15 WINTER NEWSLETTER 2025 ENGLISH Year 7 Students Dive Into Darkside and Discover a Love for Literature This year, our Year 7 students kicked off their academic journey with the thrilling pages of Darkside by Tom Becker. As they followed the mysterious adventures of the main character, they not only enjoyed an exciting story but also discovered the magic of reading for pleasure. With its gripping plot and immersive world, Darkside sparked a newfound passion for literature, leading them seamlessly into the thought-provoking world of Lord of the Flies. We’re excited to see where their love of reading will take them next! This is what some of our Year 7 students had to say about Darkside: “It was a thrilling book and I loved the mystery of it” - Lenni L “My favourite character was Ricky Thomas because he was good at escaping difficult situations” - Sam D “I liked the ending because it made me want to read the second book” - Alesha M Year 8 Students Explore the Gripping World of Sawbones and Cultivate a Love for Reading Year 8 students began their year with the dark and thrilling pages of Sawbones by Catherine Johnson. As they followed the intense and suspenseful journey of the main character, they not only found themselves immersed in a captivating story but also developed a deeper appreciation for reading for pleasure. Sawbones sparked a passion for literature that has carried them forward into new and exciting literary worlds. We’re thrilled to see how their love for reading continues to unfold throughout the year! This is what some of our Year 8 students had to say about Sawbones: “I love the mysterious thrill because it kept me hooked the whole way through” - Khadijah B “Ezra McAdam was my favourite character because he was the hero and a brilliant surgeon” - Niall B “I loved that the book was full of plot twists” - Pippa B “The book was very intriguing, especially at the death of one of the characters”! - Dylan B “The story was so interesting it made me want to read the next book” - Harley M Year 9 Students Dive Into The Hunger Games and Ignite a Passion for Reading Year 9 students kicked off their year with Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, a fast-paced, gripping dystopian adventure that kept them hooked from beginning to end. As they followed Katniss Everdeen’s fight for survival, they not only enjoyed a thrilling narrative but also discovered the deeper power of storytelling. This sparked a love for reading that has since transported them to the world of Oliver Twist, where they explore themes of hardship, resilience and social justice. We can’t wait to see where their literary journey will take them next! This is what some of our Year 9 students had to say about The Hunger Games: “I was very interested in the story because I like Dystopian fiction” - Leo H “My favourite character is Haymitch because he’s crazy!” - Olly I “My favourite scene from the book was when Katniss covered Rue with the leaves” - Erin O “My favourite scene was when Rue helped Katniss throw the wasp’s nest on the careers” - Jude H 500 Word Competition Our Year 7s showed off their creative writing skills by planning and writing a 500 word story in their English lessons. The BBC competition is aimed at children up to 11 years old, so alongside that, we ran our own version of ‘Thornleigh Has Writing Talent’ to include the 12 year olds in Year 7. Congratulations to Jorgie B who won the internal contest. She was presented with a £20 Amazon voucher at chapel assembly for her story, ‘The School Girl’. It was a lovely tale, showing great character development and a sense of drama. Well done to our runners up too. Bella C’s ‘The Deep Dark Forest’ and Lydia S’s ‘Jungle’ stories earned them each a £10 Amazon voucher. Thank you to all the students who took part - we enjoyed reading each and every entry. Best of luck to those who were able to take part in the main BBC competition. 50 finalists will be invited to a grand finale at Windsor Castle in February 2026, which will be hosted by Her Majesty Queen Camilla. Each winner will take home a massive bundle of books and the gold winners will also win 500 books for their school library. Great work Year 7 and fingers crossed we can bring you an update from the Palace in the new year…
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