Year 11s hear from inspirational author

Author Alex Wheatle, winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, gave a special assembly talk to Year 11 students on Friday 24th January.

Wheatle is the author of several novels, some of them set in Brixton, where he grew up. His novels include Brixton Rock (1999) and Straight Outta Crongton (2017). One of his novels, Crongton Knights is currently being turned into a play by the same theatre company that adapted Malorie Blackman's Noughts and Crosses.

Wheatle’s life story, with a background involving time in social care and prison, demonstrated to students the power of resilience and overcoming hardship to find your talent and achieve your potential in life.

Ms Keenan, Head of English, said, "Alex Wheatle's visit was perfect timing, just after Parents' Evening when students received their PPE results, as a reminder that adversity can be overcome and that the power of language and literature can transform lives. I hope that students were able to reconnect with the purpose of reading not just as a passport to success in exams, but as a passport to other worlds, to creativity and connection with others, and to many opportunities in life beyond school."