
English Literature
Course Overview This course, which is highly regarded as a facilitating subject by all universities, will help you to develop your reading and critic…
Full course details
Course Overview
This course, which is highly regarded as a facilitating subject by all universities, will help you to develop your reading and critical analysis skills through the study of various texts, from the 10th century to the present day. Written work will enhance your overall ability to structure and respond analytically to whole texts and unseen material, while regular discussion in class will help you develop your wider communication skills.
Assessment: |
Coursework (20%) Exam (80%) |
Duration: | 2 years |
Entry requirements: |
Standard entry requirements to include grade 5 GCSE English Literature and English Language and grade 4 Maths. |
Exam board: | Edexcel |
Costs: |
£35 per year for textbooks plus optional theatre trips. |
Programme leader: |
You may be required to complete an activity before you start in order to help introduce you to the subject. Check back in the summer term for more details.
You will study drama, poetry and prose – and examine works by a wide range of modern and pre-20th century authors and poets. Examinations test your skills of analysis and interpretation through the commentary on an unseen poem or prose extract while the essay questions encourage you to take a more conceptual approach to the texts studied, taking account of the context in which they were produced and received and the ways in which they have been interpreted by other readers.
You are also encouraged to supplement your programme with the Extended Project.
Find out about The Extended Project
A key course for students planning to continue on to university to study
subjects including English language and literature, English literature, English studies, law, politics, history, sociology, creative writing, linguistics and teaching.
It also provides a strong grounding for those wishing to pursue many
other subject areas at degree level.
Last year students went on to a variety of destinations including university places at Exeter, Newcastle, Kingston, Bristol, Manchester, Reading, Nottingham, Oxford, Royal Holloway, Swansea, London, Bournemouth, Brighton, Bath and Cardiff.
Alternatively, students may consider direct entry into employment or
further training.
There are a wide variety of options for students wishing to pursue a career that requires English skills. Some may be interested in roles in journalism, publishing or politics, however these may require additional study. Other areas to consider are media, marketing and PR, business and teaching. Students may consider direct entry into employment or further training.
A key subject for students planning to continue on to university to study subjects including English literature, modern languages, history, law, classics, drama and performing arts, journalism and teaching. English Literature also provides a strong grounding for those wishing to pursue many other subject areas at degree level.
Name: | Brandon |
Course: | English Literature |
I came to The Henley College from The Wye Valley School. The rewards of English Literature are endless and this is one of the main reasons I decided to study the course. Studying the works of great writers provides a gateway into both the historical contexts and philosophies from which they were created. Literature is also a unique subject, in that you cover texts which can be appreciated as culturally important (and enjoyable!) in their own right. On top of this, the most respected universities view English Literature as a desirable A Level course for those pursuing arts degrees.
I plan on using the skills of close, analytic reading and argumentative essay writing gained from English Literature to complete a philosophy degree.
I enjoy examining the ideas behind texts, and considering how language can be crafted to express them. This often involves considering the interpretations of various respected literary critics and coming to a conclusion of your own. The passionate and individualised teaching at Henley has also been helpful for developing my own areas of interest, encouraging further reading beyond the syllabus.