English Literature

English at GCSE is a development of the reading and communication skills taught in the lower school. These skills are crucial in developing independent and creative thinkers who can express themselves clearly, both verbally and in written form. 

A wide variety of opportunities for using spoken and written English in real and imagined situations is provided. All pupils are prepared for the AQA specification for English Literature.

These courses are taught as an integrated whole, leading to two separate GCSE qualifications. Pupils will sit four externally assessed written papers at the end of Year 11: two for each English subject.

Course Content

The English Literature course is assessed entirely through final examination. During the course pupils will study a play by Shakespeare, a 19th century novel, a modern play and a cluster of poems from an anthology. Pupils will also be expected to write about two unseen poems in the examination. There will be two closed book examinations as outlined below.