In Year 9 English, we have been learning about rhetoric in speeches. Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. The three pillars of rhetoric are pathos, logos and ethos. These are said to be the heart and soul of a good speech. We have studied Malala Yousafzai’s ‘Education is the Only Solution’, Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, Nelson Mandela’s speech ‘An Ideal for which I am Prepared to Die’ and Emmeline Pankhurst’s ‘We are here in our Efforts to become Law Makers’.
It is said that to make a great speech it must include the Aristotelian triad pathos, logos and ethos. Pathos is used to evoke or encourage a particular emotion in your reader. Logos is logical proof to back up your point and finally, ethos is credibility to show what extent you are trustworthy and how knowledgeable you are on your speech.
We have now moved on to creating speeches talking about important world issues such as deforestation, wellbeing and university fees using these forms we have learnt.
The Debating Society has been a lively and vibrant forum since September, bringing together students from Years 7-10 to engage in thought-provoking discussions. Our dedicated members have tackled a diverse range of topics, from weighty philosophical questions like ‘can historical accounts ever be truly objective?’ to contemporary social issues such as abortion rights and capital punishment. To maintain balance and enthusiasm, Year 7s have also enjoyed lighter debates such as ‘Hot Chocolate vs. Lemonade: The Ultimate Beverage Battle’ and ‘Sparx Maths vs Bedrock Learning’ (Bedrock Learning obviously!) Through these weekly sessions, students have developed essential skills including critical thinking, public speaking, research proficiency and the ability to construct persuasive arguments whilst respecting diverse viewpoints. The society has proven to be an invaluable platform for building confidence, enhancing communication abilities and fostering a deeper understanding of complex global issues.
The stage is set, the scripts are polished, and the performances are ready to captivate. Our talented GCSE Drama students are preparing to showcase their hard work and dedication in their upcoming Pearson Edexcel Component 2 examinations. This crucial assessment sees students perform a scripted piece—either a monologue, duologue, or a combination—before a visiting examiner.
This practical component is an opportunity for students to bring their chosen texts to life, demonstrating their acting skills, interpretation of character, and understanding of dramatic techniques. Over the past few months, they have been refining their performances, working on everything from vocal delivery to movement, staging and emotional depth. Their commitment and enthusiasm have been truly inspiring.
We are incredibly proud of our students for the dedication that they have shown throughout their preparation. Drama is not just about performance—it builds confidence, creativity, and communication skills that will serve them well beyond the stage. We wish all our GCSE Drama students the very best of luck in their performances and look forward to seeing their hard work pay off.
On Thursday, March 6th, the English department hosted a number of events to celebrate and promote World Book Day.
Within their English lessons, Year 7 and Year 8 engaged in a number of learning activities linked to the book, musical and film ‘Wicked’. We explored our school value ‘compassion’ in more depth as we looked at the characters of Elphaba and Glinda. As part of World Book Day, we invited all students across school to wear a pink or a green accessory.
In addition, we held a number of events in the library at lunch time on World Book Day. These included a book swap and we encouraged students who had any books at home that they have read and would recommend, to bring them up to the library and swap them for a new read. We also showcased the many new library books we have invested in. Students had the opportunity to have a flick through and read the blurbs before they go on the shelves ready for general borrowing.
Mrs Snowdon
Curriculum Leader for English
Exciting World Book Day Events: A Celebration of Reading!
We celebrated World Book Day on Thursday this week, with fantastic events that celebrated the joy of reading! This year, our school hosted a Book Swap, unveiled an exciting selection of new books in the library, and introduced some fun-themed activities.
Book Swap – Give a Book, Take a Book!
Students and staff were invited to bring in books they had enjoyed but were ready to pass on. In return, they chose a ‘new to them’ book from the collection of swapped books. It was a great way to share stories, discover new authors, and promote sustainable reading habits. The swap took place in the library at lunchtime on World Book Day, Thursday 6th March.
New Books in the Library
We were also thrilled to unveil a fresh selection of books in our school library. From gripping adventures to thought-provoking fiction, there was something for everyone. These new additions included some of the latest bestsellers, award-winning titles and student-recommended books. Many students visited the library to be among the first to explore these fantastic reads!
Book Bingo Fun!
Year 7 and Year 8 students also took part in Book Bingo during their English lessons on Thursday and very much enjoyed Mrs Snowdon’s comparing.
Wicked-Themed Year 7 and 8 Lesson
Year 7 and 8 students enjoyed a special Wicked-themed lesson, diving into the world of Oz and exploring the characters of Glinda and Elphaba.
Wear Pink or Green!
To add to the fun, students and staff were encouraged to wear a pink or green accessory on Thursday to show their love for reading and the Wicked theme. The school was filled with splashes of colour as everyone joined in the celebration!
Thank you to all who participated and helped make World Book Day so special. Happy Reading!
Since September, the English department have been running a ‘Bedrock Champions’ competition to celebrate students who go above and beyond with their Bedrock homework. Every student who achieves over 50 points, or is in the Top 10 users in their year group in a week, automatically gets a ticket to enter them into the ‘Raffle of Recognition’.
The raffle is drawn at the end of each half term, which means that we’ve already had two winners in each year group! The raffle resets each term, so students who work hard on Bedrock this half term will have an opportunity to win prizes.
There have been lots of entrants in each year group for the raffle and it’s been so impressive to see the dedication that students have shown towards their work on Bedrock.
Listed below are the students who have earned themselves a ticket in the raffle last half term– some of them many multiple times! Well done to each of these students for their fabulous work on Bedrock so far!
If you like all things ‘bookish’, why don’t you come along to Book Club on Thursday lunchtimes in Room 6 (12.40-1.05pm). All years welcome!
We are currently reading…
‘A Secret Sister’ by Sophie McKenzie
Two sisters, two very different lives: the next edge-of-your-seat thriller by Sophie McKenzie, author of the bestselling, Girl Missing.
Asha has spent her life on an island community built on the principle of truth. But she discovers she has been lied to about something huge – a secret sister called Willow. Willow has always believed her twin sister died years ago. So, when she receives a message in the middle of the night from a girl claiming to be Asha, she doesn’t know what to think.
Can they piece together the truth about their pasts and find their way back to each other?
‘Secret Sister’ is the latest YA novel from the Queen of teen thrillers, Sophie McKenzie. It’s told through a dual-perspective narrative, sharing the perspectives of both Asha and Willow, twins separated as toddlers.
On Wednesday 8th January, our Year 11 Drama students had the incredible opportunity to take a trip to the theatre to see Stephen Daldry’s multi award-winning National Theatre production of An Inspector Calls. This play, written by J.B. Priestley in 1945, tells the story of the Birling family, who are visited by a mysterious inspector who is investigating the death of a young girl.
As soon as we arrived at the theatre, we were struck by the incredible, albeit unusual set design. The acting was brilliant, with each member of the cast bringing their own unique interpretation to their characters.
One of the most striking things about this production was the way it dealt with themes of social responsibility and class division. The inspector’s investigation forces the Birling family to confront the ways in which their actions have contributed to the tragic death of the young girl, and raises important questions about the role that each of us plays in shaping society. As a group, we discussed these themes and the ways in which they resonate with issues that we see in the world today.
Overall, the experience of seeing this production was brilliant for both students and staff. It will definitely help contribute towards our study of the play.
The book ‘Which Witch’ is about a dark wizard called Ariman. Since Ariman has no son or wife, he decides to hold a contest in which the seven witches of Todcaster (Mabel Wrack, Ethel Feedbag, Mother Bloodworth, Nancy Shouter, Nora Shouter, Madame Olympia, and Belladonna) participate in a competition that will decide who he will marry. Whichever witch performs the darkest deed of magic will be his bride. However, most of the witches of Todcaster are downright revolting and nasty in both personality and looks! The exception to this is Belladonna, who is beautiful inside and outside and secretly loves Ariman. However, as she is unable to perform any black magic. The question in the end that everyone wants to know is which witch?
Maayana C (Year 9)
Book Review: Medusa
Medusa by Jessie Burton is about the Greek myth of Medusa written from a feminist’s perspective. In this book, Jessie Burton changes the original story of Medusa, where Perseus finds out that she is the monster he is looking for and chops off her head, to where Medusa actually fights back and looks Perseus in the eye to turn him into stone.
This change that she has made is great because it shows that when Perseus betrayed her, he got what he deserved. Medusa wasn’t killed for being a ‘monster’.
The ending of the story was very nice because she was left to sail across the oceans and seas with her sisters. It was also quite sad because she had to spend the rest of her life drifting on the sea with only her sisters’ company. She was able to see everyone else on other boats, but they couldn’t see her.
Overall this book was delightful to read and showed a new perspective on the things that were told in the original story.
On Friday 11th October, Year 7 went on a trip to Warwick Castle. We set off at 7:30am and we got there at around 10:30am. We headed off in form groups into the dungeons. There were actors that were dressed up like the people would have been at the time. There were several rooms that we went in. It was a bit scary, but a lot of fun!
At lunchtime, we sat on benches on the grass. We saw some beautiful peacocks while we ate as well.
We then went on the Trebuchet Tour. There were two people who ran in something that looked like a giant hamster wheel that made the rope move. The rope would help them shoot the large rocks at whatever they were attacking.
The last thing we got to do was explore the castle with our friends. The inside of the castle was very fancy and the furniture was very elegant.
We then headed back on the coaches and eventually got back to school at 6:30pm.
Overall, it was a fun day and everyone had a good time.
Olive W (Year 7) – Press Gang
Ingleton Waterfall Trip
On Wednesday 9th October, the Year 8s went on a trip to Ingleton Waterfalls trail where learnt about the formation of waterfalls right in person! The trail is a 4.5-mile walk, home to 6 main spectacular waterfalls that come from two different rivers. The picturesque walk showed off some of Britain’s prettiest nature featuring towering oak trees, v-shaped valleys, steep hills and the gorgeous waterfalls. Here are some pictures taken by a student who attended the trip!
As part of our recent study of William Blake, Year 8 students have dived into the rich, thought-provoking poetry of this iconic 18th-century poet and artist. Blake’s works, particularly his collections Songs of Innocence and of Experience, have provided a fascinating exploration of contrasting ideas. Most notably, students have explored his famous poems, including The Lamb, The Tyger, The Echoing Green, and London, all of which grapple with complex themes like innocence versus experience, joy and sorrow, and the beauty of nature alongside the harsh realities of life.
One of Blake’s unique artistic qualities is his ability to capture the extremes of human experience, often in the same work. This has inspired our Year 8 set 1 students to produce some truly imaginative and visually striking pastiches of Blake’s poetry. The pastiches reflect their own interpretations and creative ideas, while still drawing on the key themes and stylistic elements of Blake’s poems.
Among the standout concepts that students have developed are Harmony vs Chaos, Butterfly vs Moth, and Fairytale vs Reality. Each student has taken inspiration from Blake’s contrasting visions and applied them to modern interpretations of life, nature, and the fantastical. The juxtaposition of light and dark, innocence and experience is echoed in these creations, with some students choosing to illustrate the delicate balance between beauty and destruction, while others have explored the conflict between idealism and harsh truth.
What makes these pastiches so exciting is the range of ideas and the originality that has emerged. Whether it’s the delicate beauty of a butterfly representing innocence and freedom, contrasted with the shadowy moth symbolising experience and the inevitability of change, or the clash between the dream-like nature of fairytales and the grounded reality we face every day, our students have shown an incredible ability to bring Blake’s themes into the present day.
In addition to their poetic pastiches, students have also worked on stunning visual artwork inspired by Blake’s illustrations. Many of these pieces incorporate Blake’s signature style—bold, vivid imagery and intricate symbolism—while also infusing their own artistic flair.
We are extremely proud of the creativity and hard work demonstrated by Year 8. Their pastiches not only show a deep understanding of Blake’s work but also a remarkable ability to adapt his ideas and apply them to their own unique visions.
