Rosy Hill : Head of English
A Level English Literature
AQA - Specification B 7717
6 in GCSE English Literature and English Language
The study of Literature is, essentially, a study of humanity. Literature reflects human experience and social influences and is a product of its time; understanding the contextual influences on an author and their writing will help you understand how our present society is a culmination of all that has gone before. Not only will the literature you study provoke discussion about seminal issues of the day – gender, race, power – it also explores the commonalities that make us human: love, loss, suffering and triumph.
During your study of English Literature you will study eight set texts while being encouraged to read independently, widely and in depth. We will cover poetry, prose and drama across a range of periods and include a selection of contemporary texts as well as canonised literature. You will also be introduced to literary critical theory and have the opportunity to crystallise your own interpretations of texts through different critical lenses.
Many of the skills developed through studying Literature are related to independent thinking. You will learn to analyse sophisticated ideas and the ways in which they are presented, to synthesise large and complex texts, and to know how to build a convincing and formal argument.
An English Literature A Level will equip you with a plethora of transferable skills that are sought after by universities and employers. English Literature is one of the Russell Group universities' 'facilitating' subjects — so called because choosing them at A Level allows a wide range of options for degree study. You could pursue a degree in various fields including, but not limited to: English Literature, English Language and Linguistics, Creative Writing, Journalism, Drama, Media Studies, Communications and Law.
English graduates go on to develop a wide range of careers, the most popular of which are publishing, broadcasting, marketing and PR, journalism, careers of conscience, law, teaching and politics.
12 | What students will learn | How it builds on learning |
| Autumn Term
Paper 1: Aspects of Tragedy Students will be introduced to Literary tragic theory, starting with Aristotle, and how this has evolved over time. Areas of study will include: Medieval and Morality Tragedy, Jacobean Tragedy, Shakespearean Tragedy, Victorian Tragedy and Modern Tragedy.
| This introduction to the Literary genre of tragedy builds on students’ rudimentary knowledge of this through their study of Shakespeare at GCSE. Students will learn that tragedy has a long tradition in literature, with its origins in the ancient world and with a specific emphasis on drama.
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Autumn Term
Paper 1: Aspects of Tragedy Section A and B Othello, by William Shakespeare (c. 1603) a study of plot, characters, themes, context, and links with the wider genre of tragedy. Discussion of pupils’ varying interpretations of the text in order to develop A01: constructing articulating and justifying an individual viewpoint on the text.
| Having learnt the fundamentals of literary tragic theory, students will now apply this to Othello, their key Shakespeare text for Paper 1, considering to what extent this adheres to, or deviates from, the theories learnt. Students will understand how particular aspects of the tragic genre are used in Othello and how the play fits within Shakespeare’s own brand of tragedy.
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Autumn and Spring Term
Paper 1: Aspects of Tragedy Section C The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925) a study of plot, characters, themes, context, and links with the wider genre of tragedy. Consideration of different critics’ interpretations.
Paper 1: Aspects of Tragedy Section C Richard II, by William Shakespeare (c. 1597) a study of plot, characters, themes, context, and links with the wider genre of tragedy. Consideration of different critics’ interpretations.
| Students will move on to a comparative study of tragic texts that have been paired together because they share some of the common features of traditional tragic drama while also offering some interesting variations. They will, therefore, look at an older historical form, Richard II, and measure a later text, The Great Gatsby, and their approaches to tragedy against a literary genre which is long established. | |
Spring Term Critical Anthology NEA Introduction to different critical lenses presented in the exam board Critical Anthology and how to incorporate these schools of literary criticism into students’ own writing.
| Students will build on their skills of responding to individual critics’ interpretations for Paper 1, by being introduced to the study of critical theory in the non-exam assessment. Students will develop a solid understanding of how texts can be connected and how they can be interpreted in multiple ways so that they can arrive at their own interpretations and become confident autonomous readers. | |
Summer Term
Poetry NEA: The World’s Wife, Carol Ann Duffy a study of selected poems from this collection of poetry focusing on key themes, the poet’s methods, and the multiple different possible interpretations of the work.
Selected Poems, T.S. Eliot a study of this collection of poetry focusing on key themes, the poet’s methods, and the multiple different possible interpretations of the work.
| Having considered a range of different critical schools of thought at the end of the previous term, students will decide which critical lens they are most interested in applying to their choice of two ‘taught’ poets and will be supported in doing so by teachers who will guide their response and model the application of various theories.
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| Summer Term
Prose NEA: with guidance, students select their prose text, formulate a title and essay focus and produce a detailed plan – to be checked in tutorials – before drafting their work independently over the summer holiday.
| Now familiar with different theoretical and critical methods, students will choose their own texts from their wider reading for their final coursework piece. Their study so far will help them to understand that contemporary study of literature needs to be informed by the fact that different theoretical and critical methods can be applied to the subject. This area of the course provides a challenging and wide-ranging opportunity for independent study and personal text selection. |
13 | What students will learn | How it builds on learning |
| Autumn Term
Paper 2: Elements of Political and Social Protest Writing Section A: Practical Criticism Political and Social Protest Writing learning how to analyse extracts from political and social protest texts in comparison with the genre.
| Building on the skills of extract analysis learnt in Paper 1 Section A, students will now be introduced to the more in-depth and complex process of Practical Criticism of an unseen extract. This will be applied to a range of extracts from the genre ‘Elements of Political and Social Protest Writing.’ |
Autumn and Spring Term
Paper 2: Elements of Political and Social Protest Writing Section B/C: A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen (1879) a study of plot, characters, themes, context, and links with the wider genre. Discussion of pupils’ varying interpretations of the text with particular focus on the representation of the domestic, private setting and feminist theory.
Section B/C: The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini (2003) a study of plot, characters, themes, context, and links with the wider genre. Discussion of pupils’ varying interpretations of the text with particular focus on the representation of the public setting and post-colonial theory.
| Students will begin study of their set texts for Paper 2, all of which foreground oppression and domination and examine the cultures we live in and have lived in over time. Students will develop their understanding of the central issues of power and powerlessness in texts, which follows on from the presentation of similar issues in the genre of Tragedy, studied for Paper 1.
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Spring Term
Paper 2: Elements of Political and Social Protest Writing Section B/C: Songs of Innocence and Experience, by William Blake (1789) a study of plot, characters, themes, context, and links with the wider genre, and discussion of pupils’ varying interpretations of the text in order to develop A01, constructing articulating and justifying an individual viewpoint on the text.
| Students will study their final set text for Paper 2, the poetry text, which will build on their poetry analysis skills developed for their first non-exam assessment piece.
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| Summer Term
Revision and revisiting of all set texts.
FINAL EXAMS | Students will consolidate all their learning over the course, honing essay writing and exam skills, including how to choose which question to answer on which text for Paper 2 Section C.
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Ongoing Assessments:
Throughout the course, students will be given feedback on practice essays and extract analyses on a range of topics, characters and genres in line with the requirements of each section of the examinations. They can expect to receive one formally marked and graded essay on their current texts/topics for study each half term.
Formal Assessments:
Year 12 Subject Assessment – Autumn Term
Year 12 Mock Exams – Summer Term
Year 13 Mock Exams – Autumn and Spring Terms
End of course external examinations:
Paper 1: Aspects of Tragedy (40%)
Paper 2: Elements of Social and Political Protest (40%)
Non-Exam Assessment (NEA): two coursework essays comprising 20%. These will be studies of two texts - one poetry and one prose text - informed by the study of the Critical Anthology. Two essays of 1250-1500 words each responding to a different text and linking to a different aspect of the Critical Anthology.
Ensure your child has their own copies of each of their set texts as well as the AQA course textbook. Talk with your child about what they are studying in class and encourage them to share their own opinions of the texts. The majority of their set texts will have film versions – sometimes multiple different versions! - watch and discuss these together and evaluate their portrayal of the texts. Look out for any theatre productions of texts. Subscribe to literary magazines, such as EMC magazine.
AQA course textbook and own copies of all set texts for examination. Teachers will advise on the best editions to purchase.
When studying A-level English Literature, it is important that you are widely read. Teachers will provide reading lists linked to the areas of study in the examinations and students should aim to read widely from these in a range of different genres. We would recommend that you are spending at least 5 hours a week on your independent study. Other valuable independent study activities which go beyond what is covered in the curriculum include things such as watching documentaries, listening to Literature podcasts, reading relevant journal articles and looking out for theatre performances, cinema screenings and events at the Cambridge Literature Festival to attend. The Independent Study Guide for A Level Literature can also be found on the corresponding curriculum subject page on Cambourne Sixth Form’s website.
We will offer opportunities for students to go to the theatre to see relevant productions of texts they will be studying and to attend events at the Cambridge Literary Festival. There is also the possibility of accessing lectures at Cambridge University.
Each subject is also part of our ‘Super-curricular’ initiative, which aims to develop your wider understanding of academic subjects and support your learning – more information can be found here.
We will offer opportunities for students to go to the theatre to see relevant productions of texts they will be studying and to attend events at the Cambridge Literary Festival. There is also the possibility of accessing lectures at Cambridge University.
Cambourne Sixth Form
Sheepfold Lane, Cambourne
Cambridge CB23 6FR
Tel: 01954 284000
Email: info@cambournesixthform.org
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