HSDC is celebrating a fantastic year for its English Literature department, with excellent outcomes across the board and a rich, student-centred learning culture that has proved instrumental in shaping our learners into confident, articulate and well-prepared young people.
The College’s most recent Ofsted report paid specific attention to the purposeful and supportive environment at HSDC in which learners “feel part of a caring college community” and benefit immensely from lessons that “bring activity to life” through contextual relevance and real experiences. The English Literature department at Havant is the embodiment of this comment.
The department’s most recent A Level results from August 2025 are a testament to the aspirational and enriching community at Havant, with English Literature students recording a flawless 100% pass rate. As well as this, 53% of students achieved high grades of A*-B, whilst an incredible 1 in 4 recorded the top grades of A*/A.
These results are evidence of HSDC’s culture of ambition and quality that is fostered through engaging teaching and the promotion of independence.
A standout feature of English Literature’s holistic offer at Havant is its involvement in HSDC’s high-profile partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). As one of the RSC’s Lead Associate Schools, HSDC not only works to bring Shakespeare to young people and secondary schools across the region, but also enriches the teaching methods and learning of its own college community.
The poster for the RSC’s production of King Lear, which had exclusive performances at Havant Campus and Alton College.
As part of this partnership, Havant’s English Literature department is able to benefit from CPD masterclasses led by RSC artists, and masterclasses that build performance literacy. This ensures that teaching staff are equipped with the RSC’s pedagogy and are able to pass on this experience and expertise to their students.
English Literature students are also able to get involved in regular RSC projects, enriching their learning and providing them with invaluable and engaging learning experiences. Last term, the RSC visited Havant Campus for an exclusive performance of The Bard’s seminal tragedy, King Lear. This experience provided these English Literature students with a first-hand opportunity to see a Shakespeare play in action, performed by highly skilled actors and actresses.
In April, these students are embarking on a trip to Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon to take part in a bespoke RSC workshop, and to watch a play at the RSC’s very own theatre.
These experiences in the English department align with HSDC’s emphasis on industry engagement and student enrichment, with the RSC partnership transforming literature into a living art form, where A Level students can explore texts with confidence and creativity.
Pete Budd, Assistant Principal for Curriculum at Havant, and a teacher of English Literature, spoke very highly of the department’s recent successes:
“’We are very proud of our English Literature students’ achievements at Havant. We have a very experienced teaching team, and look for ways to develop our teaching and ensure students are well-prepared for their exams. We also give students real independence for their NEA (coursework) essays, allowing them to choose their texts and critical approaches, helping them to develop their analytical and interpretative skills. Teaching A level English Literature is an absolute joy: we love how our students engage with their learning – and how they always make us think about the texts in new ways!”
The success of Havant’s English Literature department is reflective of HSDC’s broader strengths – fantastic student outcomes, enriching experiences both in and outside of the classroom, and a supportive learning environment bolstered by expert teaching.
With strong institutional foundations, an ambitious direction and a culture that champions the potential of every student, the English Literature department, and College as a whole, is well positioned for even greater success in the years ahead.