English Language and Literature IB (Higher Level)

Applications Open: 1/11/25

Applications Close: 31/7/26

Entry Requirements: - See individual courses

How to Apply: - Please apply via KentChoices

‘Literature is always personal, always one man's vision of the world, one man's experience, and it can only be popular when men are ready to welcome the visions of others’ - W.B Yeats

Our vision, as passionate IBDP English Language and Literature teachers, is to inspire students into developing a lifelong love of literature and reading.

We aim to ensure that our students develop appreciation for the way in which literature can teach us about cultures, communities and individuals in the world around us.

The IB English language and literature course not only builds on but also extends your skills from GCSE.

The IB course requires us to study three core units: Readers, Writers and Texts, Time and Space, Intertextuality

Within these three units, we have created our own areas of exploration:

Conflict for Change

Through this area, students will develop a curiosity for how literature creates conflict before transforming ways of thinking and believing. Students will study political cartoons, Miss Julie, Persepolis and speeches all of which were created by the writer to force change in the society.

Displacement and Belonging

Students will develop empathy and awareness of how changes in time and location can lead to people feeling a sense of belonging or displacement in society. They will study WWF campaigns, Windrush photography, Shakespeare’s Othello and Grace Nichols’ most recent anthology of poems: Passport to Here and There.

Invasive societies

During this unit, students will explore how writers use intertextuality to criticise the way in which societies have become increasingly invasive and oppressive.

Students will cover a range of Banksy artwork, Carol Ann Duffy poetry and Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa.

Why should I study this course?

If you are passionate about literature or if you’re interested in how language is constructed through a range of mediums such as artwork and photography then this course is perfect for you.

You might have enjoyed GCSE English but you will love the IB Language and Literature course as it encourages you to investigate your own lines of inquiry in the range of texts studied whilst building an awareness of global issues.

Extracurricular activities

We hold termly National Theatre events in our auditorium for students to see live performances of texts they are studying and also other plays

We have also connected with the Oxford Classics Outreach department and have previously provided opportunities for our students to have classical conversations with professionals who have studied Women in Myth at Oxford. We continue to work with them and ensure that we are sparking their interest in the classics.

Finally, we are dedicated to help our students learn outside of the classroom by running theatre trips and residentials to Stratford Upon Avon.

Individual Oral Assessment

Higher Level Essay

Paper 1 - two unseen visual texts

Paper 2 - literary question and paper

Where will this course take me in the future?