In this episode, we explore Stave One of A Christmas Carol to support Year 9 students reading the novella independently. We unpack Dickens’ powerful introduction of Scrooge as a cold-hearted misanthrope, highlight his harsh attitudes to poverty, and examine his chilling encounter with Marley’s ghost. Perfect for helping you build confidence in understanding the opening of the novella and clarifying key moments as you read a stave per week.

In this second episode supporting your independent reading of A Christmas Carol, we take a close look at the key characters and the novella's essential themes: social responsibility, inequality and the possibility of redemption. Make sure you listen to the historical context episode before moving onto this one!

In this episode, we turn to Charles Dickens’ iconic moral tale of poverty, greed, and the transformative power of redemption. Use this episode alongside your reading of the novella to place A Christmas Carol within its broader historical context — helping you understand why Dickens hoped it would strike, in his own words, like a “sledgehammer blow” against social injustice and the moral blindness of the Victorian elite.

In this special episode, a number of Year 8 students share their poetry responding to the Grenfell Tower fire on 14th June, 2017. Thank you to everyone involved and particularly to those students who shared their responses.

In this episode, we explore Seamus Heaney’s The Road to Derry, tracing its depiction of political and personal conflict after Bloody Sunday. Through powerful imagery and restrained anger, Heaney transforms grief into quiet defiance. Use this episode to support your revision of conflict poetry ahead of your end-of-year exams.

🎙️ Ready to test your knowledge? This interactive revision quiz covers key Year 7 English topics — mythology, symbolism, inequality, and literacy skills. Listen, think, and answer — then check how you did! Perfect for practising generative revision and boosting long-term memory. Grab a pen or just listen along!

In this special episode of Study Sessions, we delve into Simon Armitage’s The Manhunt, a poignant exploration of the enduring impact of war on both soldiers and their loved ones. Narrated from the perspective of a soldier’s partner, the poem unfolds as a delicate journey through physical scars and psychological wounds, revealing how trauma reverberates beyond the battlefield. Make sure this episode features in your exam revision ahead of your end-of-year English exams in June.

In this episode, we explore Jack Merridew’s transformation in Lord of the Flies, tracing his evolution from head boy to savage chief. Through close analysis of key quotations, we uncover how Golding uses Jack to examine power, violence, fear, and the fragility of civilisation.

In this episode, focusing specifically on Year 7's end-of-year assessment, we look at Section C of the paper: the Victorian workhouse description. Use this podcast in conjunction with your exam preparation booklet and Mrs Fallon's in-person deconstruction of the task to ensure effective, successful revision!

In this episode, we delve into Jessie Pope’s 1915 poem "Who's for the Game?", a piece that epitomizes early World War I propaganda. We explore how Pope's use of sports metaphors and rhetorical devices served to encourage enlistment, presenting war as an exhilarating challenge. Through a detailed analysis of the poem's title and key lines, we examine the persuasive techniques employed and the poem's impact on its contemporary audience. Make sure this episode forms part of your revision and preparation for your end-of-year exams in English!