Love sport? Read it. Live it. Review it.

Choose a sports-related book such as a biography, sports fiction, mindset & motivation, the science of sport, sport-specific reads, or sport and society.

Then bring it to life!

To enter the competition, students should create a short video review of the book they have read, sharing what they learned and why they would recommend it.

Deadline: Submit entries by Friday 20th March to Ms Nelson via email. Best review wins a prize at Mark Reading at the end of the Spring Term!

Could you be the next Lucy Strange, Tom Palmer or Hiba Noor Khan? Do you have a flair for historical research and creating engaging, imaginative stories? The History department and Library are launching a historical fiction competition open to pupils in Years 7 and 8 with a brief to write a short piece of historical fiction set in a period and place of your choice. The deadline for entries is Monday 23rd February. All entries will receive merits, the best three entries will receive commendations and the winner will receive a prize and be published in Word from the Head. Award-winning author Lucy Strange will judge the competition. Please see the attached slide for more details. For tips from Lucy Strange for writing historical fiction, you can also check out these short video tutorials.

This autumn, dive into the dark and mysterious world of Gothic fiction. Choose a Gothic novel filled with eerie settings, haunting characters, and spine-tingling twists — then create your very own chilling book trailer to bring it to life!

Your trailer should capture the atmosphere of the story and tempt others — staff and students alike — to read it… if they dare.

Deadline: Tuesday 18th November

Are you brave enough to take on the challenge?

The author Manjeet Mann did a talk for Year 8 about her new book Roar on Wednesday 1st October. She also launched a creative challenge to come up with a piece of work - e.g. artwork, poem, poster or video - that celebrates whatever gives you the confidence to speak up for positive change. The competition is open to anyone and the deadline is Monday 17th November. Please submit entries to librarydepartment@channing.co.uk.

Manjeet Mann has shared some creative writing prompts in case you would like help with starting a poem or other piece of creative writing.

Well done to everyone who entered the Riddle Poem Competiton! And congratulations to Lucy P in 7FD, Heidi M and Helena S in 8LV and  Ellie M in 9JB for their winning entries.

Once, with certainty, I was forever.
Now? Not so much.
I’ll hold your hand
Unless you don’t want me to.
Sometimes, I hold great value in your heart.
But to others I have none at all.

Ellie M (9JB)
Answer: A wedding ring

I follow you close but I don’t have a face;
I vanish at night without any trace,
But by morning light I’m back at your pace,
Always close to your foot’s embrace.

Heidi McAlevey and Helena Speedy (8LV)

Answer: A shadow

What only runs and never walks?
What only murmurs and never talks?
What has a bed, but doesn’t sleep?
What has a mouth, but doesn’t eat?

What can be full of life, but is not alive?
What can look deserted but be busier than a hive?
What is blue and green, and pink and red?
What can move and can be moved, but might be dead?

Lucy P (7FD)
Answer: A river