The English Block Project by Miss Olivia
“This was honestly the best and most fun project, as well as the only project I have done that requires me to build something instead of writing an essay. If I had to choose the most fun part, it was seeing how it came together.“
– by Hein, Year 7
It’s another sunny morning and as I sit at my desk there is a blue billboard-size board stumbling towards my classroom door. It’s being carried by three students, their faces obscured by the sheer size of their burden.
“Hi Miss,” chirps a cheery voice from behind the board. I recognise the voice as that of Mohamed Baiomy in Year 8.
“This” he proudly announces as he steps from behind the board, “is part of my English Block Project”.
I take a moment to survey the piece. It’s an impressive handmade quiz board, bearing the title ‘Quiztopia’ embossed across the top in white wooden letters.
“The ‘z’ is deliberately backwards,” Mohamed informs me, leaning in to whisper, “because, you know – it’s dystopian.”
Diorama by a Year 8 student inspired by our study of Crime and Detective fiction
Mohamed is one of almost 100 students in KS3 who submitted an English Block Project. Over the course of 5 weeks, KS3 students had the opportunity to further explore a theme, genre, character or symbol that they’d been inspired by this year in English. Students were able to participate individually or as a group. Submissions included, songs, short stories, costumes, fully-bound books, paintings, dioramas, short films, plays, and of course, Mohamed’s 3 episode quiz series that tested Year 8 students on their knowledge of dystopian fiction. Other noteworthy submissions include Abdelrahman Omera’s costume inspired by the unseen murder of King Duncan in Macbeth (Year 9), Ghena Aldiab’s diorama of a murder scene investigation (Year 9). Yasmina Qizalbash and Anna Nikunen’s dystopian short film ‘Death Strand’ (Year 8). Ognyan Simeonov’s novel ‘The Second Dimension’ (Year 7), Anaya Lotze’s dangerously good fantasy quest short story (Year 7) and Artem Posokhov’s innovative agony-aunt-inspired project ‘Letters to Harry Potter’ (Year 7).
Work by a Year 7 student inspired by our study of literary cartography and Fantasy novels
“It was really fun to spend five weeks doing this play. I had a great time working on it, it was a really fun way to learn more about writing scripts and improve my understanding on the ‘masquerade’ theme in comedy.“
– by Nicoletta, Year 7
The idea for the English Block Project was inspired by some of the revelations from Setting the Standard for Project-Based Learning by John Larmer, John R. Mergendoller, and Suzie Boss who note that when students are working on projects through mediums or perspectives that interest them, they become better critical thinkers, more intrinsically motivated and deepen their understanding. One of the things that is the most powerful about English as a subject is the way it interacts across disciplines. Fantasy maps like that of J. R. R Tolkien intersect with Geography, set-building for theatre productions interacts with Design and Technology and costume design interacts with Textiles and Fashion. English creates a plethora of roles in different industries, television and film, marketing and publishing, to name but a few. I love the way this project has seen students interact with my subject through mediums that bring them genuine joy and through connecting with their friends. They’ve actively participated in bringing the stories we’ve studied to life.
An acrylic painting by a Year 9 student inspired by the witches from Macbeth
“For my EBP I chose to make a costume inspired by The Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen, as the author had persuaded me with her wonderful characterisation. I spent about 4-5 weeks on this project, making my design in the library and at home. I had a very fun time designing and making this costume. I learnt lots from this!“
– by Jayashree, Year 8
A selection of masks designed and made by Year 7 students as props for their masquerade ball themed comedy sketches inspired by Much Ado About Nothing
When Mohamed and his classmates proudly unveiled ‘Quiztopia,’ it wasn’t just a display of their academic enthusiasm, it was a testament to their growing confidence and belief in their creative voices. Through the process of conceptualising, designing, and presenting their projects, they’ve learned to trust in their own abilities and embrace the value of their unique perspectives. Each project has become a platform for students to showcase their talents and assert their presence in the academic landscape.
As we begin wind-down this school year, I’m immensely proud of our students’ growth and achievements. I have no doubt that they will continue to shine brightly, armed with the knowledge, skills, and unwavering confidence to navigate whatever challenges lie ahead.
“We really enjoyed making this story and seeing how potentially the school system can be in a dystopian setting. We dove deeper into dystopian literature by finding information about different books and movies. I, Adrian, personally learned about how many different possible ideas there could be in one genre. And I, Mahmood, learned that I can be creative and have a big imagination when doing the things I love.“
– by Adrian and Mahmoud, Year 8
