Sixth Form
English
English Literature and Language explores the depth of the human experience through language and story, empowering students to challenge ideas, empathise with diverse perspectives, and master the art of powerful communication.
At Ryde you can study English at A Level, AS Level and IBDP.
Why Study English at Ryde School?
Studying English at Ryde School at A Level or the International Baccalaureate (IB) offers a dynamic and profoundly enriching pathway for students passionate about culture, history, and the power of the written word. Here, students do not just study literature; they learn to think like pioneering critics, equipped with the analytical nuance, empathetic insight, and sophisticated communication skills needed to interpret and articulate the complex cultural narratives of our world.
This highly respected discipline serves as an exceptional launchpad for an unparalleled variety of academic and professional pathways. Our students routinely progress to top-tier universities to read English, or leverage its rigorous training to pursue competitive degrees in law, history, philosophy, languages, and psychology. Furthermore, English provides an outstanding, well-rounded contrast for STEM students, demonstrating a rare breadth of both scientific and communicative skills. Ultimately, whether heading into journalism, marketing, education, or corporate law, an English education at Ryde fosters the versatile, sharp intellect required to lead in the creative and professional industries of tomorrow.
Courses Available
A Level and AS Level English courses offer you the opportunity to study literature and language in greater depth. A range of interlinked texts enables you to adopt an increasingly independent, critical perspective across genres and the wider literary canon. You can also study linguistics as a specialism for the first time.
Entry Requirements
Grade 6 or above in (I)GCSE English Language and English Literature.
Award
A Level English Literature (AQA B)
Course Content/Structure
In both Lower and Upper Sixth, Unit 1 and 2 will be taught concurrently. Towards the end of the first year and at the beginning of your second year, you will complete Unit 3, designing and writing independent coursework essays on a novel and poetry text. These tasks can be in the form of a traditional, analytical response or one could be a recreative task and subsequent commentary. As part of the coursework, you will learn about literary theory and criticism. As part of the wider course, you will explore a variety of texts and contexts, from Khaled Hosseini’s ‘The Kite Runner’ to William Blake’s ‘Songs of Innocence and Experience’, and from Shakespeare to Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’.
If you enjoy reading and discussing literature, and the ideas, questions and debates it raises, then this is the A level for you!
Assessment
- Unit 1: Literary Genres: Aspects of Tragedy (40% of A Level – 2 hour 30 minutes written exam).
- Unit 2: Texts and Genres: Elements of Political and Social Protest Writing (40% of A Level – 3 hour written exam).
- Unit 3: Theory and Independence (20% of A Level – 2 non-exam assessment [coursework] essays).
Course Content/Structure
English Language, available as a full A Level or as a two-year AS Level as an Enrichment subject, is a qualification in linguistics. It allows you to explore the language we use every day, how it works and the many roles it plays in our lives. You will study varieties of English, including accents and dialects, and discuss how language is used in written, spoken and electronic forms.
You will learn about children’s language development (A Level only) and how to use different methods of language analysis to explore concepts of audience, purpose, genre and mode. Indeed, you will also investigate how texts represent different groups, individuals, institutions and ideas, how and why language has changed over time, and explore the relationship between social values, attitudes and the language used to represent them.
Assessment
A Level:
- Unit 1: Language, the Individual and Society (40% of A Level – 2 hour 30 minutes written exam).
- Unit 2: Language Diversity and Change (40% of A Level – 2 hour 30 minutes written exam).
- Unit 3: Language in Action (20% of A Level – non-exam assessment [coursework] comprising a Language Investigation and a piece of Original Writing).
AS Level:
- Unit 1: Language and the Individual (50% of AS Level – 1 hour 30 minutes written exam).
- Unit 2: Language Varieties (50% of AS Level – 1 hour 30 minutes written exam).
The IB English Language and Literature course offers you the opportunity to study language and literature in greater depth. You will explore a range of interlinked texts from different bodies of work to adopt an increasingly independent, global perspective, while reflecting on how we are all represented every day.
Entry Requirements
For English A, Grade 6 or above in (I)GCSE English Language and English Literature.
Award
IBDP & IBCP English A Language & Literature (Studies in Language and Literature – Group 1)
Course Content/Structure
The English Language A Literature course is designed for motivated, independent students to be able to access what is usually their native language and fulfil their Group 1 subject selection to achieve the IB Diploma.
Assessment
You will be assessed by a combination of written examinations, essays and a recorded oral examination. This range of assessment types allows you to develop skills in analysis, debate and different forms of communication.
- Paper 1: Guided Textual Analysis (35%)
- Paper 2: Comparative Essay (35% of SL and 25% of HL grade)
- HL Essay: Higher Level only (20% of IB HL grade)
- Reflective Journal: Ongoing assessment throughout the two year course.
- Individual Oral Examination: (30% of SL and 20% of HL grade)
Language A: Language & Literature, offered at both Standard and Higher Levels, is at the heart of the IB Diploma and is unique in terms of the variety and combination of texts and topics you study. You will read non-literary texts and literary works, some in translation, from different cultures and perspectives, past and present, and from around the world.
You will also gain a clear understanding of how language, culture and context are intrinsically linked, both to each other, and to the literature that represents them. It will therefore enable you to develop the independence, spirit of enquiry, academic rigour and critical thinking skills that will be invaluable to you in the future, whatever path you choose.