Curriculum overview for A Level English Literature

Curriculum intent – the knowledge, understanding and skills that students will learn
The English Literature A-Level qualification builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills established at GCSE, introducing students to the discipline of advanced literary studies, and requires reading of all the major literary genres of poetry, prose and drama. The A Level qualification in English Literature extends these studies in breadth and depth, further developing students’ ability to analyse, evaluate and make connections between texts. Students are required to study a minimum of eight texts at A level, including at least two examples of each of the genres of prose, poetry and drama across the course as a whole. The course requires students to develop judgement and independence as they synthesise and reflect upon their knowledge and understanding of a range of literary texts and ways of reading them. It also requires students to show knowledge and understanding of:
•    The ways in which writers shape meanings in texts 
•    The ways in which texts are interpreted by different readers, including over time 
•    The ways in which texts relate to one another and to literary traditions, movements and genres 
•    The significance of cultural and contextual influences on readers and writers.

Curriculum implementation – teaching, learning and assessment strategies
Students are expected to complete independent wider reading on a variety of texts ranging from extracts, novels, novellas, critical interpretation and poetry. Class teaching is sequenced to ensure that students begin with the foundational knowledge of the A Level course and what is required. This leads onto studying Component 1 and Component 2 simultaneously with a key focus on critical interpretation and contextual understanding of the various texts. Class teaching requires a high level of verbal participation through discussions. Students also have the opportunity to debate ideas from various perspectives, not just their own perspective, to encourage them to consider other points of view in relation to the texts. Students take regular written assessments in timed conditions, and are set homework tasks that really focus on their extended writing. Students often have the opportunity to attend a school trip and watch a play that they are studying or is relevant to what they are studying. The course also includes a non-examination assessment section in which they are encouraged to do their own research and scrutinise their work in detail. Students begin the non-examination assessment towards the end of Year 12 after they have developed skills such as understanding the way writers shape texts, the significance of cultural and contextual influences and how texts can be interpreted by different readers. 

Curriculum impact – intended outcomes for students 
This qualification will enable students to:
•    Explore and understand a wide range of texts 
•    Develop the valuable transferable skills of sustained research and composition
•    Have freedom of choice with regards to texts for study in the non-exam assessment component 
•    Choose to write creatively if they wish
•    Encourage students to be inspired, motivated and challenged by reading widely across a range of texts and developing their independent study skills
•    Students are cultivating their own critical responses and engaging with the richness of literature

Course overview for A Level English Literature
Exam board: OCR - A-Level English Literature OCR Specification
Coursework:  Yes – 20% of the qualification

Component 1 – Shakespeare and Drama/Poetry pre-1900 (40% of the qualification)
Section A: Shakespeare 
Section B: Drama and Poetry pre-1900

Component 2 – Close reading in chosen topic area and Comparative and Contextual study from chosen topic area (40% of the qualification)
Section A: Unseen prose (close reading in chosen topic area)
Section B: Comparative essay

Component 3 – Coursework (20% of the qualification) 
Section A: Close reading OR re-creative writing piece with commentary
Section B: Comparative