Joining a Year 11 English lesson this week I found myself immersed in the world of Scrooge. Our GCSE English gains students two GCSEs: one in English Language and the other in English Literature. Throughout the two years students analyse novels, poetry, drama and creative writing. Dickens A Christmas Carol being one of the set texts. Famous for his catchphrase ‘Bah! Humbug!’ Scrooge has become a familiar character in most families over recent years. Described early on in the novel by Dickens as a shrewd, shrivelled and cold natured being he is gradually transformed towards the end of the novella into a more amenable man.

Not only were these Year 11 students developing their reading skills the lesson was focused around refining their verbal communication skills alongside that of examination technique.

The class added depth to the novel’s content through encouraging students to write in both expressive and formal ways, through learning how to analyse Dickens’ use of language in his presentation of the character of Scrooge. As I watched the lesson, student confidence grew and the sophistication of their discussion increased as the challenge of the questions posed by the teacher scaffolded their understanding of A Christmas Carol to a higher level. A central aim within our English department is to help our students to become confident communicators in today’s competitive society and this was evident in the lesson I joined.