Our girls take inspiration from many people and role models in society, and this often shapes their work and especially their creativity. Read our blog post by Aminah in Year 10.

According to Dictionary.com, the people’s choice for word of the year for 2020 was ‘unprecedented’. Quite fitting for a year rife with division and uncertainty and it’s safe to say that a presidential election did nothing less than cause more civil unrest. Amanda Gorman’s poem promoted unity in a very much torn society. She managed to bring together all corners of the US and make a few Hamilton references along the way (which my friends and I could appreciate). At 22, Amanda has set a path that many can aspire to follow as she said, “a skinny black girl … can dream of becoming president”, and expresses awe at being able to recite for one. Amanda sets a high bar for those around her but simultaneously instils hope into those that wish to follow their dreams as well.

Poem Inspiration

Following the inauguration and having seen what can be achieved by professionals, my English class took on the challenge of continuously crafting a poem on the topic of unity. Gorman’s poem makes excellent use of subtle rhyme and the effect that this has on her delivery and poem as a whole is astronomical: it takes a monologue-esque approach to convey a very relevant message. In my poem, ‘A Matter of Identity’, I intended to comment on unity in a way that resonates with me. The topic of identity immediately springs to mind as such a derisive thing in society today and in the lives of people of foreign descent living in Britain. A lot of inspiration was taken from the works of various slam poets who tend to take strongly opinionated stances on political and personal issues.

Guided Home Learning (GHL)

Even in a pandemic, creativity is ennobled and enhanced. In GHL, time that would be spent commuting can be used for extracurricular activities and the school has done its best to keep lessons fun and engaging. In a personalized environment, ideas flow freely and with teacher support, the limits to what we can do are stretched and reshaped to foster a new kind of learning, though hopefully temporary.