The chicken or the egg. What comes first, reading or writing? In this blog Ben Connor discusses how reading supports successful writing.

Has representation gone far enough? The short answer to that question is no, there’s a way to go yet. Progress has been made, and the issue of representation is firmly on the agenda, but the generally accepted concepts of reality, which are represented in children’s books, need to continue being pushed. The value lies not only in reflecting everyone’s reality, but in the opportunities for natural, explorative, curious dialogue that those representations provide – useful for those children who may need a voice, but also for widening children’s perspectives and understanding more generally. 

English provides young people with the key skills, expertise, knowledge, and understanding that they urgently need to successfully navigate the 21^st century and their own futures. And yet, there is no doubt that English as a subject is suffering in schools, colleges, and universities. In this blogpost Dr Rebecca Fisher shares how we can help to reignite a love of English and why this is so important.