On Friday 26th November 2021, Professor Willis from Cardiff University, led an exciting and insightful seminar for some of our Year 10 pupils about 'A Christmas Carol' and the context surrounding the novella. 

The seminar discussed Dickens' motivations for writing 'A Christmas Carol', how Christmas is represented within the text, the Victorian Christmas 'come-back', the first Christmas card, the evolution of Santa Claus (and his connection to the Ghost of Christmas Present!) and a close reading and discussion of key passages from the text.

Our pupils were thoroughly engaged, motivated by Professor Willis' expertise they shared their own initial thoughts about the text, discussed the meaning of Christmas and why this text is still important today. 

Our Year 10s wrote many important notes throughout the seminar - which will help 'springboard' their understanding of one of their Literature GCSE exam texts.

We look forward to more opportunities working alongside Cardiff University and Professor Willis in the future, to help further inspire, motivate, and create a greater sense of aspiration within our fantastic pupils, continuing to enrich their learning journey.

Well done Year 10 - and thank you Professor Willis!