Course Content
Component 1: Poetry
Pre and post 1900. Students develop their ability to read widely and engage critically with a range of poetry from different time periods.
Component 2: Drama
Students will study one Shakespeare play for the examination. They will also study two other plays from the pre and post 1900 era, exploring the connections across the paired drama texts.
Component 3: Unseen texts
In preparation for this element of the exam, students will explore a variety of different texts from the three distinct genres, applying their skills of literary analysis.
Component 4: Prose Study
This assessment is based on the reading of two prose texts from different periods.
| Component | Assessment | Duration | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1: Poetry | Written exam | 2h | 30% |
| 2: Drama | Written exam | 2h | 30% |
| 3: Unseen texts | Written exam | 2h | 20% |
| 4: Prose Study | Non-exam assessment | N/A | 20% |
Year 12
Half Term 1 (Sept-Nov)
Half Term 2 (Nov – Dec)
Half Term 3 (Jan – Feb)
Half Term 4 (Feb – March)
Half Term 5 (April – May)
Half Term 6 (May – July)
Half Term 1 (Sept-Nov)
Focus and Topic
- Exploring literary genres through introductory studies in detective fiction or gothic prose. Initial study of A Streetcar Named Desire (Tennessee Williams) and poetry by Plath and Hughes.
Core Knowledge
- Understanding genre conventions and thematic exploration in gothic/detective fiction (AO2)
- Introduction to critical lenses: feminist, Marxist, deconstructionist (AO5)
- New literary concepts: plastic theatre, confessional poetry, modernism (AO1)
- Historical and cultural context of early texts and authors (AO3)
- Interpreting how poets present a given theme (e.g. nature) using poetic form and technique (AO2)
Core Skills
- Creating a clear line of argument and interpretation
- Applying subject-specific vocabulary (e.g. FLIRTS)
- Developing academic voice and referencing contextual influence
- Identifying and evaluating writer’s stylistic methods
Assessment
- Critical essay on Streetcar or Plath/Hughes poem: Analysis of how a writer presents a theme
Half Term 2 (Nov – Dec)
Focus and Topic
- Comparative study of Plath and Hughes; emphasis on contextual influence and critical viewpoint; Further study of A Streetcar Named Desire.
Core Knowledge
- Making secure links between poets, themes, and historical context (AO4)
- Using critical theory to shape interpretation (AO5)
- Understanding influence of 1940s and 2000s on reception of work (AO3)
- Applying poetic concepts: animism, shamanism, realism (AO1)
- Analysing figurative language and structure for effect (AO2)
Core Skills
- Writing comparative essays using integrated quotations
- Engaging with alternative interpretations
- Reading beyond set texts (e.g. The Bell Jar, criticism from British Library and structuralist studies)
Assessment
- Comparative poetry essay Personal critical response applying theory
Half Term 3 (Jan – Feb)
Focus and Topic
- Introduction to Shakespearean Tragedy via Hamlet. Deep dive into dramatic form, audience expectation, and character development.
Core Knowledge
- Characteristics of Shakespearean tragedy and dramatic structure (AO1)
- Close analysis of imagery, soliloquy, stagecraft (AO2)
- Consideration of historical genre expectations and audience reception (AO3)
- Comparing concepts of tragedy across different texts (AO4)
Core Skills
- Analytical commentary on dramatic extracts
- Cross-referencing multiple texts (e.g. comparing with Othello)
- Engaging with critical interpretations using external resources (e.g. EMC emagazine)
Assessment
- Extract analysis essay: Hamlet character/theme study
- Comparative thematic response
Half Term 4 (Feb – March)
Focus and Topic
- Critical reception of Hamlet through time, applying theory to contextualised reading.
Core Knowledge
- How different critical lenses have evolved in response to Hamlet (AO5)
- Cultural and historical context shaping interpretation (AO3)
- Deeper understanding of plot, character and themes using alternative perspectives (AO1)
- Exploring how meaning is constructed and adapted over time (AO2)
- Making connections across literary traditions and interpretations (AO4)
Core Skills
- Analysing and rebutting scholarly opinions
- Constructing argument informed by theory and evidence
- Accessing digital criticism and applying to set text
Assessment
- Critical response essay: Evaluate a view of Hamlet
- Interweaving critical sources into argument
Half Term 5 (April – May)
Focus and Topic
- F. Scott Fitzgerald’s exploration of the American Dream and narrative technique in The Great Gatsby.
- Introduction to unseen poetry and building foundations for analysis
Core Knowledge
- Narrative methods, unreliable narration, motifs and symbolism (AO2)
- Critical interpretations of the West and American idealism (AO5)
- Historical and cultural perspective on 1920s America (AO3)
- Structuring comparative argument across unseen and set texts (AO4)
- Constructing personal and critical interpretation with accuracy (AO1)
- Consideration of poetic methods and effects (AO2)
Core Skills
- Analysing form, structure, and narrative voice
- Conducting independent critical research
- Building sophisticated literary responses
- Introduction to unseen poetry via stylistic analysis
Assessment
- Consider the extent to which Gatsby achieves the American Dream
- Unseen poetry analysis: one poem from a choice of two.
Half Term 6 (May – July)
Focus and Topic
- Study of late 19th and 20th-century unseen prose and poetry. Focus on interwar fiction, modernist techniques, and stylistic conventions.
Core Knowledge
- Features of modernist writing: stream of consciousness, time distortion, free indirect style (AO2)
- Impact of 1918–1939 historical and psychological context (AO3)
- Techniques for thoughtful personal speculation in response to unseen texts (AO5)
- Building conceptual connections between unseen and studied material (AO4)
- Developing a confident analytical vocabulary (AO1)
Core Skills
- Responding to unseen extracts with confidence and originality
- Practising paper-based exam tasks
- Refining understanding of prose stylistics
- Balancing close language analysis with conceptual exploration
Assessment
- Eduqas Component 3: Past paper – unseen prose and poetry
- Targeted response to unseen prose using AO toolkit
Year 13
Half Term 1 (Sept-Nov)
Half Term 2 (Nov – Dec)
Half Term 3 (Jan – Feb)
Half Term 4 (Feb – March)
Half Term 5 (April – May)
Half Term 6 (May – July)
Half Term 1 (Sept-Nov)
Focus and Topic
- Interwar Prose in preparation for Component 3: Unseen Prose. Preparation for Component 4: Coursework
Core Knowledge
- AO1: Informed, engaged and well-structured response.
- AO2: Analysis and evaluation of language and poetic techniques.
- AO3: Significance and influence of interwar contexts.
- AO5: Engagement with critical interpretations. Knowledge of authors including DH Lawrence, Evelyn Waugh, Aldous Huxley, Virginia Woolf, Daphne Du Maurier, and E. M. Forster. Understanding of Blake’s poetry, Romanticism, Enlightenment, and revolutionary ideas.
Core Skills
- Analysing unseen prose extracts. Comparing texts with contextual and critical perspectives.
- Exploring symbolism, themes, and radical ideas in Blake’s poetry.
- Developing coursework responses with critical insight.
Assessment
- Unseen prose analysis with supporting extracts. Coursework.
- Four-poem comparative essay on Blake.
Half Term 2 (Nov – Dec)
Focus and Topic
- Interwar Prose in preparation for Component 3: Unseen Prose. Preparation for Component 4: Coursework
Core Knowledge
- AO1: Informed, engaged and well-structured response.
- AO2: Analysis and evaluation of language and poetic techniques.
- AO3: Significance and influence of interwar contexts.
- AO5: Engagement with critical interpretations. Knowledge of authors including DH Lawrence, Evelyn Waugh, Aldous Huxley, Virginia Woolf, Daphne Du Maurier, and E. M. Forster. Understanding of Blake’s poetry, Romanticism, Enlightenment, and revolutionary ideas.
Core Skills
- Analysing unseen prose extracts. Comparing texts with contextual and critical perspectives.
- Exploring symbolism, themes, and radical ideas in Blake’s poetry.
- Developing coursework responses with critical insight.
Assessment
- Unseen prose analysis with supporting extracts. Coursework.
- Four-poem comparative essay on Blake.
Half Term 3 (Jan – Feb)
Focus and Topic
- Return of Renaissance Drama: The Duchess of Malfi.
- Comparison with A Streetcar Named Desire. Revisitation of Hamlet
Core Knowledge
- AO1: Use of literary concepts and terminology.
- AO2: Analysis of dramatic methods and meaning.
- AO3: Cultural and contextual influences on texts.
- AO4: Connections across texts and traditions.
- AO5: Exploration of different interpretations. Knowledge of Jacobean and modern drama conventions. Understanding of identity, tragedy, and victimisation.
Core Skills
- Analysing dramatic structure and language.
- Comparing themes across time periods. Evaluating critical interpretations. Applying contextual knowledge to performance and text
Assessment
- Hamlet Extract question (15 marks).
- Hamlet Statement essay (45 marks)
- A Streetcar named Desire Mini Essay – theme or character (25 marks)
- Duchess of Malfi theme/character/stagecraft comparison with a Streetcar named Desire (60 marks)
Half Term 4 (Feb – March)
Focus and Topic
- Return of Renaissance Drama: The Duchess of Malfi.
- Comparison with A Streetcar Named Desire. Revisitation of Hamlet
Core Knowledge
- AO1: Use of literary concepts and terminology.
- AO2: Analysis of dramatic methods and meaning.
- AO3: Cultural and contextual influences on texts.
- AO4: Connections across texts and traditions.
- AO5: Exploration of different interpretations. Knowledge of Jacobean and modern drama conventions. Understanding of identity, tragedy, and victimisation.
Core Skills
- Analysing dramatic structure and language.
- Comparing themes across time periods. Evaluating critical interpretations. Applying contextual knowledge to performance and text
Assessment
- Hamlet Extract question (15 marks).
- Hamlet Statement essay (45 marks)
- A Streetcar named Desire Mini Essay – theme or character (25 marks)
- Duchess of Malfi theme/character/stagecraft comparison with a Streetcar named Desire (60 marks)
Half Term 5 (April – May)
Focus and Topic
- Final Exam Preparation
Core Knowledge
- AO1–AO5 across all components.
- Holistic understanding of course content, exam structure, and assessment criteria.
Core Skills
- Synthesising knowledge across texts and components.
- Refining exam technique.
- Responding to feedback and self-assessment.
Assessment
- Full mock exam tasks using all assessment objectives.
Half Term 6 (May – July)
Focus and Topic
- EXAMS
Core Knowledge
- EXAMS
Core Skills
- EXAMS
Assessment
- EXAMS
Key Info
- Start Date: September 2026
- Awarding Body: EDUQAS
- Study Mode: Full Time
- Course Length: 2 Years
Entry Requirements
TBC
Complementary Subjects
Studying both English Literature and English Language is a great combination and a lot of students at Alder Grange 6th Form do just that.
Traditionally Literature is viewed as a subject that works well alongside psychology, sociology, law, drama, music; however, here at Alder Grange, we have also students who successfully accompany Literature with studies in Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Computing, IT – the list is endless.
The truth is that the mix of skills you will need to be a good English Literature student: the ability to interpret a text, powers of analysis, capacity to communicate ideas clearly, makes English Literature a subject that partners well with all other subjects.
Career Opportunities
Obviously, it is a clear choice for anyone moving onto an English degree course. Customarily, it is also seen as a good choice for those considering subjects such as Humanities, The Arts, Languages, Business, and Law. However, as English Literature is such a highly regarded A level, it can take students onto almost any course of further study.