A-level students at Castle Rushen High School are among the first across the British Isles to be studying creative writing.
It’s the first time that exam board AQA has offered the course, and this year six Castle Rushen students have started studying it.
Head of English Nicola Kennedy said: ‘The profile of students coming into sixth form has changed over recent years. We found some of the A-level qualifications weren’t that desirable to them anymore. Some courses are very traditional and academic and that doesn’t necessarily suit all students coming back to us.’
She said staff were also keen to offer something more creative in the English department. And that assessment being divided between coursework (60 per cent) and exam (40 per cent) suited some students better than purely exam-based assessment.
The coursework element involves creating writing in forms including poetry, scripts, short stories and extracts of novels.
While the exam will test students’ ability to write to a particular remit and deadline based around the world of work.
It could include a restaurant review for a magazine or the details for a house on sale.
There are no set texts which means that staff have the flexibility to take into account students’ interests.
Learning is mainly through workshops and students will also go on a number of off-site visits to gain inspiration and find out about different workplaces using creative writing.
In fact, the students will soon be going on the poetry trail in Douglas as part of Manx Litfest.
It’s also hoped that a range of guests will speak to the students about their work.
Skills they will gain include drafting and editing, expressing themselves and their ideas independently, reflecting critically on their work, and giving and receiving feedback.
Mrs Kennedy said: ‘The skills involved here are applicable in most workplaces students might end up in.’
