English

This module Year 7 have completed their study of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. They have thoroughly enjoyed the novel and many are now going to continue to read the rest of novels! 

Year 8 have been studying William Shakespeare's Macbeth and have enjoyed looking at the characters in detail. We have explored the themes of ambition and fate verses free will. 

Year 9 completed their study of William Shaskepeare's Julius Caesar. They have explored the character of Brutus and questioned if he was indeed "honourable". We have looked at rhetoric and linked this to present day governments. 

Year 10 have now completed their Literature content and have read Romeo and Juliet, Animal Farm, A Christmas Carol and studied Relationships poetry. Year 10 have also completed their spoken language endorsements with students producing fantastic presentations on controversial topics such as euthanasia, social media, beauty standards, genetic engineering and nuclear warfare. 

Year 7 have been studying Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Students created their own song in the style of the sorting hat . Theodora (Year 7, Curie 1) created a fabulous and magical song, she even weaved in our very own colleges!

'For three hundred and sixty four days
I sit silently upon a shelf
Gaze upon my battered self,
Until this night when first years come
to sit upon a three legged stool,
do my words proclaim to all
the sorting hat of the school!

Each September the first
it becomes my duty to place
this child who sits with a bewildered face...
My choices be four.
Shakespeare the brave
Put stock in the gallant
Curie so cunning, valued the purest of takent.
Mandela the wise and wanted the smartest.
Whilst Seacole the true, desired a dilifent artist.
But the importal four, certainly were not
So they gave me some brains to sort out the lot!

After they passed and left me behind
I was given a tash of sorting each kind.
So to Shakespeare I bring the bold and the brave.
To honourable Curie, the keenest I save.
For Mandela I leave the incredibly smart.
For the truest Seacole, the strongest in heart

At the end of the sorting
and the last student sat
I shall silence my lips and become merely a hat!'

Book Review from Janelle, Year 8

The Cruel Prince is the first book of the series "The Folk Of The Air" by Holly Black, a 2018 Fantasy Fiction series, based on Celtic folklore. 

The book is about a girl named Jude, who gets kidnapped from the ‘mortal world’ alongside her sisters to the ‘faerie world’ after finding out that their mother had an affair with the General from the faerie world. She meets one of the king’s princes, named Cardan. He is a cruel person who relishes the pain of others. They become rivals and face challenges together. One day, the king is murdered by his second eldest son (Balekin) and ends up attempting to steal the crown from the next in line (Prince Dain), who is secretly working with Jude as one of his spies, to help him keep the crown on his head. Dain's plan ends up going wrong when Balekin kills Dain too, leaving his spies trying to avenge him by making sure the crown doesn't touch the head of Balekin. Jude then comes up with her final plan, including the help of Cardan who finally gives himself in to her and her new secret plan, keeping the whole of Elfhame safe. 

Jude is a determined and resilient protagonist who will go to any extent in order to get what she wants, even if it means that she’ll have to harm her loved ones. 

I think the author has written Jude to grow a lot of character development as she starts off scared of the people around her, but still setting herself a goal, and ends up better than she imagined, stronger and more fearless. However, I think her flaw of fear holds her back throughout the book, leaving her less strong than she could've been, with her excellent skills in swordplay and her chance of almost becoming a knight working for the royal family. 

I enjoyed this book because it focuses on strong topics such as power and corruption, independence, courage and fear, and self-worth. I personally believe Jude is the best choice of a main character, as she seems to be the only one out of her two sisters feeling more left out and unworthy in a completely different world, whereas her twin accepts the situation and her older sister tries to ignore anything and everything going on around her. Jude ends up going through multiple near-death situations by her own peers, but still manages to keep her mind sharp, as we see near the ending of the book, saving the world of Elfhame. 

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books on courage, perseverance, fantasy, romance etc. If you enjoy this book, I can also recommend the "Shatter me" series by Tahereh Mari, about a girl who's born with a lethal touch, and kills anyone who touches her, and gets kidnapped by an organisation, who want to use her touch to take over the world. Both books can be found in the Leigh library!