badly wounded in a recent battle. In the battle, their mutual friend, Clancy, was killed. Eric wants to know who will care for him after the war now that he is severely disabled.

Explore the significance of suffering in this extract. Remember to include in your answer relevant detailed analysis of the ways that Malouf shapes meanings.

• Example 2:

‘Suffering in war comes in many different forms.’

Compare the significance of suffering in two other texts you have studied. Remember to include in your answer reference to how meanings are shaped in the texts you are comparing.

You must use the drama text written post-2000 (My Boy Jack) and one poetry text in your response.