English Literature
English Literature
English Literature is one of the core subjects in a balanced curriculum. The course provides you with the opportunity to explore classic literature in a range of different genres, from Shakespeare to gothic and science fiction. Each text allows you an insight into the cultural, political and social change Britain has undergone over the last three centuries and, perhaps more importantly, they truly are great reads.
Modern Drama
Study play: An Inspector Calls.
Complete coursework essay on Modern Drama.
Assessment objectives:
AO1 - Demonstrate a close knowledge and understanding of texts, maintaining a critical style and presenting an informed personal engagement
AO2 - Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects
Poetry Anthology
Study poems from the anthology in clusters based on theme.
Pupils will learn how to compare ideas and theme in
poems. They don’t need to know poems off by heart but need to know connections between poems, focusing on form, structure and language. Complete at least one essay comparing two poems.
Assessment objectives:
AO2 - Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects.
AO3 - Explore links and connections between texts.
Modern Prose
Revision of Of Mice and Men, building on the in-depth study from Year 9: mind-mapping characters and themes, recapping questions to check reading.
Assessment objectives:
AO1: Demonstrate a close knowledge and understanding of texts, maintaining a critical style and presenting an informed personal engagement.
AO4: Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written.
Literary Heritage Text
Students will revisit Macbeth, building on their in-depth study from Year 9, developing their comprehension and critical reading skills, as well
as their ability to produce clear and coherent writing using accurate Standard English.
Wider reading of literary texts is also encouraged to help students develop their skills. Students will complete a coursework assignment, writing an essay about a key character or theme in the play.
Assessment objectives:
AO1 - demonstrate a close knowledge and understanding of texts, maintaining a critical style and presenting an informed personal engagement.
AO2 - analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects.
AO4 - show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written.
Poetry Anthology
Continue to study poems from the anthology in clusters based on theme. Pupils will learn how to compare ideas and theme in poems. They don’t need to know poems off by heart but need to know connections between poems, focusing on form, structure and language. Complete at least one essay comparing two poems.
Assessment objectives:
AO2 - Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects.
AO3 - Explore links and connections between texts.
Unseen Poetry
Students will apply their knowledge of poetic form,
Content and meaning to an unseen poem. Students must demonstrate understanding of how writers create literary effects, understand and use appropriate literary terminology, identify and use appropriate examples from poems.
Assessment objective:
AO2: analyse the language, form and structure
used by a writer to create meanings and effects.
The IGCSE will be assessed by means of examination and coursework.
Paper 1: Poetry and Modern Prose (60%)
Section A: Unseen Poetry: one 20-mark essay question exploring the meaning and effects created in an unseen poem. The poem will be reproduced in the question paper.
Section B: Anthology Poetry: one 30-mark essay question from a choice of two, comparing two poems from part 3 of the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Anthology.
Section C: Modern Prose: one 40-mark essay question from a choice of two on each of the set texts.
The total number of marks available is 90.
The assessment duration is 2 hours.
Closed book: texts are not allowed in the examination. However, students will be provided with the anthology poems in the examination.
Component 3: Modern Drama and Literary Heritage Texts (40%)
Internal assessment: coursework
Assignment A: Modern Drama: one essay response to a teacher-devised assignment on the studied text.
Assignment B: Literary Heritage Texts: one essay response to a teacher-devised assignment on the studied text.
The examination board is Pearson Edexcel and the specification number is 4ET1. You may read the full specification here.
English Literature will improve your analytical thinking
You develop a more sophisticated vocabulary
It will support your learning across the curriculum
Wider reading will enhance your understanding of the subject
If you have any queries about this curriculum, please contact: Mrs Sarah Scanlon, Head of English, on ss@farlingtonschool.com