EMOJIS help students engage with literature, say teachers at a Bournemouth girls' school.

Charlotte Hodgson, who teaches English at Avonbourne College, argued using the icons can help pupils connect with the subject.

She said all teachers in the department use emojis in lessons, and the ideograms have allowed her students to get more out of Shakespeare.

"I've just taught A Midsummer Night's Dream and, when we've read a bit of the scene, they summarise it in two main emojis and then have to explain it," she said.

"The emojis are not used by themselves - there is always some kind of verbal or written explanation that then allows you to check the pupils' literacy, writing skills or speech skills.

"The emojis just give them a starting point that they understand."

She said the symbols can help pupils to link ideas, which can lead to "higher understanding, engagement and learning".

Ms Hodgson's comments appeared in the Times Educational Supplement (TES),

The headteacher of a school in East London argued against Ms Hodgson.

Clare Sealy said: "As educators, we have not a single minute to waste teaching trivia, such as emojis.

"How will such learning help bridge the word gap? How can we help disadvantaged children gain the sorts of powerful knowledge that children in, say, the top public schools have? Not by devoting precious curriculum time to the detritus of youth sub-culture.

"That would be fiddling while Rome burns."