English Literature
Reading literature increases knowledge in an active, intellectually challenging way that other more passive activities cannot do.
A thorough grounding in literature automatically provides knowledge of our literary heritage while at the same time increasing the student’s awareness of cultural values, history, sociology, psychology, and almost every branch of human knowledge.
Literary study expands our capacity to sympathise with other human beings, enhances our ability to see and imagine human complexity, and broadens our intellectual horizons by enlarging our power to experience life vicariously.
Studying English Literature at A Level allows students to explore texts in more depth than at GCSE. You will be with like-minded students, people who have chosen to do the subject because they enjoy it, which makes the level of debate more intense.
Skills Required
You need to have an interest in words, an enquiring mind, and be prepared to share your thoughts with others in the class. An enjoyment of reading is obviously going to be an advantage. We would expect at least a B or 7 at GCSE.
Topics Covered
Over the two year course, students will study the following texts:
Tragedy: King Lear, Death of a Salesman (Arthur Miller), Tess of the D’Urbervilles (Thomas Hardy)
Crime: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Agatha Christie), Atonement (Ian McEwan), Brighton Rock (Graham Greene), The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Coleridge)
Coursework: there is quite a free choice available, and students this year have written successfully on a range of novels and poems, from poets such as Emily Dickinson or Sylvia Plath to novelists like Charlotte Bronte.
Methods of Assessment
At King Edward’s we take the AQA Literature B Specification.
Paper 1 - Literary Genres
2 hours 30 minutes closed book, 40% of A Level, 75 marks
- Section A: One passage-based question on set Shakespeare text.
- Section B: One essay question on set Shakespeare text.
- Section C: One essay question linking two texts.
3 hours open book, 40% of A Level, 75 marks
Paper 2 - Texts & Genres
3 hours open book, 40% of A Level, 75 marks
Study of 3 texts.
- Section A: One unseen Crime passage.
- Section B: One essay question on a Crime text.
- Section C: One essay question on two Crime texts.
Coursework – Theory and Independence
50 marks 20% of A Level
Study of two texts: one poetry and one prose text, informed by study of the Critical Anthology (students have a free choice of one poetry and one prose text).
Two essays of 1250-1500 words.
Meet the Staff
If you have a specific enquiry for the English Department, email english@kes.hants.sch.uk
|
Dr A.J. Schofield |
Head of English |
|
Miss. H.K. Arnold |
Second in Department i/c English Language A-Level |
| Mr. W.E. Collinson BA MPhil |
English, Deputy Head (Pastoral) |
|
Mrs. S. Evans |
English, Head of Year - Upper School |
| Miss. H.L. Goodsell MA |
English, Lead Practitioner |
| Mrs. J.L. Gunton BA |
Second in Department i/c GCSE. ITT Tutor |
| Ms. C.E. Pyne BA, MA |
English |
| Mrs. E.B. Rawson BA, MA |
English |
|
Ms. L. Dara BA |
Teacher of English |
|
Dr A.J. Wilson BA, MA, PhD |
Teacher of English |
