The AS course begins where English Language and Literature GCSEs left off. The range of texts studied is wider than in English Literature, and there is much greater importance placed on students' own creative efforts.

Unit 1 involves close reading of one prose text from a prescribed list (eg 'Dubliners' by James Joyce) and reading from a range of other texts as well as listening and analysing spoken texts. Unit 2 is a Thematic Study to produce student's own writing for different audiences and purposes; the general topic studied is Entrapment. This will involve reading from a range of texts: plays, poems, a novel, and some non-fiction. Unit 3 will be based on the reading of two drama or two poetry texts, and a range of other extracts. Unit 4 consists of topic-based research and reading leading to the production of original writing. There is a free choice of topic here.