English at A Level
If you're interested in finding out about English at A-level, click here to see a presentation about the sort of things you learn, and how the subject is taught at Nottingham High School.
This article, written for the Nottingham High School English Department by Dr David White, formerly Academic Director of the University of Nottingham's Postgraduate Medicine course, sets out why people interested in careers in medicine or the sciences should consider studying English at A-level.
The English Literature Course at Nottingham High School
The AS and A2 courses enable candidates to enjoy reading and discussing English Literature, and to increase their understanding of what the study of literature involves. The emphasis is on getting to know a wide range of texts in depth, both through close reading and through an appreciation of the contexts in which literary texts are written and understood.
An Advanced GCE in English Literature is welcomed as a qualification for many careers, and provides a very wide range of opportunities for courses in the Arts, Humanities, Media and Communications at degree level. AS English Literature can also be a valuable contrast to scientific, technological and economics-based subjects, opening up greater breadth of interest, range of reference and facility with ideas and language.
The qualifications offer maximum opportunity for developing individual areas of reading interest. Coursework is offered at both AS and A2, and the selection of a specific reading topic provides a clear focus for the final synoptic unit. The course is structured in a way that allows any relevant texts studied for previous units to be revisited in the synoptic unit, whilst at the same time ensuring that the core reading requirements are met. The clear sense of progression from AS to A2 is reflected in the question paper design: greater support is offered in the style of questions set for AS through the use of bullet points; at A2 the questions are more open, allowing candidates more scope for independence and evaluation.
This course is aimed at those who want to develop their experience of studying literature beyond that required for GCSE. Those best suited for the course are those with an interest in reading, and a willingness to express views and opinions about that reading. Fluency in written expression is obviously an advantage, but many boys who do not possess this when they start the course soon find that they develop it. Essay-writing skills form a major part of the early stages of the AS course. What we look for most is enthusiasm and a positive attitude towards literature.
