English Faculty

On behalf of the English Faculty, I’d like to thank our students for such an engaged and productive start to the year. Across each year group, students have been refining their critical thinking and creativity skills in response to a range of texts and topics. 

Year 7 have started their English journey in a positive way. Classes have been studying poetry, and have been refining their analytical and creative skills. Our Year 8 students have been exploring empowering poetry. The classes have analysed and annotated a range of inspiring poems that offer a variety of unique ways to look at the world. We have been impressed by their understanding and application of poetic techniques.

Year 9 students have been applying a range of successful writing strategies in their creative and persuasive pieces. The faculty has been blown away by the persuasive arguments formed and the imagery created across the year group. Year 10 English students have been busy studying protest poetry this term. Students have been respectful and authentic in their analysis of how meaning is made in these passionate and sophisticated texts. 

Our senior students have returned with vigour, deeply engaging with their texts. Year 11 students are focusing on their own writing in the ‘Reading to Write’ unit, where they have been analysing a range of short texts. Our Year 12 students have just finished their study of ‘The Tempest and Hagseed’ (Advanced) and Ali Cobby Eckermann’s poetry (Standard) and are to be commended on their committed approach to the multimodal assessment task. 

Author Visit

Students in Miss Jackson’s 8ENGY class were visited by author Pip Harry, the writer of their current text ‘Are You There, Buddha?’. They have been studying this award-winning verse novel throughout the term and loved being able to hear from the author herself. The class learned about Pip’s writing process and career and asked lots of inquisitive questions about creativity. Pip then conducted an engaging and fun workshop with the class, where the students were tasked with creating their own verse poetry. Students were then able to present their work to Pip. I’d like to acknowledge Miss Jackson for facilitating this opportunity for her students. 

Enjoy the Easter break!

Mr Blake Wawrzyk

Head Teacher English