Year 7: Little Red Riding Hood, retold

Our Year 7 students have been taking a fresh look at a story most of them thought they already knew. Through a series of drama activities, they have explored Little Red Riding Hood from every angle: freeze-frames of key moments, hot-seating the Wolf to find out what he was really thinking, and retelling the tale from the point of view of Grandma and the Woodcutter. Some groups gave the story a modern setting, which produced a lot of laughter and some very clever ideas.

The work has a serious purpose. Stepping into a character’s shoes helps students understand motive and viewpoint, and it builds confidence in a safe, playful way. For students who find writing difficult, acting out a scene first gives them something concrete to build on when they put pen to paper.

Year 11: Bringing poetry off the page

Year 11 have been preparing poetic readings as part of their Literature options. Poetry can feel distant when it stays on the page, so students have been working on reading poems aloud: thinking about pace, pauses, emphasis and tone, and how these choices change the meaning for the listener.

Reading a poem well means understanding it well. Students have had to decide where the turning points are, which words carry the most weight, and what feeling the poet wants to leave behind. This kind of close attention feeds directly into their exam responses, and it has been a pleasure to hear students who were nervous at the start read with real conviction.

Key Stage 5: Debate and discussion

Our older students have been sharpening their speaking and listening skills through structured debates. Topics have ranged from everyday issues to wider questions about society, and students have learnt to build an argument, back it up with evidence, and respond to an opposing view calmly and respectfully.

Listening is just as important as speaking. Students have practised summarising someone else’s point fairly before challenging it, a skill that matters far beyond the classroom; whether in a job interview, a college application or a difficult conversation.

Why it matters

Spoken language is the foundation of so much else: reading, writing, relationships and independence. For many of our students, finding the confidence to speak in front of others is a real achievement, and we are proud of every step they have taken this term.

If your young person has been involved in any of this work, do ask them about it. You may find yourself hearing a very different version of Little Red Riding Hood, or being drawn into a debate at the dinner table.