English February 2026 Newsletter

Welcome to the English Department's February 2026 Newsletter

Year 11 Mocks and Revision

Year 11 students have been working incredibly hard over the last term as they prepare for their GCSE English examinations. Following the mock exams, students have received detailed, personalised feedback to help them identify strengths and target areas for improvement.
To further support revision, the department has created a wide range of accessible Loom revision videos, all available on the Year 11 English Revision Google Classroom. These videos cover:

All major set texts
Each question type across the reading and writing papers

In addition, we are running weekly online revision sessions every Tuesday from 4:00–5:00pm, with each session focusing on a different element of the exam.

Google Meet code: Englishrevision

All students are very welcome to attend, and we look forward to seeing them there.

Year 13 Mocks and Revision

Year 13 students have also been supported extensively as they prepare for their final
examinations. This has included:

Detailed feedback on mock examinations
Access to copies of marked papers
A growing bank of targeted revision resources

To complement this, we have launched a brand-new A-Level revision website, designed to centralise materials and support independent study:
https://sites.google.com/queens.herts.sch.uk/englishandclassicsa-level/classical-civilisation

Regal ‘Richard II’

On Thursday 29th January, a select group of A-Level students attended a striking modern production of Shakespeare’s ‘Richard II’, performed by UCL students at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London.
Brilliantly led by Mrs Goodman and Mrs Hodgson, the trip provided students with a valuable opportunity to see one of their set texts performed live. One student described the production as “phenomenal”, praising its bold and thought-provoking interpretation of this powerful Shakespearean tragedy.

Going Crackers for ‘A Christmas Carol’

On Wednesday 21st January, Year 10 students enjoyed a magical production of Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’. As a GCSE set text, this experience allowed students to see the novel brought vividly to life and to appreciate the many different ways a familiar story can be interpreted and transformed on stage.
The trip was expertly organised by Ms Kinshuck and proved to be a thoroughly enriching and enjoyable afternoon.

Vocabulous

Our Vocabulous programme continues to be extremely popular with Year 7 students. The programme focuses on developing students’ understanding of root words and morphology, enabling them to independently decode and understand more complex vocabulary. All Year 7 pupils have access to Vocabulous. Congratulations to 7TM, our current top-performing form, closely followed by 7TC — a fantastic effort!

What Shall I Read?

Each month, the English Department shares a KS3 recommended read and an adult read of the month. Our recommendations for January and February can be found below.