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English Literature - Core

Lead teacher - Mr Weetman
Qualification  - GCSE
Level - Grades 9 - 1
Lessons per fortnight - 8 (this includes English Language)

Course Outline 

Paper 1:     1 hour and 45 minutes    64 marks

Section A:  Shakespeare:

  • Students will answer one question on their play of choice. They will be required to write in detail about an extract from the play and then to write about the play as a whole.

Section B:  The 19th century novel

  • Students will answer one question on their novel of choice. They will be required to write in detail about an extract from the novel and then to write about the novel as a whole.

Paper 2:     2 hours and 15 minutes   96 marks

Section A:  Modern texts

  • Students will answer one essay question from a choice of two on their studied modern prose or drama text.

Section B:  Poetry

  • Students will answer one comparative question on one named poem printed on the paper and one other poem from their chosen anthology cluster.

Section C: Unseen poetry

Students will answer one question on one unseen poem and one question comparing this poem with a second unseen poem

Set texts -  ONE from each bullet point:

  • Shakespeare: Macbeth, The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night.
  • British fiction or drama: Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies, Anita and Me, The Woman in Black, An Inspector Calls, Hobson’s Choice, Blood Brothers, Journey’s End.
  • 19th century novel: Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, A Christmas Carol, Pride and Prejudice, Silas Marner, Frankenstein.
Exam Results  

Exam Board - AQA

Paper 1: 40% of total GCSE
Section A - Shakespeare
Section B - The 19th century novel

Paper 2: 60% of total GCSE
Section A - Modern texts
Section B - Poetry
Section C - Unseen poetry

Career Progression 

A good GCSE in English is a vital prerequisite for all career paths from those beginning employment to those going into further education. Students interested in English go on to study language or literature at A level as well as English’s many related subjects. From here, careers include Law, Media, Journalism, Education and the Civil Service.

Subject Links 

Performing Arts, Dance, Theatre Studies, Drama, Media Studies, Psychology, Sociology, History, Law, Film Studies. 

Further Requirements 

An interest in reading will greatly enhance a student's enjoyment of this course.