English Literature

What is English Literature?

The English language is all around is. It lives in every word we speak, every text we send and in every box-set we binge-watch. It breathes through every news report that shocks us, every movie that makes us cry and every Tweet which reduces us to fits of laughter. An ability to use language and to understand how it is used by those around is one of life’s most critical skills and, your studies in GCSE English Language and English Literature, will seek to equip you with all that you need to succeed into adult life.

Course outline – what will I learn?

You will study:
• Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’
• ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ by Robert Louis Stevenson
• ‘A Taste of Honey’ by Shelagh Delaney
• The ‘Power and Conflict‘ anthology of poems
• Unseen Poetry

Key Skills:

• understanding the social, cultural and historical influences of a text;
• understanding character and plot development;
• analysing the writer’s language form and structural choices.

How will it be assessed?

100% un-tiered exam.
You will write an essay for each of the key texts studied.
You will have to revise and compare two poems from the anthology.
You will also be given two unseen poems to assess your independent analysis skills.

What parents need to know

Guided revision homework is set every week to help pupils retain content and to practise key skills. There are a number of useful revision resources available from CGP, Pearson and online. Please speak to your child’s English teacher for more information.

How can English help me in the future?

Successful communication skills are essential for your future. Here are some examples of English careers:
• media; journalism; publishing; copywriting;
• teaching: schools; colleges; abroad;
• influencing: advertising; public relations; marketing; retail;
• Public Sector: administration; local government; health service.

Contact emails: l.nicklin@oakwood.ac (Head of English), a.lodge@oakwood.ac (Leader of Learning for English)

Other pupils’ experiences of English

“I like creative writing and using my imagination.” Y9 pupil

“English taught me to use my voice to stand up for what I believe in.” – ex-Y11 pupil

“I actually like poetry now!” – Y10 pupil