English Literature

About the Course

The study of literature provides a lens through which you can meet and explore places, characters and events from around the globe and from another time.

A level English at WLFS provides the opportunity to explore and discuss some of the most important and influential writers in the English Language such as Shakespeare, Marlowe, Brontë, Keats and Woolf. Over your time here, you will develop your knowledge and appreciation of form, literary devices and concepts, and the role of context in making and shaping literature and its reception. The course includes an extended comparative coursework project, offering you the chance to select and investigate two texts – prose, poetry, drama or non-fiction – from within your specialisms and interests. You will be expected to discuss links and connections, different interpretations and the contexts in which they were written. Whether you are a current WLFS student or are joining us from another school, this course builds upon the knowledge and skills acquired through the study of English Literature at GCSE.

The range and breadth of the course will provide students with everything needed to continue in the study of English literature at university level. The skills and knowledge developed over the two years will hugely beneficial to a wide range of subjects, including Law, History and Politics. The range and breadth of the course will provide students with everything needed to continue in the study of English literature at university level. The skills and knowledge developed during this highly regarded qualification complement a wide range of other subjects including law, history, psychology and politics.

Examination Board

Edexcel (9ET0)

Course Structure

• Unit 1 Drama (exam) Tragedy – Section A: Othello, Section B: Doctor Faustus

• Unit 2 Prose (exam) Women and Society – A comparison of Wuthering Heights and Mrs Dalloway

• Unit 3 Poetry (exam) Section A: Contemporary Poetry, Section B: Romantic Poetry

• Unit 4 Extended Comparative Coursework Comparison of two texts linked by theme, movement, author or period.