Joint Schools Selection Criteria

English and Modern Languages

As for English Language and Literature, plus:

Motivation and commitment along with capacity for sustained study of language and literature.

Communication: willingness and ability to express ideas clearly and effectively both in writing and orally; ability to listen and to give considered responses.

Proven competence in the language(s) as established by school work written in the language(s), by the language test, and (in some cases) by oral competence at interview. In the case of beginners, clear evidence of aptitude and potential for language study.

While there is no requirement that candidates will have read any literature in the language(s), successful candidates will demonstrate an aptitude and commitment to the study of literature by evidence of their readiness to discuss their reading in English or in the relevant language(s) or by their response to a reading-passage at interview. Assessors will look for evidence of intellectual curiosity and critical engagement.

Classics and English

As for English Language and Literature, plus:

Potential for independent thinking

Ability to follow an argument

Skill in communication

Adaptability for tutorial teaching

Ability to respond in a thoughtful way to unpredictable questions and ideas

Ability to deploy knowledge in ways that show initiative.

History and English

Intellectual curiosity

Conceptual clarity

Flexibility

Accuracy and attention to detail

Critical engagement

Capacity for hard work

Enthusiasm for History and literature in English

Evidence of historical imagination and understanding

Articulacy

Sensitivity to the use of language