We were delighted to host the GDST English Symposium at Wimbledon High School on 4 June 2026, welcoming colleagues and students from 12 GDST schools for a rich and inspiring day of discussion and celebration of literature.
The symposium was opened by Head Fionnuala Kennedy who set the tone for a day centred on intellectual curiosity and the enduring importance of English as a subject.
We were honoured to welcome two outstanding keynote speakers. Barbara Bleiman delivered a thought-provoking address on The Value of Literature, highlighting the vital role of reading and critical engagement in today’s world. Professor John Mullan (UCL) explored a range of lesser-known nineteenth-century texts, from The Castle of Otranto and The Mysteries of Udolpho to The Monk and Villette, offering fresh perspectives to students.
The programme featured a range of speakers and topics included Black writing and urban space (Dr Joe Jackson, University of Nottingham), renaissance women and literary criticism (Dr Elizabeth Scott-Baumann, King’s College London), and the power of creative writing in schools (Clare Rodliffe, Redmaids’ High School).
Colleagues also shared innovative classroom practice and subject expertise, including a session on global cinematic reimaginings of Shakespeare (Tristan Daws, Wimbledon) and Blake and Newton’s “sleep” to the provocative question of saints, bodies and myth in literature.
A particular highlight of the day was the opportunity for collaboration across the GDST network. Teachers and students from the 12 schools took part in lively breakout sessions. The student panel explored why English as a subject continues to matter and discussions emphasised the subject’s role in developing critical thinking, empathy and communication skills, as well as its importance in helping young people understand different perspectives and navigate an increasingly complex world. As one student commented:
(The study of English) opens your eyes to the world through giving you the chance to explore different perspectives. It allows you to gain a deeper level of empathy and understanding, and it is relevant within society all over the world and gives people a voice to express their ideas.
Thank you to all our external speakers and also those from across the GDST network – from Norwich, Oxford, Streatham & Clapham, Portsmouth, Putney, Bromley, Wimbledon, Northwood, Redmaids’, Croydon, South Hampstead and Sutton and of course all the students for making it such a stimulating event.
Storytelling is the basis of English Literature, and fundamental to human connection through empathy and understanding. With even Oxbridge English Literature students depleting, the future of storytelling through language is being diminished. Without a deep understanding of an individual’s self and others around them, our ability to relate to others is lessening. Both human and journalistic integrity is becoming more and more important with the prevalence of AI, and the search for true identity is essential to the human experience.
