On Wednesday 5 October, more than 70 Year 8 students attended Aspire Club led by the English Department.

Miss Fones led a session on different ways of interpreting the same text. She began by using a headline about Britain’s hot summer, which most students thought was bad news. However, they changed their minds when seeing it from the perspective of a businessman selling cooling systems or a family who would not have been able to afford a holiday abroad.

They were then given an A Level English Literature task: using an extract from a novel by Charles Dickens, they were divided into groups to interpret it from either a Christian, Feminist or Marxist perspective.

Guided by four Year 13 students, they were thoroughly engaged in this challenging activity. Despite having only a short time to prepare, a representative from each group presented their ideas with clarity and confidence. It was a stimulating way to learn to be a bit more critical of anything they read, whilst appreciating different opinions.

The next Aspire Club will be led by the Science Department on Wednesday 16 November.