Page 30 - The Sixth Form Course 2021
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 English Literature
Course Specification A Level ⏐ OCR H472
Head of Department ⏐ Miss S Hill
and empathy. All universities see this subject as the facilitating subject for any humanities or arts course. It supports courses like History, Politics, Classical Civilisation, Economics, Philosophy and Languages very effectively but also demonstrates a wider set of skills when placed alongside Mathematics or Sciences.
Increasingly employers in Business, Law and Medicine are looking to see that candidates have strong communication and empathy skills and English Literature demonstrates all of these qualities. As well as an obvious route into journalism, law, publishing and education, many alumni have found the subject useful for a successful career in the City.
 Entry Requirements
Experience has shown that students who attain grade 7(A) or above in GCSE English do better at A Level.
This A Level would suit candidates who are...
• Interested in reading and creative writing
• Engaged by informal, seminar-style lessons
• Enthused by debate
• Willing to learn about history, philosophy, politics and the cultural arts to
enable them to engage more fully with texts
• Keen to demonstrate to future employers and universities that they have
impressive written and communication skills
• Open minded enough to attend unusual theatre trips and lectures
Course Content and Examinations
OCR A Level English Literature allows you to study works from the Middle Ages all the way up to the present day. In recent years, students have enjoyed exploring texts such as Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’; ‘The History Boys’ by Alan Bennett; F Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’; Ernest Hemingway’s ‘A Farewell to Arms’; ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley, Angela Carter’s ‘The Bloody Chamber’ as well as the poetry of Geoffrey Chaucer, John Milton, T S Eliot and Wilfred Owen. A strong emphasis is placed on comparative and contextual work.
The A Level specification comprises two essays of coursework (a total of 3000 words for 20% of the mark), as well as two externally set examinations (worth 80% of marks).
Where could this subject take you?
English Literature is a highly-regarded ‘Gold standard’ A Level that is welcomed by employers and universities as a sign of intellectual rigour, strong essay-writing skills
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