English Literature A Level and GCSE Audio Tutorials

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or sometimes known more simply as Jekyll & Hyde has entertained readers for over 100 years.

Written by Robert Louis Stevenson the novella has impacted our natural language with the phrase "Jekyll and Hyde" coming to mean a person who is vastly different in moral character from one situation to the next.

Our GCSE series has been written so that you will fully understand the context, genres, themes and characters of this wonderful novella and will guide you through the course and help prepare you for your GCSE English Literature exam.

Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go is the haunting story of a group of friends whose purpose in life is far removed from that which any of us might expect. The GCSE podcast series for Ishiguro’s novel will take you on a journey through the book and help you prepare for your exams at the end of the school year. It takes you through all you need to know and will ensure that you can answer the key questions you will receive in the exams. The podcast series examines all the different genres associated with the book, the importance of context, the core themes including the importance of art and creativity, ethics of cloning, outsider status and mortality, gives a detail overview of the characters involved and then includes a detailed analysis of the book itself, chapter by chapter. It is brought to you by experienced head of English and exam board specification writer, Stephen Lucas and Dr Laura Salisbury, Senior Lecturer in English Literature at Exeter University

Animal Farm – George Orwell - OCR

Animal Farm, by George Orwell, is one of the great dystopian novels of all time. It is layered with many different meanings, making it a joy to read and to interpret. The series is written by Aimee Coelho, a passionate English Teacher at Millfield and an examiner. It analyses the genre, structure and form of the novel, examines context and key characters , gives an in-depth review of each chapter, and finally helps you prepare for that all important GCSE examination.

Macbeth - OCR

Our Macbeth series for GCSE English Literature is one of our favourites. Our authors, Catherine Hartley and Stella Vassiliou, two fabulous teachers (both 1st class honours graduates from Oxbridge) bring to life and explain one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies. We are also honoured to have the renowned Shakespearean actor, Guy Henry, play Macbeth throughout the series. We are delighted that this teaching and learning tool is endorsed by OCR for use with specification J352 GCSE English Literature.

OCR Poetry Anthology - Love and Relationships

Welcome to our series on the OCR Poetry Anthology Love and Relationships. Our series analyses each of the individual poems, giving insight into each. The tutorials have been designed to help develop a range of skills, such as analysing language, making comparisons and inferring meaning and ideas. The series has been written by Rebecca Kleanthous, who is both an experienced teacher and specialist poetry examiner.

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's greatest and best loved tragedies. In this series for GCSE English Literature we analyse all aspects of the play ensuring that you gain a full understanding of the various complexities, including key themes, characters, context and structure. As with Macbeth we have brought together Stella Vassilou and Catherine Hartley, both of whom received Masters in English Literature from Oxford and Cambridge University and are now teaching GCSE English Literature.

An Inspector Calls

The GCSE podcast series for JB Priestley’s play, An Inspector Calls, will give you invaluable insight for your GCSE and help you prepare for your exams at the end of the school year. It looks at the genre, structure and plot, why the play is enduring, the context of the play and how it was a voice for Priestley’s beliefs, gives a detail overview of the characters involved and then includes a detailed analysis of the play itself as well as giving hints and tips on exams techniques.

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre is a turbulent love story with many different themes, twists and compelling characters, making it a fascinating novel to study. In our tutorial series, written by Charlotte Unsworth, an experienced English teacher, we will analyse the key characters and themes within Jane Eyre, as well as having a detailed look at the importance of the settings. We finish with a tutorial that has been designed to help approach exam questions. Best of luck.

DNA – Dennis Kelly.

A group of teenagers do something bad, really bad, then panic and cover the whole thing up. But when they find out that the cover-up unites them and brings harmony to their once fractious lives, where’s the incentive to put things right? DNA is a fascinating play and our series will take you through all you need to know for your GCSE. Produced by Mark Richards, a senior examiner, he certainly knows how to cover all the different elements to achieve a good grade. DNA is a set text for OCR and AQA.

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen was one of the most popular novels of its day and it continues to be so, with many film and small screen adaptations. In this series we examine all the key aspects that you will need to know and understand for GCSE English Literature, ranging from its context, major themes, character analysis and look at all the different chapters. It's penultimate tutorial examines some of the most pertinent of quotations, including; "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”, which gives a clue to the type of book it is. Written by Jan Heron, a English teacher of many years and one who holds 5 stars on the Rate My Teacher website, Jan is also an exam board examiner so knows what is required to achieve good grades.