Kartik - Year 10 Student Editor's Note: Written as part of his studies in English Language, the sense of threat and the lack of opportunity for escape comes across really strongly in this edited version of Kartik’s longer piece. The phrase ‘New Assignment’ may also strike fear in the hearts of those posting them during … Continue reading ‘New Assignment’: the evil, soul-destroying message
Spencer - Year 9 Student Editor's Note: Spencer (Year 9) wrote the following in response to pick-and-mix tasks consolidating two poems, one of which was Alfred, Lord Tennyson's famous 1854 narrative poem The Charge of the Light Brigade. Spencer's chosen task asked the students to turn the words shown below into another poem or a … Continue reading The Charge, crunched
GSAL English Department Editor's Note: Students in Year 11 have enjoyed a recent series of lessons on Desert Island Discs, delivered by Mr Morley. We thought that you might be interested to know that the BBC is looking for listeners to get involved in a new lockdown issue of the programme. Details from the BBC … Continue reading Your Desert Island Discs
Barnaby - Year 7 Student Editor's Note: This is a beautifully uplifting piece of writing Barnaby submitted as part of the BBC Radio 2 500 Words 2020 competition. KSH A year ago, I was in a classroom, collecting money for charity on the teacher’s desk. A month ago, I was storage for spare stationary. Today, … Continue reading Glass Jar
Oliver - Year 7 Student Editor's Note: Students were asked to complete the following creative writing task under timed conditions: 'Describe an old-fashioned room as suggested by the picture'. Oliver's response demonstrates some truly fantastic writing. ADM The room had a musty odour, evocative of grandparents’ houses - the type that makes you feel safe … Continue reading An Old-fashioned Room
Imogen - Year 12 Student Editor's Note: Following her first essay published in The GSAL Journal on 'How has warfare changed since WWII?', talented Year 12 student Imogen returns with this convincing essay written in response to the Newnham College (Cambridge) Modern & Medieval Languages Essay Prize. All female students currently in Year 12 at … Continue reading Supposing that everyone in the world really could speak English, would that mean that learning other languages was a waste of time?
Thabiso Mupfiga - Year 8 Student Editor's Note: As a Year 9 set text at GSAL, the famous novella 'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck will be familiar to many of you. However, this piece of writing by a student in Year 8 is truly exceptional: "I have NEVER in my 17 years of … Continue reading Breaking Down ‘Of Mice and Men’
Erin Fabbroni - Year 8 Student Editor's Note: This superb piece of writing was completed in response to a Year 8 English task to introduce a character within a recognisable genre. The text has not been edited from its original format. MJP Many years ago, thousands of years ago, there was a great planet. Many … Continue reading Dovek: The Last of his Kind
Alexandra Hall - Year 9 Student & 2008 Society Member 'The Man Who Couldn’t Stop' by David Adam I’ve often wondered if it’s just me who has a sudden urge to jump off a twenty-foot balcony, walk in front of a bus or punch a stranger in the face. Reassuringly, according to David Adam, the … Continue reading Book Review: The Man Who Couldn’t Stop
Leo Khan - Year 8 Student A poem by Leo Khan (Year 8), written in the style of renowned poet Benjamin Zephaniah. Author's note: Dr. Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah was born and he grew up in Birmingham. He was always writing or even making up poetry but this had nothing to do with school, where … Continue reading A GSAL Salad
The GSAL Journal 