English

The English Department at Ellesmere fosters creativity, scholarship and the arts of reading and writing for pleasure. Novelist, Holly Howitt, Professor of English Literature, Oliver Hennessey or any member of the current Year 9 Kindle Club would bear witness to the stimulation and excitement they have experienced in the course of their studies at Ellesmere.

In oral communication too, the English Department has a long and proud history of success. An Old Ellesmerian studying at Birmingham University recently reported: "The English Speaking Board examination I did in the Sixth Form at Ellesmere was one of the most important elements of my preparation for higher education."

The list of Ellesmerians taking first and postgraduate degrees in English Literature grows with every generation of Sixth Formers which passes through, but this is by no means the only measure of the Department's success. Those who arrive at Ellesmere lacking confidence in their abilities but who leave with the skills to support their continuing development and the confidence to communicate their ideas effectively are equally reliable indicators of the Department's energy and commitment.