GCSE English Literature
GCSE English Literature (CCEA Specification)
English Literature is offered as an optional subject at GCSE. This enjoyable and popular course affords opportunities to engage with a range of both classic and contemporary texts and aims to encourage pupils to become critical readers of prose, drama and poetry as well as nurturing a lifelong love of literature.
Pupils complete 50% of the course in Year 11: a controlled assessment worth 20% of the total GCSE grade which requires pupils to respond to a Shakespeare play, and The Study of Prose, which is assessed through external examination worth 30%. Pupils will study either Animal Farm or Of Mice and Men and a selection of nineteenth-century prose extracts.
In Year 12, pupils will study a modern play, such as Blood Brothers or An Inspector Calls and an anthology of poems provided by CCEA.
Below is a brief overview of the course; however, you will find additional information, support materials and past papers on the CCEA website.
| Unit | Weighting | Assessment | Submission | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | The Study of Prose | 30% | Examination | June Year 11 |
| Unit 2 | The Study of Drama and Poetry | 50% | Examination | June Year 12 |
| Unit 3 | The Study of Shakespeare | 20% | Controlled Assessment | Year 11 |