We are incredibly proud of the outstanding achievements of our students in this year’s Young Writers Awards. Competing against talented pupils from across the entire North East region, our students showcased exceptional creativity and linguistic flair.

A special congratulations goes to our prize winners: Violet who was a runner up and Madeline who won the overall prize in the poetry category. Their evocative pieces centered on the theme of ‘Other Worlds’—capturing the imagination of the judging panel, which consisted of established professional writers.

Selected Year 10 students recently took part in a War Poetry Masterclass led by Major General (rtd) Professor Tim Hodgetts, former Surgeon General of the UK Armed Forces. His extensive experience across major conflict zones brought a level of authenticity and credibility that made this a genuinely powerful learning experience.

Through sharing his own poetry, Tim worked with students to explore meaning, themes and emotional impact. What stood out was the way he connected each poem to real moments from his career, helping students to understand the realities behind the ideas they encounter in the classroom. This enabled students to engage with complex concepts such as conflict, trauma and moral decision-making in a way that felt both relevant and meaningful.

Students made strong links to the conflict poetry they study as part of their English GCSE, particularly in understanding authorial intent and the purpose of poetry as a response to human experience. The session supported them to move beyond surface-level analysis, developing a more thoughtful and mature interpretation of the texts they study.

This kind of opportunity reflects our wider commitment to providing a rich and ambitious curriculum, where students encounter subject content in meaningful and memorable ways. It also sits within our work as part of the National Year of Reading, reinforcing the importance of reading as a way to engage with real-world experiences, broaden perspectives and deepen understanding.

Students left with not only a stronger grasp of their GCSE content, but a clearer sense of why literature matters.

We are very grateful to Tim for giving his time and sharing his experiences to the benefit our students.