• English Literature
  • English 2

English Literature

English Literature is a rewarding and challenging A Level subject which impresses prospective universities.  It is not about the learning of facts, but rather about engaging with and reflecting deeply on the literature studied.  English Literature combines particularly well with the study of such subjects as History, Politics, Philosophy, Classics and Religious Studies, as well as, of course, with foreign languages.  We try to choose texts from broadly similar periods so that students have been able to see individual texts in the context of their times.  This is important as both the examination and the coursework essays require students to relate the texts to their social and cultural contexts.

The AS level course includes two coursework essays; the first is of 1000 words on an extract from a chosen text and the other is a 1500 word comparative essay.  The close study coursework and the poetry essay both demand a high level of critical analysis.  There is also a 2 hour examination paper consisting of two essays, one on poetry and the other on prose.

The A2 course involves a 3000 word comparative coursework assignment and a two hour examination in which students are obliged to answer one question on a Shakespearean text and a further question on two related poetry and drama texts.  The coursework assignments collectively constitute 40% of the English Literature A level.