Trips and Workshops

Year 9s took the Elizabeth line to the National Theatre in Waterloo to see a production of Hamlet.

Next term, Year 9s will study this well-known Shakespearean tragedy in English so ending the term by experiencing the play as it was intended to be received - on stage - was a great way to introduce them to the Bard.

Year 9 sees Hamlet at the National Theatre

The latest research in Shakespeare studies shows that piquing young people's interest in his plays is successfully achieved by teaching them through a range of mediums and in a way which makes them relatable for students. This performance had students enthralled with bedazzling costumes and contemporary humour and songs while still retaining the language and key message of the original play.

It was also a great opportunity for students to learn to take the tube and navigate their way to the theatre in Central London. They were able to appreciate key landmarks along the way and take lots of pictures!

Year 11: Jekyll and Hyde at New Wimbledon Theatre

Year 11s visited New Wimbledon theatre, a stunning 100 year old venue, to see a performance of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. An exciting end to the term and a reward for their hard work, the students had a wonderful time seeing the Victorian world of the novella that they have been studying brought to life on stage, exploring themes of science, the supernatural and good versus evil.

The play was specifically targeted at year 11 students as part of ATG's 'Revision on Tour' series which uses theatre to facilitate revision of key GCSE Literature texts.

Year 10: The Shakespeare Globe comes to GNSA

The Globe actors brought the magic of Shakespeare to GNSA for a spectacular double-performance of Macbeth and An Inspector Calls. Students were captivated by the tyrannical king's misdeeds, the evil witches and the cunning Lady Macbeth. They were reduced to tears of laughter during the Porter's comic scene.

Students also thoroughly enjoyed J.B.Priestley's morality play, which they have studied in English this term.

Year 7

Year 7s are studying poetry from different cultures by John Agard, Grace Nichols, Imtiaz Dharker and other contemporary poets. They have also written their first essay, analysing an unseen poem in their assessment.

Year 8

Year 8s have been studying diverse poets. This term, the school was their classroom as they went on an adventure to find hidden clues on a poetry scavenger hunt to help comprehension and develop analytical skills.

Year 9

Year 9s have been learning how to compare poems and structure their ideas in their essays. They have also completed their first unseen poetry and comparative essay assessments in preparation for their GCSEs next year.

Year 10

Year 10s have been studying the GCSE text 'An Inspector Calls' this term. To learn the ways in which directors use theatrical techniques, they directed their own performances of the play.

Year 11

This has been an important term for Year 11, who have completed their second set of mock exams and are working on their main targets and polishing their exam skills for the summer. We're really proud of you!

KS5

A big well done to Years 12 and 13 for completing their mock exams. Now that they have identified gaps in their knowledge, they are currently working on their targets with their teachers.

World Book Day: Alice in Wonderland

Featuring Miss Knight as Alice, Miss Singh as the Red Queen, Mr Higgins as the White Rabbit, Ms Ashcroft as the Mad Hatter, Miss Rickards as the March Hare, Miss Parkes as the Chesshire Cat, Miss Downes as the Red Queen's guard and Miss Mistry and Miss Dhanju as Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

'I am British' - Amar, Year 8

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Abolishing the caste system (Year 8)

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English Speaking Union: Performing Shakespeare Competition: Round 2 - Angelina (Yr 9)

"On Wednesday 22, I went to Haberdashers Boys School to perform Act 1 Scene 5 of Macbeth for the ESU Shakespeare Monologue competition. It was an amazing experience, going there and performing something incredible to an audience and judges. There were two parts to the competition: the literacy part and the acting part. In the literacy part we were able to express our thoughts on our scene and why we chose it; in the acting part of it, we had to perform our scene with as much emotion and projection as possible. I was definitely nervous performing, but I don't regret doing it in the end. "

International Women's Day

Here is how we celebrated the achievement of women and raised awareness about misogyny:

Influential women

Aariz Mohammed, Year 7, delivered a presentation that he had prepared (based on his own independent research) on powerful female historical figures. He also included a quiz at the end to test his classmates. It is wonderful to see students learning outside the classroom and teaching their peers.

Gender stereotypes

To what extent have gender stereotypes changed since the 1950s?

Year 9s discussed the ways in which women are held back due to harmful stereotypes. Using persuasive language techniques, they wrote powerful speeches and took part in a gender debate in the classroom, where they also discussed the effects of male stereotypes too.

Sikh female figures

Strength and leadership are two traits which are rarely recognised and encouraged in women; here year 8s have done their own independent research and are teaching their peers about key female Sikh figures, why they are inspirational and the significant role they played in their religion.

Feminist fairytales

Traditional fairytales are redundant! At least when it comes to damsels in distress and princesses locked in towers. Delving into poet Nikita Gill's 'Fierce Fairytales', Year 8s found out why Tinkerbell quit anger management, how Cinderella misunderstood the meaning of kindness and why women who are presented as villains (like the evil stepmother) have their own stories to tell.