In these interesting and problematic times, our students have been making the most of the cultural delights that have been provided by some of the finest theatre companies in the world.
To build on their study of Romeo and Juliet, Year 8 students have been treated to a mix of different performances of the infamous Shakespearean tragedy.
This has included the dialogue-free ballet version set to Tchaikovsky’s fabled score, which elicited some very thoughtful and clever responses in their work.
The Globe Theatre version came next and students were able to gain a clear idea of Shakespeare’s work performed as a dramatic production in the unique historic playing conditions of the replica theatre.
Meanwhile, Year 10 and 11 have been getting to grips with the online British Library resources and using the wealth of information that’s available to broaden their minds and understanding of the GCSE topics they’re studying.
In preparation for their A Level courses that are due to start in September, Year 11 engaged in the much-acclaimed National Theatre production of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
And for something different, Year 8 students literally became fully immersed in their learning. To get into the right psychological frame of mind, they were tasked with digging holes in their gardens to support their work on Louis Sachar’s seminal novel ‘Holes’.
The novel explores the harsh conditions in a Texan children’s correctional facility and portrays children digging holes in the merciless Texan sun. So, by digging holes, students got a little taste of the hardships depicted in the book.
Elsewhere in the department, English teacher, Mrs Bradburn has found that students have been very enthusiastic about descriptive writing and penning their own poetry.
She states that reading has also been key and the school’s decision to fund the myON platform has certainly paid off. With unlimited access to the extensive digital library, pupils can read as many books as they wish.
Mrs Bradburn commented: “I’m using websites like myON a lot to set reading tasks, which has been working well with all year groups.”
“It’s really nice to see students motivated to read as it’s such an important part of their education.”
She also praised Year 8 for their work on the book ‘Holes’: “The students are developing a good understanding of the characters and themes, and the level of detail that some are providing in their answers is fantastic.”
So, despite the school being physically closed to most students, culture and creativity is still going strong at Bridgnorth Endowed.
