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English Literature A Level

Thomas Rotherham College (TRC)

Moorgate Road, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S60 2BE

GCE A/AS Level or Equivalent

Level 3

Available start dates

Tuesday, 01 September 2026

Thomas Rotherham College

2 Year(s)

Full time

Daytime/working hours

Course Summary

English Literature places emphasis on the study of literary texts (novels, drama and poetry) and the ability to explore potential meanings and debate readings. Again, it enables students to improve their own command of English and ability to construct coherent arguments by means of wider reading and textual knowledge.

Course Details

Are you passionate about reading? Do you love to look closely at texts, analysing exactly what ideas are being explored and how the language works?

Studying English Literature at A Level will allow you to study some of the most interesting fiction, poetry and drama of both past and more recent times. You will be able to discuss and consider the ideas expressed in several texts as well as the literary techniques that writers have used to create their messages.

You will study at least 8 texts including prose, poetry and drama across the course as a whole. In addition, you will be prepared for examination on an unseen text in the genre of poetry. Coursework will be part of your final grade too (20%) and you will complete a 3000 word comparison of two novels.

The first year of the course will focus on:

1. Tragedy (drama) - Shakespeare’s Othello and Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire

2. Poetry – Modern post-2000 poetry

3. Coursework

In the second year the course will explore links across pre-1900 and post- 1900 texts focusing on representations of women in society:

1. The poetry of John Keats

2. Prose – Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini.

Study Visits

Theatre visits are strongly recommended.

How will it be delivered and assessed?

Paper 1: Drama (30% of your A level grade)

Paper 2: Prose (20% of your grade)

Paper 3: Poetry (30% of your grade)

Plus Coursework (20% of your grade) – internally assessed by your teacher and externally moderated.

Entry requirements

Grade 5 English Language. Grade 5 English Literature (if taken).

Your next steps...

This course could lead onto higher education in English related studies or more general higher education courses. With further training, you could go into a job related to English Literature such as a Teacher, Journalist, Author, Advertising or Public Relations.

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