English Literature

Applications Open - 10th November 2025

Applications Close - 31st January 2026

Entry Requirements - For entry into year 12 to begin A Level and/or vocational courses, students must meet the minimum requirements in English and Mathematics (grade 4), however most courses require significantly higher grades in certain other GCSE subjects to access them.

How to Apply -

• Internal students – apply via Applicaa (school have emailed all students a link)
• External Students – apply using Applicaa from the Trinity School website under Sixth Form - Apply here

Students are required to study a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 4 subjects.

According to Sir Philip Sidney, the purpose of Literature is to 'teach and to delight' so it could be said that A Level English Literature will bring knowledge and pleasure. Studying a range of literature will broaden your ideas, develop the skills involved in debate and discussion, encourage the discipline of detailed textual analysis - it will open and stretch your mind. It is a highly regarded, useful foundation for a range of university subjects.

Skills Acquired

• How to analyse, interpret and compare texts
• How to construct an argument
• The ability to evaluate the influence of various contextual factors
• An understanding of different ways or reading and writing about texts
• The ability to handle complex ideas, search for patterns and interpret information in a wider context
• Research skills
• Written and verbal communication skills

Students Suited To The Course
This is a highly challenging course for thinkers and readers who are passionate about literature and love reading. We study a range of novels, plays and poems from a variety of time periods. Successful A Level English Literature students are critical thinkers who enjoy discussing themes and issues of literary texts; who undertake an extensive range of wider reading which they utilise to inform the texts studied and are confident sharing ideas after reading, engaging with the perspective of the author as well as the contexts of the texts. Choose this course if you are interested in interpreting the methods and motives of writers, then writing analytical essays to demonstrate your skills.

What Other Subjects It Combines Well With
The study of literature will blend with many others as the skills of evaluation, critical analysis and writing with clarity are vital in all subject areas.

Co-curricular
Theatre visits

Paper 1: Literary Genres

What is assessed?

Option 1A: Aspects of tragedy
Option 1B: Aspects of comedy
Study of three texts: one Shakespere text, a second drama text and a prose text, of which one must be written pre-1900.

Paper 2: Texts and Genres

What is assessed?

Option 2A: Elements of crime writing
Option 2B: Elements of political and social protest writing
Study of three texts: one post-2000 prose text, one poetry and one further text, of which one must be written pre-1900. Exam will include an unseen passage.

Non-Exam Assessment: Theory and independence

What is assessed?

Study of two texts: one poetry and one prose text, informed by study of the Critical anthology. Two essays of 1,250-1,500 words, each responding to a different text and linking to a different aspect of the critical anthology.

Paper 1 Assessment

• Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Closed book exam
• 75 marks
• 40% of A Level

Paper 2 Assessment

• Written exam: 3 hours
• Open book
• 75 marks
• 40% of A Level

Non Exam Assessment

• 50 marks
• 20% of A Level
• Assessed by teachers
• Moderated by AQA
  
  
  
  
  
  

GCSE grade 6 in English Literature & grade 6 in English Language.

In terms of careers, the core skills of writing articulately to express and argument and thinking in an evaluative, critical, analytical way are transferable to many careers. Notable examples include journalism and writing, editing and publishing, teaching and career in law. Any careers where communication is an important component relate to A Level English Literature; all employers will want you to be able to use language effectively. This is a highly respected qualification which will assist any UCAS application towards degree level study in academic subjects.