Our English department is successful, creative and constantly exploring new ways to make sure that our students excel. Since joining us in 2011, Miss Larkin has thoroughly embraced this ethos; she has made a huge contribution to the development of the department, and a big impression on her students too. Last term, she was appointed as Assistant Director of Learning for English.

In one of her recent initiatives, students in Year 8 wrote heartfelt poems based on their personal views of war and conflict. These were then collated in a scrap book, which will be delivered to members of the forces who are recuperating in hospital. We hope that reading the poems will help to boost moral and reassure our soldiers that their efforts are very much appreciated.

To increase understanding, Miss Larkin chose to explore war poetry from World War I and II alongside modern poetry relating to Afghanistan and Iraq. This helped students to evoke emotion in their writing.

She explains: "Writing poetry can be a challenge but the results have been outstanding. Knowing that their work has a purpose has been a real incentive for students. Their poems show great empathy and many demonstrate a level of maturity far beyond their years. A friend of mine will be delivering the book personally when he returns from deployment."