Brooke Weston |  |
| Coomb Road, Great Oakley, Corby, Northamptonshire NN18 8LA t 01536 396366 f 01536 396867 |
Brooke Weston | |
| Coomb Road, Great Oakley, Corby, Northamptonshire NN18 8LA t 01536 396366 f 01536 396867 |
English at A Level is engaging, practical and very useful for everyday life. It is an interesting course which allows you to broaden your knowledge and build upon aspects of English you have already learned.
The English department benefits from a range of spacious classroom environments, all with interactive ICT facilities. We also have a specialist editing suite and a full-time audio visual technician who is on hand to train and support students in their practical media work. The department also benefits from a 360 seat theatre and a lecture theatre both of which are used for the teaching of drama and media studies. All of our courses are delivered by subject specialists who have a passion for their subject as well as significant experience and expertise. We view A Levels as an opportunity for students to become independent learners who have the courage and conviction to have individual views. In all the courses we offer, we challenge our students to be creative thinkers and active participators; speaking and listening skills are an essential aspects of all the A Levels we offer.
We analyse texts ranging from modern novels to Shakespeare plays.
Open to students who have gained at least a grade B in GCSE English literature.
This two year course encourages students to develop interest in and enjoyment of English literature, through reading widely, critically and independently, across centuries, genre and gender, and through experience of an extensive range of views about texts and how to read them.
This unit will examine one set poetry text chosen from Victorian Literature, World War One Literature or the Struggle for Identity in Modern Literature and three texts covering all three genres as wider reading. These three texts may be supplemented with a collection of relevant extracts and shorter pieces of writing.
The examination will take the form of a 2 hour paper. The paper will consist of two sections (Contextual Linking and Poetry) and students will answer one question in each section. Students may bring their set poetry text into the examination room. This text should be a clean text, free from annotation.
This unit is assessed by means of a coursework portfolio. The coursework folder will contain two pieces of writing; one will be on a selected prose text and the other will be on a selected drama text. The two pieces of work should be 2000-2500 words in total.
Unit three has the theme Love through the Ages as its focus. In order to prepare candidates for the examination, teachers need to construct a course of reading and study which spans the centuries and explores the theme as it is expressed through all genres and by both genders. The examination paper will consist of unprepared texts, thematically grouped. Skills of close reading and analysis, interpretation, comparison and the ability to evaluate the influence of various contextual factors will be assessed.
The examination will take the form of a 2 ½ hour written paper. The paper will contain four unseen extracts. There will be two compulsory questions to answer. Each question will be marked out of 40.
In their coursework, candidates will have the opportunity to write a sustained comparative essay on three texts of their own choice linked by the theme of "Love Through the Ages". One text will be a Shakespeare play; the other two texts will be wider reading texts of any genre. Candidates will write an extended comparative essay on the three texts.
Two units are assessed through coursework and two units are assessed by means of an externally set written examination paper.
Students of English literature go on to study a wide range of subjects at degree level including English literature, English language, history, journalism, philosophy, law, sociology and media studies.
Many students find that their A Level in English literature helps them to gain a career in publishing, teaching, journalism, literary criticism. Similarly, the skills you develop through the study of English literature (effective written and verbal communication, time-management, organisational skills, team-work, independent study and research, developing persuasive arguments to name but a few), are marketable in a wide variety of professional areas. Some areas which have traditionally attracted English literature students include advertising, marketing and PR, arts administration, library and information management, the legal profession the media.
We learn how the English language is used in a wide variety of texts and get a chance to do our own writing.
Open to students who have gained at least a grade B in either GCSE English language and/or English literature.
This course provides students with a natural progression from their GCSE study of English language. This course encourages students to develop their interest in and appreciation of English, through learning about its structures and its functions, its developments and its variations. Similarly, this course allows students to develop their ability to express themselves in speech and writing, producing texts for different audiences, purposes and in different genres.
Students will commence their studies by completing basic textual analysis on a range of texts from a variety of different modes, genres and styles. They will learn how to analyse by grouping and categorising the sources. In addition, students will study three linguistic social contexts: Language and Power; Language and Gender and Language and Technology.
In this unit students will be encouraged to develop their own writing skills, producing writing in different genres and styles and for different audiences and purposes. Coursework length will be between 2500 – 3500 words.
Students will build on the textual analysis skills acquired at AS Level. They will also tackle two new language focuses. Students will examine Language Acquisition and Language Change.
Students are able to develop their own interests gained from the source so far. A linguistic investigation will be completed. Students will use the broad focus of their language investigation to produce a media text for a non-specialist audience. Coursework length: 2500 – 3500 words.
Two units are assessed through coursework and two units are assessed by means of an externally set written examination paper.
This course is particularly suitable for those students who wish to study English language, linguistics or English studies in higher education. It encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning and gives them a strong grounding in the academic principles relating to working with data.
Many students find that their A Level in English language helps them to gain a career in publishing, teaching, journalism and the media. Similarly, the skills you develop through the study of English language are marketable in a wide variety of professional areas. Some areas which have traditionally attracted English language students include advertising, marketing and PR, arts administration, library and information management, the legal profession the media.
This course links up all we've learned about both language and literature.
Open to students who have gained at least a grade C/B in both GCSE English language and English literature.
This course provides a full and coherent integration of literary and linguistic study in each of the four units. It offers students an accessible and stimulating course in which they will engage with a variety of spoken and written texts. The course is suitably demanding, leading students beyond the levels expected at GCSE towards an independence in analysing and commenting on texts, thus providing a firm foundation for study in higher education. An attractive feature of the specification is the opportunity it provides students to respond creatively to texts, both in coursework and examined units.
This is essentially a textual analysis unit. It will be assessed by means of an open book examination. The paper will supply thematically linked texts to analyse, concentrating on context. These will be unseen texts. Students work also with an anthology provided by AQA, which also provides thematically linked texts, which may be literary or nonliterary.
Working from a choice of set texts, students will complete two coursework tasks:
Part A (1200-1500 words) – students will select and analyse extracts from the chosen texts. They will work on a theme prescribed by the exam board.
Part B (500-800 words) – students will produce a piece of creative writing which builds on the themes from Part A.
Students will have the opportunity to study with a focus on spoken language. It will be assessed by means of a closed book examination. They will study one play in detail and will be required to answer a question in the exam based on an extract from that play. The focus will be on language and dramatic effects. The second part of the exam will look at one transcript and one literary text on the same theme. Students will be required to compare the two texts.
Students will choose two texts from a prescribed list and transform them into different genres.
They will then need to complete a commentary to evaluate their production work.
Part A (1500 – 2500 words) – Transformation(s)
Part B (1000 – 2000 words) – Commentary(s)
Two units are assessed through coursework and two units are assessed by means of an externally set written examination paper.
Students of English language and literature can progress from this course onto a degree course in either language or literature. Similarly, this A Level provides excellent grounding in degree level courses such as sociology, humanities, creative writing, journalism and media studies.
Many students find that their A Level in English language and literature helps them to gain a career in publishing, teaching, journalism and the media. Similarly, the skills you develop through the study of English language and literature are marketable in a wide variety of professional areas. Some areas which have traditionally attracted English language and literature students include advertising, marketing and PR, arts administration, library and information management, the legal profession the media.
You learn about media ownership, the history of major media companies and so much more. It's extremely worthwhile.
Open to students who have a grade B profile, including English language/literature. Students who have studied GCSE media studies would be at an advantage; however this is not a prerequisite for the course.
With a focus on innovation, creativity and enterprise, this two year course seeks to ensure that students have a full understanding of the new media which dominate the contemporary landscape by enabling students to use and produce such media in their coursework.
This is a coursework unit where students must produce two paired media artefacts from a series of briefs. The purpose of the unit is to assess candidates' ability to plan and construct media products and to test their knowledge and understanding of how meaning and responses are created. The unit requires candidates to engage in contemporary media technologies, giving them the opportunity for development of skills in these technologies. The briefs offered are: print, video, audio and website. This unit is internally assessed and externally moderated.
This unit assesses candidates' media textual analysis skills and their understanding of the concept of representation using a short unseen moving image extract. It also assesses their knowledge and understanding of media institutions, their production processes, distribution strategies, use of technologies and related issues concerning audience reception and the consumption of media texts. The examination is 2 hours.
There are two sections to this examination paper, each of equal weighting: Textual Analysis and Representation and Institutions and Audiences.
This is a coursework unit which allows students to develop skills learnt in Unit One. It also enables them to develop the skills of presentation that are required for further study at higher levels and in the workplace. Students will be given a brief and from this students will produce: a media portfolio, comprising main and ancillary texts. This portfolio will be produced through a combination of two or more of the following media: video, print, web-based, audio, games software and a presentation of their research, planning and evaluation in electronic format. This may take the form of one, or a combination of two or more, of the following: a presentation using slideshow software such as Microsoft Powerpoint; a blog or website; a podcast; a DVD with extras.
The purpose of this unit is to assess candidates' knowledge and understanding of media concepts, contexts and critical debates, through their understanding of one contemporary media issue and the ability to evaluate their own practical work in reflective and theoretical ways.
The examination is 2 hours and candidates are required to answer two questions. There are two sections to this paper, each of equal weighting: Theoretical Evaluation of Production and Contemporary Media Issues
Two units are assessed through coursework and two units are assessed by means of an externally set written examination paper.
Students of media go on to study a wide range of subjects at degree level including media and communication, film studies, film making, journalism, marketing and PR.
An A Level in media opens up many opportunities for students. It can help them to gain a career in advertising, marketing, web design, journalism, radio, television and new media. Similarly, key skills such as time management, organisational skills, the undertaking of research and the opportunities to learn about and understand ever changing technology make media students very competitive in the marketplace.
Open to students who have gained at least a grade B in GCSE English literature and/or drama.
This course provides an opportunity to study plays from the point of view of director, designer, performer and critic. The qualification is designed to enable students to obtain a knowledge and understanding of the language of drama and theatre as well as to improve their performing and analytical skills. The skills and knowledge acquired in Year 12 is developed in Year 13, allowing students to apply what they have learned in their own creative work. This course requires that students attend numerous live performances.
Great theatre trips and practical projects - what more could you want?
Exploration of two play texts. This is internally assessed through practical workshops, coursework and a theatre review.
Externally assessed performance of both a monologue/duologue and a professionally published play, in front of an audience.
Internally assessed devised performance in front of an identified audience. Notes on both the development process and evaluation are also assessed.
Externally assessed written exam on one set play text and one prescribed historical period of theatrical development.
Students are assessed both internally and externally on their practical and written work throughout the two years; this is followed by a written examination in the summer of Year 13.
Students will devise, perform and interpret, operating at a highly intellectual level as well as a highly skilled practical level. Students completing the two year course will have a thorough understanding of drama and theatre, highly toned analytical and creative skills and an ability to communicate effectively with others. This course will provide an advantage for students wishing to study the performing arts at degree level; however the skills gained will also benefit students pursuing any course at higher education.
Following the completion of this course, students may progress into employment in the performing arts sector.