Byron Voice
Friday 24 November
This week in Byron Voice, sterling contributions from our Sixth Formers! Our first contribution from Petros and Antony in Year 12 commemorates Remembrance Day with a powerful evocation of life and death in the trenches of World War One. It serves as a powerful companion-piece to our study of Edward Thomas's sonnet 'Rain' in Year 11 Literature, also featured here.
In his in-depth article, Steven (Year 12) takes on the world of big tech and questions the ethics behind the sector's runaway development and lack of regulation, especially as pertaining to AI.
Nick and Rayhan in Year 12 share their 8 greatest albums of all time, applying a keen ear both to the immense cultural impact of these milestone works and their emotive significance for millions. Have a read - then take a listen!
Friday 10 November
We are delighted to announce that Byron Voice, our magazine and creative writing showcase, is resuming for the academic year - this time in social media format!
Take a look back in time to see some of the sterling work published in previous issues across the Secondary school - and watch this space for new content fortnightly!
Byron Voice Issue 9 now live!
What do the following all have in common: a flamingo, a black cat, a golden retriever, and a creature that is half-hippo, half-man? Or a mango, a raindrop, the forest and the sea?
The answer is that all of these have stoked the imaginations of our Key Stage 3 students who have written highly creative and original pieces for this new colourful issue, in addition to fascinating articles on hyperconsumerism and hidden nuclear bunkers in Greece. Our Year 11 survivor tips for IGCSE as well as teachers' welcome to a much-awaited summer are also all in store - happy reading!
Please click on the poster to view digitally 
and for direct pdf download click on the icon. 
Byron Voice Issue 8
Dive into this third Key Stage 4 issue and discover several firsts in addition to established features unique to this publication: our inaugural 'Thoughts from the Head and Heart' from our Acting Headteacher Mr Gallagher; an update from our busy-bee Student Council; our Student Head Team's user-friendly guide to entering Year 12; a special original playscript inspired by American dramatist Eugene O'Neill, amongst several creative offerings; and much-needed advice on how to make the Easter break a time of rest, not only of gruelling revision.
Happy reading!
Please click on the poster to view digitally and for direct pdf download click on the icon.
Byron Voice Issue 7
We are delighted to offer our latest issue of Byron Voice - our third Sixth Form Issue with a tangible Christmas flavour.
As always, it is replete in reflective and creative offerings, ranging from impassioned pleas for peace in Ukraine and a denunciation of war, explorations of music and dance both traditional and modern, philosophical forays into the work of Albert Camus as well as the world of manga, detailed exposition of the intersections between the human and natural worlds, original and stirring creative writing - not to mention an original recipe for egg tarts.
Happy holiday reading!
Please click on the poster to view digitally and for direct pdf download click on the icon.
Byron Voice Issue 6
The English Faculty is delighted to offer our final issue of Byron Voice of the year - the Key Stage 3 June issue. This issue is chock-full of creative and colourful offerings showcasing impassioned discussions of the climate crisis, experiences of grief, original poetry with a dash of surrealism, wise words pertaining to a mindful approach to life, and much more.
Special features include our Form Tutors' checklist guide to the Greek summer complete with printable bookmark - and a summer-themed crossword from our Key Stage 3 Student Leaders. Happy reading!
Please click on the poster to view digitally and for direct pdf download click on the icon.
Byron Voice Issue 5
The English Faculty is delighted to present the second Key Stage 4 issue of our student magazine and creative writing showcase, Byron Voice! Alongside tips and encouragement from our student community for the upcoming exam period, you can now also enjoy our new light-hearted feature 'A View from the Sixth Form: A Day in the Life' to get a glimpse of life on the other side of the IGCSE fence.
This is in addition to our usual range of top-calibre offerings, ranging from impassioned and reflective responses to the invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing pandemic as well as exciting creative writing from a variety of voices.
Flip through or download at your leisure here. Print reading copies of the issue will also be available in the Library in the new term.
Enjoy, work well, and all the best for your exams!
Please click on the poster to view digitally and for direct pdf download click on the icon.
Byron Voice Issue 4
The English Faculty is pleased to present our Key Stage 5 December issue of the now-established Byron Voice – the first such offering of the academic year. While we continue to face pandemic-related challenges, this issue demonstrates that we nevertheless find opportunities to come together, be creative, ask questions, have fun, and challenge ourselves to learn and grow as a community and as individuals.
Look out in this issue for the special Christmas-themed flavour of our Young Leader and Form Tutor messages, the customary Letter from the Headteacher to bookend the term on a positive and celebratory note – and our first alumna profile!
Astute discussions on the climate emergency, scientific advances in gene-editing, changing ideals of female beauty from a historical perspective, and an exhortation to self-respect all get a look-in, among the variety of topics on offer.
Happy holidays and happy reading!
Please click on the poster to view digitally and for direct pdf download click on the icon.
Byron Voice Issue 3
The English Department is delighted to present the inaugural Key Stage 3 issue of Byron Voice – the final issue of the school year. Key Stage 3 students at Byron have proved that even in the midst of the uncertainty, tedium, and frustrations of lockdown, they have been able to rise to the occasion with exemplary creativity, imagination, and resilience. Well done to all of our contributors!
Please click on the poster to view digitally and for direct pdf download click on the icon.
This issue includes offerings such as the ongoing struggle for gender equality in the modern world and a historical overview of the enduring relevance of the suffragettes’ sacrifices, project-work and artwork galore, and fantastic creative writing and poetry, lockdown-inspired and otherwise.
We wish you a wonderful summer and happy reading!
Explorer's Field Identification Guide to the Flora of Byron College
At Byron we are lucky to have more than thirty different species of plant from around the world on the school grounds, making our school a mini Botanical Garden if you look closely! This is a Field Explorer's Guide to identifying most of the flowers, bushes, and trees you can see at Byron, complete with botanical illustrations and key facts about each. See if you can find each one!
"If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden."
from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The guide is available to view in flipbook form and for direct pdf download click on the icon.
Byron Voice Issue 2 now live!
Following on from the inaugural issue of Byron College's new student magazine and creative showcase, Byron Voice, the English Department is delighted to present Issue 2, this time by our Key Stage 4 students!
Please click on the poster to view digitally and for direct pdf download click on the icon.
This issue features contributions as diverse as profiles of female pioneers in science and history, an inspirational piece on the enduring relevance of the bicentenary of Greek independence, a stirring account of the Southern African philosophy of ubuntu, reflections on online learning, an abundance of creative writing to transport you to worlds far beyond the lockdown bubble, and an extensive virtual 'Art Gallery' featuring outstanding artwork by our IGCSE students.
Congratulations to our Key Stage 4 contributors for producing such superb, creative, and thought-provoking work under the circumstances. Enjoy, share, and happy reading!
Launch issue of Byron Voice now!
The English Department is delighted to announce the release of the major launch issue of Byron College's new student-produced magazine, Byron Voice. This magazine is intended as a creative showcase of our students' talents and interests, and they have risen to the occasion magnificently even under the difficult circumstances of lockdown.
Please click on the poster to view digitally and for direct pdf download click on the icon.
This first issue, produced by the Sixth Formers, includes offerings ranging from opinion on human rights, commentary on the global race for a coronavirus vaccine, tips for well-being and how to avoid procrastination, to recipes, poetry, artwork, and more.
A major thank you to all of our student contributors who have outdone themselves by producing such creative and thoughtful work - something to be proud of indeed. Thank you also to our Sixth Form Tutor team who provided invaluable support in making this issue possible.
We hope that you will find this to be enjoyable and stimulating reading for the holidays and as a fitting ending for our students' hard work and resilience this year. Byron Voice will be produced once per term, with Key Stage 4 producing the April issue and Key Stage 3 the June issue, so stay tuned!
World Book Day Competition 2021: Anthology of Winning Entries
To celebrate our love of reading and the world of the imagination for World Book Day, each form in the school wrote short stories inspired by a series of pictures. The challenge was to make the story as imaginative and interesting as possible —while staying within a bite-sized word limit!
Amazing entries were sent in from all year groups and it was a real challenge trying to decide which to feature. Well done to everyone who took part and happy reading!
Please click on the poster to view digitally and for direct pdf download click on the icon.
COBIS Poetry Competition 2021: 'Connections'
This year’s COBIS Poetry Competition focused on the theme of ’Connections’ in light of the global pandemic..
Our students in Years 9 and 10, including two special contributions from Years 7 and 13, used the opportunity to explore through poetry-writing our interconnectedness with each other and the natural world, and the ways in which we are never truly alone. Their reflections have resulted in an anthology with thought-provoking and creative work on topics ranging from family and relationships, to isolation and prejudice, to our relationship with the natural world. Good luck to all our writers and enjoy!
Please click on the poster to view digitally and for direct pdf download click on the icon.
A world of racial injustice and intolerance in Malorie Blackman's Noughts & Crosses:
Year 9 Fan Fiction Anthology
In her novel Noughts & Crosses, black British writer Malorie Blackman depicts a world of racial injustice in which history as we know it is turned on its head, thereby allowing the reader to see all the more clearly how toxic, degrading, and unacceptable racism is.
Year 9 First Language, who have been studying this latter-day Romeo & Juliet, have written their own 124-page fan fiction anthology in response to the novel.
Please click on the poster to view digitally and for direct pdf download click on the icon.
'The Unheard Voices of War Conflict': A Year 8 Anthology of War Poetry
In First Language English Year 8 students found out how First World War poems create impact, rouse different emotions, and make people reflect on human behavior during wartime.
By exploring the language and techniques used in war poems, they have written their own poems in response to the ‘Never Such Innocence’ competition which aims to give children and young people a voice on conflict and its impact.
Please click on the poster to view digitally and for direct pdf download click on the icon.
Year 5VS Hallowe'en Art & Poetry Booklet!
In October, Year 5VS (Sycamore) produced fantastic artwork depicting haunted houses for the witching hour of Hallowe'en... The children's work has now been showcased in a booklet alongside appropriately spooky poetry - well done to all our young artists for your creativity and effort!
Please click on the poster to view digitally and for direct pdf download click on the icon.