Sixth Form

AS in 1 year or A Level in 2 years

Great writers of prose, poetry and drama texts are critically studied and analysed.

First Year: AS

Unit 1 - LITB1

Aspects of Narrative

  • Written paper
  • 2 hour exam, open book
  • 60% of AS, 30% of A-level
  • 84 marks

A total of four texts texts to be studied: a selection of W.H Auden and Christina Rossetti poetry from the AQA Anthology, F.Scott Fitgerald's The Great Gatsby, Andrea Levy's Small Island.

NB This exam is split into sections A and B, where in Section A students answer the Auden question and in Section B they discuss all three of the others texts in their answer.

Examination takes place in June 2011.

Unit 2 - LITB2

Dramatic Genres: Tragedy

  • Coursework
  • 40% of AS, 20% of A-level
  • 60 marks

Two texts to be studied: Shakespeare's Othello and Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire.

A portfolio of two pieces of written coursework will be submitted, each 1200-1500 words.

Final deadline for all coursework: 29th April 2011.

Second Year: A2

AS units (50%) plus:

Unit 3 - LITB3

Texts and Genres: Elements of The Gothic

  • Written paper
  • 2 hour exam, closed book
  • 30% of total A-level
  • 80 marks

Three texts to be studied: Bram Stoker's Dracula, two stories from Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber and one 1300-1800 text: Shakespeare's Macbeth.

The exam is split into sections A and B, where in Section A students answer on just one text and in Section B they discuss all three texts in their answer.

Examination takes place in June 2012.

Unit 4 - LITB4

Further and Independent Reading

  • Coursework
  • 20% of A-level
  • 60 marks

Three texts to be studied: Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and a selection of Rossetti poetry from the AQA Anthology.

A portfolio of two written pieces of coursework will be submitted: comparative study of an aspect of two texts (Things fall Apart, Heart of Darkness- 1500-2000 words); an application of feminist / Marxist theory to a reading of selected Rossetti poems using the pre-released AQA critical anthology (1200-1500 words).

Final deadline for all A2 coursework: 29th April 2011.