English at Henley

Would you like to study English at AS or A Level?

  • Do you enjoy reading and writing?
  • Do you like discussions?
  • Are you a good listener?
  • Would you like to develop your analytical skills?

All our AS/A level courses aim to develop your response to words and increase your enjoyment of texts.

We also have a weekly Book Club for those interested in extending their reading still further. This is available in the Enric

hment Programme to anyone in the College.

For each AS/A Level specification, you study both modern texts and 'older' ones. You have three specifications to choose between and each is distinctive in important ways:

English Literature

Written Examination 70% Coursework 30%
You study eight complete texts: novels, poetry and plays, including two by Shakespeare. You learn to recognize literary techniques and how to analyse writers' use of language. You will develop your essay-writing skills and responses to all types of literature as the course progresses.

English Language

Written Examination 70% Coursework 30%

You study spoken and written language through recorded talk and a range of non-literary and literary texts (though there are no actual set texts on this specification). Texts are either short, or 'excerpts' from longer texts (such as speeches, radio scripts, biography). You learn to recognise persuasive, informative and literary techniques and to describe uses of language in detail.

You create your own texts to entertain, inform, advise and persuade.

English Language and Literature

Written Examination 70% Coursework 30%

On this integrated course, you will explore language through the study of literature, which will enable you to discover how writers achieve particular effects through their texts (spoken as well as written).

As well as studying four complete texts, you will experience a wide range of short texts from a variety of genres. From these you will learn how to comment upon other writers' use of language to produce particular effects and will develop your own 'voice' as a writer for different audiences and purposes.

If you have not been as successful as you had hoped with your GCSE English at school, you can take the one-year AQA /SEG GCSE English Mature Specification (designed for post-16 candidates) as part of your College programme.

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Subira Wahogo

Subira Wahogo

Subira Wahogo’s tutors said she was a real pleasure to teach.  She was always engaged in language issues and made insightful contributions.  She was the winner of an English Award and has gone on to study Linguistics and Psychology at Oxford Brookes.

Eleanor Hough

Eleanor Hough

Winner of an English Award, Eleanor Hough was selected because she not only excelled in the subject but achieved high grades in all her A Levels and is an accomplished sportswoman.  Her passion for English Literature led to an A* grade and she has gone on to study English at King’s College, London.