Skip to content
referalearnerFind my match

GCE A Level in English Literature

at Maidstone Grammar School, Maidstone · school or sixth form

Level 3A levelsGCE A level2 yearsFull timeFree

What the college says

The course focuses on developing critical and creative literary skills through engagement with a range of prose, poetry and drama texts from Chaucer to the present day. The Advanced GCE is made up of four mandatory components: Component 1 is drama, worth 30% of the overall mark. This features the study of a Shakespeare play (such as King Lear) and one further drama text (last year, students studied the twentieth century play, A Streetcar Named Desire. Component 2 (20%) is prose, the comparison of two novels, such as Frankenstein and War of the Worlds, or The Handmaids Tale and Frankenstein. Component 3 is poetry, worth 30%. Here students will study a collection of post-2000 poems and the poetry of an earlier period. Component 4 is coursework, worth 20%, and is a 2,500-3,000-word essay comparing two texts. Sometimes, texts are covered by directed close analysis with note-taking and highlighting of key passages. Seminar sessions provide a great opportunity to debate issues in stimulating ways. Selected scenes may be dramatized in small groups. Essays are set regularly and ICT skills developed as you draft and polish coursework assignments. You are expected to read beyond the specification for evidence of how cultural and contextual factors and different interpretations illuminate your own reading of literature. There is an increased emphasis on exploring comparisons and contrasts between texts, establishing links to historical context and considering critical opinions. The subj

What you need to get on

To study this course, you should have at least a Grade 6 in both English Language and English Literature at GCSE. Also, at least Grade 5 in GCSE Maths.

How you are assessed

Academic subjects, mostly exams, three or four at once. The traditional route to university.

What this level means

The A-level-equivalent step, and what universities and employers ask for.

Is it open to 16 to 18 year olds?

Approved for 16 to 18 study on the government's Section 96 list.

Where it runs

  • Maidstone Grammar School

    BARTON ROAD, MAIDSTONE, ME15 7BT

    DaytimeClassroom based
    Check the journey

Start dates

  • 1 September 2026 · MAIDSTONE

Who else teaches this exact qualification

Same qualification, different college. Entry requirements and how it is taught can differ a lot between them, which is the whole reason to compare.

See all 267 providers teaching it