Stephen Kelman - Pigeon English Visit

It is not often that we are able to praise and applaud our young people's use of social media, but when our curious Y10 Gabriel Campos Niza tweeted GCSE set text author Stephen Kelman the results certainly didn't kill the cat!

Instead the resulting tweeting between Stephen (author of the highly acclaimed and Man Booker Prize shortlisted book 'Pigeon English') and Gabriel led to an incredible visit by Stephen to our school and KS4 community. Stephen was interviewed by Miss Lynch in an incredible assembly first for Y10, and then for Y11 who listened intently and got to pose their own questions to the author of their GCSE Modern Text (a text that has helped achieve much exam success for our KS4, with 25% of students last year gaining grades 7-9 in English Literature)which accounts for 20% of their entire GCSE award.

The day ended with a very special study session for a group of 30 of our Year 11 who were treated to an incredible session led by Stephen who explained some of his creative choices and symbols used in the book.

It is not every day that we are able to welcome an author of a text studied at GCSE, and we were incredibly lucky to have Stephen fly in to our nest at St. Augustine's.