As part of their GCSE English curriculum, Year 10 students are currently studying a range of poetry from 1900 onwards focused on the themes of ‘Power and Conflict’. Students in 10En Hardy have been exploring the poems through student-led discussion circles, helping them engage more deeply before moving on to teacher-led annotation and analysis.

Each new poem begins with a student-led discussion, giving pupils the space to share first impressions and explore meanings collaboratively. Roles are assigned to help structure the discussion: a Discussion Host leads the conversation, a Summariser feeds back key points at the end, and a Talk Detective observes group interaction. The teacher listens in from the outside, allowing the students to take the lead.

To support these sessions, students co-created a set of discussion guidelines:

• One voice
• Step up and share
• Everyone speaks – invite others in
• Keep it respectful and professional
• ‘Thumbs in’ to speak

This structure has helped create a respectful environment where all students are encouraged to contribute.

Over time, students have grown more confident in expressing their ideas, asking thoughtful questions, and grappling with ambiguity in the poems they study. Their analytical thinking is developing, and so too are their communication and collaboration skills – valuable tools both in and beyond the classroom.