Pupils have been making great progress in writing news articles alongside their study of Animal Farm by George Orwell. This combination has helped them not only understand the novel’s key themes, such as power, propaganda and control, but also develop their skills in journalistic writing.
Using major events from the book—like the Rebellion, the Battle of the Cowshed, and Napoleon’s rise to power – pupils have been turning fiction into fact-based news reports. This task has encouraged them to think carefully about perspective, bias, and how information is presented to different audiences. It’s also given them the chance to explore how language can be used to influence people’s opinions, something Orwell was clearly concerned with.
Many pupils have enjoyed writing as reporters, either from the point of view of animals on the farm or as outside journalists looking in. This creative angle has helped them engage more deeply with the text and think critically about what’s really going on in the story. Some have even picked up on the irony and satire in Orwell’s writing, using it to add humour or tension to their own work.
Overall, combining news writing with the study of Animal Farm has been a really effective way to build both analytical and creative skills. Pupils have shown a strong understanding of the novel and produced some thoughtful, imaginative articles that demonstrate real progress in their writing.
Well done to these pupils!
