English Language and Literature

Head of Department and Teacher of English
Mrs L. Pritchard 
l.pritchard@derbycathedralschool.org.uk

KS5 English and Media Studies Coordinator and Teacher of English 
Mrs. D. Jeffery
d.jeffery@derbycathedralschool.org.uk

Second in English and Teacher of English
Mrs E McGuinness
e.mcguinness@derbycathedralschool.org.uk

Homework

Students are expected to complete 2-3 hours of homework per week. This is set on Class Charts so that all staff, students and parents have access to the tasks and resources. Set tasks vary but will include pre-reading of set texts, wider reading of relevant material, written responses, revision quizzes, planning activities etc. Students are encouraged to complete work well in advance of the deadline so that they can contact their teachers to request support and guidance on an issue they may experience in completing a task.

Assessment

Students will complete a range of assessment activities including:

•    Key knowledge quizzes 
•    Question and answer within group and whole class discussion
•    Formative written responses 
•    Summative assessments in the form of PPEs

This range of assessment strategies allows staff to assess knowledge gaps, development of skills and share important feedback and data with students and parents. 

Independent study

Students should spend an additional 2-3 hours per week completing independent study and revision, on top of their contact time (time spent in the classroom with their teachers) and time spent on set homework. 

Examples include:

• Pre-read the next chapter, scene or poem of a set text — e.g. the next chapter of The Handmaid's Tale or The Kite Runner, the next scene of A Streetcar Named Desire, or the next poem from Mean Time
• Use the Cornell method to make notes on a chapter, scene or poem from a set text, applying integrated linguistic and literary methods (AO1) — e.g. tracking Offred's narrative voice in The Handmaid's Tale, Blanche's dialogue and stage directions in A Streetcar Named Desire, or imagery and form in a Duffy poem — and beginning to consider how these features shape meaning (AO2)
• Read some literary or linguistic criticism on a set text and make notes on different critical perspectives, considering how these interpretations might inform your own reading. For example,
  • Feminist theory on The Handmaid's Tale or A Streetcar Named Desire
  • Post-colonial theory on The Kite Runner
  • Psychoanalytic or feminist readings of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire
  • Confessional/autobiographical readings of Duffy's poetry in Mean Time

Revision

It is crucial for students to re-read each of their set texts several times, in order to maintain their knowledge and understanding throughout this linear two-year course. It will be beneficial for students to have their own personal copy of each set text, for the purpose of making notes and annotations as we study together in class; these notes will form invaluable revision materials for all PPE and terminal exams. Specific revision materials will be provided by class teachers, who will tailor to the needs of students and the requirements of the exam board, AQA.

Students must also spend time revising their Language Analysis Framework including features of grammar, lexis and prosodics. Subject terminology is an essential part of the key knowledge that will enable students to be successful.

Students studying A Level English Language and Literature benefit from a range of enrichment opportunities designed to complement and extend their classroom learning. These experiences allow students to explore texts in greater depth, develop their analytical skills and experience literature and language beyond the classroom.

As part of our commitment to bringing the study of English to life, students have the opportunity to visit the library, developing their confidence in using a range of texts and resources to support independent study and wider reading. These visits encourage students to explore authors, genres and perspectives beyond those studied as part of the A Level specification.

Students also have the opportunity to attend theatre productions of set texts. Experiencing texts performed live enables students to consider how characters, themes, relationships and ideas can be interpreted and communicated through performance. These experiences provide valuable opportunities for students to develop their understanding of texts while making meaningful connections between their academic study and the world beyond the classroom.

Through this programme of subject enrichment, students are encouraged to become confident, independent and curious readers, while developing a deeper appreciation of the ways in which language and literature can be experienced, interpreted and understood in different contexts.

We encourage students studying A Level English Language and Literature to extend their learning beyond the classroom through the following activities:

Reading Widely

• Read Margaret Atwood's The Testaments, the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, and consider how it develops or complicates the original's themes and narrative voice
• Read other works by Khaled Hosseini (e.g. A Thousand Splendid Suns) to explore recurring themes of guilt, redemption and cultural identity
• Read further collections by Carol Ann Duffy (e.g. The World's Wife, Rapture) to explore how her use of form, voice and imagery develops across her body of work
• Read other plays by Tennessee Williams (e.g. The Glass Menagerie, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) to explore recurring dramatic concerns and stylistic techniques
• Explore further texts about Paris, or research the historical and cultural context of Paris as represented across the collection

Watching and Listening

• Watch the 2017–present television adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale and consider how meaning is reshaped through the shift from prose to screen
• Watch a filmed or live production of A Streetcar Named Desire and consider how directorial and performance choices shape audience interpretation
• Watch the 2007 film adaptation of The Kite Runner and evaluate the choices made in adapting Hosseini's narrative for screen
• Listen to interviews with or readings by Margaret Atwood, Khaled Hosseini or Carol Ann Duffy (available via the British Library, BBC or Poetry Archive)

Engaging with Criticism and Context

• Read literary criticism applying feminist theory to The Handmaid's Tale and A Streetcar Named Desire (e.g. via JSTOR, York Notes Advanced, or Cambridge Companions)
• Research post-colonial theory and its application to The Kite Runner, considering Afghan history and the socio-political context
• Investigate the historical context of Gilead in The Handmaid's Tale, including its grounding in real historical regimes and events, as discussed by Atwood herself
• Explore the biographical and confessional elements of Duffy's poetry in Mean Time, including her position as the first female UK Poet Laureate

Wider Skills Development

• Attend talks, lectures or open events run by universities offering English Language and Literature, English Language, English Literature or Creative Writing degrees
• Practise re-creative and commentary writing by producing your own short piece in the style of one of your set texts, accompanied by a reflective commentary on your linguistic and literary choices
• Follow podcasts such as Lexis, Backlisted, The Guardian Books Podcast or In Our Time (BBC Radio 4) for wider literary discussion and context