Staff at one of London’s top private schools, Alleyn’s School in Dulwich, have introduced a range of new books to their curriculum as part of a ‘genuine diversification’ of the material. A diverse line-up of titles were actually introduced three years ago in 2022, however, criticism from Katharine Birbalsingh, often dubbed Britain’s strictest headteacher, has bought the topic back into the news cycle.
Alongside classic works by Shakespeare that have long been a staple of the English curriculum in schools across the country, students at Alleyn’s School will also read a range of works including those by Octavia Butler, Emmeline Pankhurst, Maya Angelou, Imtiaz Dharker, Edna St Vincent Millay, Greta Thunberg, Oprah Winfrey, Audrey Niffenegger and others.
Kae Tempest’s spoken-word album Let Them Eat Chaos, is the first text by a non-binary author that the school have included in their A level curriculum. A year 9 anthology of writing also includes LGBTQ+ authors such as Radclyffe Hall, and work by the Irish drag queen and gay rights activist, Rory O’Neill AKA Panti Bliss. Students also have the chance to study Queer Theory and queer readings of A Level texts such as Dracula in Years 12 and 13.
Writing in the blog, the now-former headteacher for the school, Alex Smith, who first introduced these changes said: “For the last five years, the Alleyn’s English department have been committed to a thorough and ongoing overhaul and genuine diversification of our English curriculum in the hope that every child will come to see themselves, and the rich and varied world around them, represented in the texts they study and that, by doing so, they will be equipped with the empathy and confidence to challenge and dismantle sexism, racism, homophobia — indeed, discrimination of any kind — when they encounter it.
“It is vital that we listen to and keep learning from our pupils about how they wish to be represented within the curriculum. This is why we asked our pupil bodies, including our Minority Student Union, for their reflections on their experiences of studying English at Alleyn’s and we will continue to consult and respond to feedback from pupils and parents as our work continues.”
Panti Bliss
In a conference just last week, however, Katharine Birbalsingh questioned why themes such as racism and sexism were being prioritised in classroom discussions of Shakespeare. While she did not mention Alleyn by name, she reportedly referred to a top London school who she claimed had: “abandoned all Shakespeare” in favour of works by the Irish drag artist “Panti Bliss.”
Panti Bliss who penned the memoir Woman in the Making, has clapped back against the claims that her work is replacing Shakespeare.
Writing on Bluesky, she said: “This is the second time this woman (“Britain’s strictest head teacher”) has claimed there’s a secret school in London she won’t name that has replaced Shakespeare with me. It’s complete bullshit of course but why’s she so obsessed with me.”
Shakespeare, in fact, remains on Alleyn’s curriculum, opening new conversations such as exploring ideas about the effects and inherent problems of colonialism in The Tempest, and the toxicity of Macbeth’s masculinity.
