English department

Students from Key Stage 3, assisted by directors in the Sixth Form, rehearsed and performed The Merchant of Venice as part of the national Shakespeare Schools Festival. By including a range of students from different ability ranges, including Gifted and Talented and Special Educational Needs, we successfully engaged the whole of Year 8 in a vibrant performance at school, before taking it to the stage in Hammersmith’s Riverside Studios. After visiting the Globe Theatre to get a glimpse of Shakespeare’s stage, many students have returned to join in 2010-11’s Shakespeare project.

The Carnegie Shadowing Scheme proved to be massively popular, with over 30 students, including lots of boys, following the shortlist of books before making a final choice as to their favourite. They didn’t go with the judges’ selection, but all enjoyed the challenge of reading something new, and discussing it with fellow bookworms.

Teachers, too, have enjoyed the opportunity to think more about their own creative skills, as we researched and discussed writing workshops, identifying our strengths and weaknesses, and how being inspired ourselves can help to inject even more enthusiasm into our teaching across key stages. This has had a special impact on AS Level with WJEC, where the students produce a creative response.

The Heathland School is an 11-18 co-educational community comprehensive school, located in Hounslow, London with around 1,800 pupils.