English Language and English Literature
The English Department instils a love of language and literature, offering students the opportunity to engage with a variety of challenging texts and their wider contexts, and encouraging them to develop and articulate their own perspectives.
Year 12 and 13 students
A Level English Language and Literature enables students to develop effective communication and analytical skills to complement their studies in other subjects and prepare them for the world of employment. English students regularly progress onto careers in journalism, research, teaching, law, archiving, public relations, advertising, the arts and management.
Students learn about the ways in which views and perspectives are shaped in a variety of narratives. They explore representation in literary fiction and in an anthology of texts linked by the theme of Paris. Students also produce re-creative work that seeks to find an absent or underplayed perspective in the original text and write a critical reflection on the processes and outcomes involved. Furthermore, students explore the role of the individual in society, and of conflict in drama, via the analytical and creative study of texts including The Handmaid’s Tale, The Great Gatsby and Othello.
Students are also required to make active connections between a literary text and some non-literary material in an independent investigation (NEA).