Mrs Gillian Attwood

Before I came to Sackville as Head of English I was running a large English department in a Comprehensive School in East Sussex.  My previous teaching experience has included working as a Head of Year in a selective school in Liverpool, when my husband’s work took us all to live on the Wirral. During our time there I was able to study for an MA in English Literature at Liverpool University, something I really enjoyed. Yes I can still write essays! 

I really enjoy teaching English because it offers so many opportunities to discuss so many important issues with the students as well as making sure they have the literacy skills needed for the complex world we live in.

I enjoy working here because I know all the children and am able to get to understand their learning styles and individual ways of seeing things.

I enjoy teaching A level students as we have a lot of choice on the current examination specification and study a great variety of texts, some well written non-fiction as well as novels, plays and poetry.  

At the moment I am making sure all the classes have a teacher in front of them, even when (rarely) their usual teacher cannot be with them.  

I have been very lucky in my life outside school. Even though my daughters are now all grown up we are great friends and we see them regularly. Two of them work in culture and the media and are always doing something exciting and stimulating. As Sevenoaks is near to London we are able to go to the theatre quite often and wander round art galleries and museums when the mood takes us.