During the course, students will complete three units of study: 

•    Literary Genres: Tragedy - A Shakespeare play, a second drama text and one further text pre-1900;

•    Texts and Genres: Elements of Crime Writing - a post-2000 novel, one collection of poetry and one further text pre-1900;

•    Non-Exam Assessment: two essays of 1,250-1,500 each, on a different text - one poetry and one prose.

We want students who: are passionate about reading and love literature; who are prepared to explore brave new worlds of ideas, approaches and ways of thinking; who will listen to, build on and challenge, other people’s ideas; who will read around the subject, the author and the concepts discussed in lessons.

In addition to this, to be successful, students should:

•    have the ability to write clearly, accurately and fluently about texts;

•    enjoy classroom discussion and be prepared to voice and defend their opinions;

•    be able to work independently, researching linguistic areas of interest. 

How will students be assessed?

This course is split into 3 examination units: 

•    Paper 1 will be a written examination - Literary Genres.  2 hours 30 minutes, closed book, 40% of A Level.

•    Paper 2 will be a written examination - Texts and Genres.  3 hours, open book, 40% of A Level.

•    Non Examined Assessment:  Theory and Independence.  20% of A Level.

In addition to these externally assessed pieces of work, students will receive on-going assessment and feedback during the course. 

What other courses does it complement?

The course will complement a wide range of subjects, including English Language, History, and Philosophy and Ethics.

Next steps - what this course can lead to

English Literature is a universal qualification, which will equip students for any career involving written and/or spoken communication.  It is a universally recognised qualification for entry into college/university courses, particularly in the field of Arts and Humanities.  Past students with this qualification have gone on to study English Literature, Creative Writing, Law, Linguistics, Journalism, Media and Education, amongst other courses.

St Benedict’s,

Sixth Form