The new A Level and their reasons for choosing it
Stephen Burley, Head of English explains: "When we reviewed the specifications and sample assessment materials from all the major exam boards, we were excited by OCR’s offering for a number of reasons."
"Firstly, the exam questions were sensibly worded and there was a clarity and concision that was appealing. There was a good balance between close textual analysis, using passage-based assessment, and critical essays that focused on knowledge of the texts and the development of a convincing argument. Furthermore, the text choices were excellent: there was a range of challenging and stimulating works that would be inspiring both for students and teachers."
"The comparative and contextual component was impressive as it encouraged deep understanding and wide reading beyond the set texts. In the end, and after much debate, we chose Women in Literature as our topic area: as a girls’ school, this has worked very well and our students have enjoyed making connections between the texts they study in class and wider issues relating to women’s role and representations in society and the media. Our student-led literary society has taken up this theme and each week students and teachers present on different texts and topics relating to Women in Literature."
"Finally, OCR’s pre-course training sessions were very reassuring: emphasis was placed on holistic marking and a range of excellent materials were produced to support the delivery of the course."