OCR A-Level English Literature
Through choosing to study English Literature, you will not only gain a qualification which is highly regarded by universities, but you will develop the skills to challenge perspectives and express yourself in an original and academic way. The course will allow you to read widely and independently and to explore the culture and contexts in which texts are written. At Haggerston we study an exciting and diverse range of authors and texts which help our students to become historically informed, socially aware and politically conscious. We also offer a wide range of enrichment opportunities including theatre trips, lectures with prestigious academics and university visits.
Entry Requirements: Students are required to achieve a grade 6 in GCSE English literature or a grade 6 in GCSE English language.
Career Opportunities: An English literature A level demonstrates to prospective universities and employers that you have strong analytical, research and composition skills, high standards of academic written expression, the ability to engage critically with a range of texts and explore interpretations and good knowledge of literary, historical and social contexts. English literature A level equips you with skills needed in careers such as law, journalism and media, education, the creative arts, publishing and the civil service.
What will I study?
| Year 12 | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 |
| Teacher A (3 lessons) | Component 1: Hamlet by Shakespeare | Component 2: Immigrant Experience Literature – Brick Lane by Monica Ali | Component 3: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie |
| Teacher B (2 lessons) | Component 3: Close Reading Coursework – The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy | Component 2: Immigrant Experience Literature – The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid | Component 2: Immigrant Experience Literature The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Brick Lane |
| Year 13 | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 |
| Teacher A (3 lessons) | Component 1: A Doll’s House by Henrick Ibsen and Selected Poems by Christina Rossetti | Exams revision Component 2: Immigrant Experience Literature (RF/BL and unseen close readings) | Exams revision |
| Teacher B (2 lessons) | Component 3: Comparative coursework – A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | Exams revision Component 1: Hamlet and Ibsen/Rossetti | Exams revision |
Assessment Overview:
Component 1: 40% of total A-Level
Drama and poetry pre-1900 (01) Written paper: 60 marks (Closed text*)
2 hours 30 mins
Component 2: 40% of total A-Level
Comparative and contextual study (02) Written paper: 60 marks (Closed text*)
2 hours 30 minutes
Component 3: 20% of total A-Level
Literature post-1900 (03) Non‑exam assessment: 40 marks
- *closed text means you cannot bring your text into the exam
Homework /Independent Study Policy
- 1 essay per week (alternate weeks from Teacher A and Teacher B) as written into schemes.
- Directed Time: independent study tasks will be set every week, which you will record on your Independent Study Tracker. This will include ‘flipped learning’ tasks such as primary and secondary reading in preparation for lessons, and knowledge acquisition tasks to help you to consolidate and practise learning from lesson work and KOs, e.g. studying sets for a topic on Quizlet.
Enrichment: Every year, English A level groups participate in a range of enrichment trips and events including theatre trips, workshops, university visits, and lectures. The lecture series hosted by Haggerston invites university academics to visit the school and deliver a talk to our students on the texts they are studying. As well as giving our students a taste of English literature at undergraduate level, it also provides an opportunity for our students to meet with English A level students from other Hackney sixth forms. Under the present circumstances, our lecture series has currently moved online.