Aims of the Course

The AQA English Literature GCSE encourages students to:

• read a wide range of classic literature fluently and with good understanding, and make connections across their reading

• read in depth, critically and evaluatively, so that they are able to discuss and explain their understanding and ideas

• develop the habit of reading widely and often

• appreciate the depth and power of the English literary heritage

• write accurately, effectively and analytically about their reading, using Standard English

• acquire and use a wide vocabulary, including the grammatical terminology and other literary and linguistic terms they need to criticise and analyse what they read.

General Description

Pupils follow a two year course, studying works from the three major genres: prose, poetry and drama. Assessment will be by external examination. English Literature encourages students to develop knowledge and skills in reading, writing and critical thinking. Through literature, students have a chance to develop culturally and acquire knowledge of the best that has been thought and written. Studying GCSE English Literature should encourage students to read widely for pleasure and as a preparation for studying literature at a higher level

Assessment

AQA have applied assessment strategies that support students’ achievement in an untiered, closed book context. Pupils’ final grade will be as a result of two examinations: the first paper tests the pupils’ ability to explore and analyse themes, plot, characterisation and settings of the 19th Century novel and the Shakespeare play they have studied; pupils are given one extract-based question and one question about the text as a whole. The second paper tests the pupils’ ability to explore modern texts and poetry.