During my first term at Westminster Academy, I was immediately struck by the warmth and openness of the English department. All the teachers spoke with such a compelling enthusiasm for literature and sense of discovery in their work and I knew this was the kind of ethos I wanted to work with. The diversity of the department’s approaches to teaching is an integral part of its popularity amongst students like myself. They address topics and authors pertinent to the period of study, complementing and expanding the knowledge gained through weekly reading, often acting as a point of departure for further inquiry. It is also a chance to observe academics in action, to watch how to present your ideas in a lucid and accessible manner.

Essays are naturally the most demanding part of the course. However, the time-structure is very manageable, and ultimately, writing an essay is a fantastic opportunity to learn how to creatively craft and formulate your opinions into a coherent, eloquent argument. During lessons we learn crucial skills needed for our futures; such as analytical skills, critical thinking, decision making and time management which are all learned through our essay writing and reading. As an IB English HL student, the course contains quite a lot of reading. We all thoroughly enjoy this as we get to learn about different cultures, global issues, wars, poverty, inequality, colonialism and much more. This course helps broaden our views on the world and show us what the media chooses to censor and hide thus creating a sense of morality.

My favourite of the texts we have studied is “Things Fall Apart” by author Chinua Achebe. It depicts pre-colonial life in the southeastern part of Nigeria and the invasion by Europeans during the late 19th century while also offering different perspectives to this. For example one of the main characters Okonkwo is extremely against colonialism and rigid in his views, however his son Nwoye freely embraces colonialism and abandons his roots and culture. This book is of extreme importance to our syllabus in my opinion since it shows us the damaging effects of colonialism and keeps it relevant in today's society.

I can genuinely say I have loved every minute and feel greatly privileged to have had the chance to study here. Beginning this course was inevitably challenging, but I learned that the more effort you invest, the more rewarding it becomes.