About the author:
I am currently a teacher of English in a wonderful West Midlands secondary school, having prior experience as a Literacy Lead, Specialist Leader of Education, SLT Lead, AQA examiner and Head of English. I am in my fourteenth year of teaching and as such am keen to share resources I have used successfully, both in my own lessons and across my school / MAT.
About the author:
I am currently a teacher of English in a wonderful West Midlands secondary school, having prior experience as a Literacy Lead, Specialist Leader of Education, SLT Lead, AQA examiner and Head of English. I am in my fourteenth year of teaching and as such am keen to share resources I have used successfully, both in my own lessons and across my school / MAT.
This resource contains a 30 slide PPT on comparing power and conflict poetry for GCSE AQA English Literature. Updated Jan 2022, it contains tips, techniques, model answers and advice for comparing, with 3 focus questions covering different poems.
NB, this resource is not focused on teaching the poems but is designed to be used AFTER poems have been covered to refine comparison and exam skills.
PPT contains:
Intro to approaching poetry
Possible themes to compare
7 sample questions for discussion
A focus on a question and video link recap on ‘Remains’, presented in a Venn diagram for comparison
2 exemplar paragraphs comparing to ‘Prelude’
Discussion of a question focused on ‘My Last Duchess’
Recap of Last Duchess (video link)
Venn diagram comparing to Ozymandias
Mark scheme
Break down of how to construct a paragraph (PEEZL)
A gap fill exercise that scaffolds this method for weaker pupils
A check list to write the comparative paragraph and some phrases to boost marks
Peer assessment opportunities
A focus question on Bayonet Charge (plus a video link recap)
3 example responses to the question of varied levels
Pupil exercise to craft their own response
Advice for not having a quote to use
A bonus unseen poem at the end (Alpine Letter) and question to work through, if required
This resource was designed as a revision block on Lord of the Flies for higher ability GCSE pupils (grades 5-9), having already studied the novel. (There is also a full scheme of work PPT available for the first teaching of this). Updated Feb 2022
It includes 32 slides of activities and information (approx 6 lessons), including:
plot and character recap
theme recap (group activity)
provocative statements to provoke discussion
Images to prompt discussion of symbols
Recap of allusion (specifically biblical)
historical context - Golding
A nihilist view, Nietzsche
Discussion questions
Advice on exam questions and example questions
Quote finding exercise
2 exemplar responses to exam questions (level 5 and 6)
planning an exam response
advice on thesis statements for good intros
an exemplar high grade paragraph
All of the above is included in the powerpoint file itself, not as separate documents
This resource contains a 34 slide powerpoint designed to be used for staff training in literacy across the curriculum. It divides literacy into 5 key areas:
Reading and comprehension strategies
Writing fluency strategies
Literacy through DIT (directed improvement time)
Spelling and vocab skill building
Inference and analysis skill building
Each area comprises suggested strategies and tasks suitable for any subject area and teacher across the KS3 and GCSE curriculum, in order to build literacy skills without sacrificing content. It can be used as a ‘pick n mix’ bundle, allowing staff to focus on areas that are not as strong in their current curriculum, or as a package deal looking at all areas.
Examples, worksheets and extra resources are included to aid in the delivery of staff training on this topic. Some have been created from scratch, others have been sourced online and included/ adapted as examples.
Strategies are based heavily in research to improve literacy within school settings, developed by an experienced, current practicing English teacher / former HOD and current literacy lead.
Includes a 13 slide PPT for revision of Macbeth for Literature Paper 1 AQA (paper 2 in 2022 due to changes)
Covers exam technique, mark scheme, plot, characters, quotes, themes, tragedy genre, context and an example exam question. New for 2022
This resource includes an extract from Du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca’, formatted to mimic an AQA exam paper text extract. Alongside this, there are 5 examination style questions (based on the AQA paper, Qs1-5, reading and writing) for students to either use in class or as a homework task. The question sheet contains each question condensed down to half a side of A4 to save on printing costs.
Also includes a bonus PPT used with low ability year 11 learners when walking through the paper.
Suitable for GCSE learners.
This resource is a mammoth 100 slide PPT scheme (+ resources) for the novel Of Mice and Men, designed to be studied with mid to high ability year 9 students. It is an excellent novel for wider reading in order to build pupils’ knowledge and skills in preparation for GCSE English Literature. Approx 15-18 lessons worth
The PPT explores the following aspects of the novel:
Initial setting and atmosphere
Language analysis/ effect
Quote finding examining
Themes
Characterisation - George and Lennie
Character relationships
Context - The Great Depression and itinerant workers
Character mini quiz
The bunkhouse
Crooks and Candy analysis and quote discussion
Tracking changes in character
Conflict
Cyclical structures
The brush
Examples of literature style analytical writing
Curley’s wife
Focus on imagery, language and key extracts
Further examples of literature style writing on CW
Crooks’ room and the importance of all settings
The ending - prediction and reflections
Microcosm
This creative writing scheme is aimed at low to middle ability Yr9 - GCSE learners and provides strategies for planning, generating ideas and improving their writing for examinations. Updated Jan 2022 and designed specifically for AQA English Language paper1 Q5, but suitable for any exam board.
The unit of work includes a 48 slide PPT PLUS resources. The PPT looks at the following elements:
using images to inspire writing
strategies to break an image down
using fiction extracts to inspire (magpie vocab etc)
using weather for description
using video/ film clips to generate ideas
technical writing skills - sentence structures and orders
several different exam style questions to enable practice
paragraphing or structuring a whole text for impact
literary techniques
a genuine examination response for a question (taken from AQA materials)
All extracts referred to within the PPT are included alongside the resource.
Ideal for recapping, introducing or consolidating creative writing skills for GCSE learners.
Updated Jan 2022
This resource includes a massive 140 slide PPT, updated in 2022, of lessons designed for the teaching of An Inspector Calls for GCSE students. The PPT is suitable for all abilities, with challenge and stretch elements that can easily be omitted for weaker pupils. It has been written for AQA, but could be adapted for other examination boards with a few tweaks.
The PPT contains around 20-25 lessons depending on how you choose to divide the activities up. There are a range of task styles and information collated across 10 years of teaching this play. The PPT covers the following aspects:
Social/ historical context - research activity and image interrogation
notes on socialism, capitalism, Priestley and Churchill
Non-fiction cross-over lesson, writing an article about the Titanic. Also includes a real article published for analysis
Props and setting - illustrating and labelling task
First impressions of characters
Morality exercise (linking the play to modern day)
Attitude and language - analysing language used by characters
Focus on Sheila, including a model exam response
dramatic devices in act 1
Review of act 1, including timeline of events, purpose and intent of author, key plot points
theme discussion - social responsibility and contrasts, linked to London riots and the contrast between the younger and older generations
comparing Mr Birling and Inspector, with 2x modelled paragraphs
reference to exam mark schemes
comparing Sheila and Eva - plotting their attitudes
Key themes and info on each (group task) Ouspensky and Dunne theories for challenge and stretch
Entrances and exits (specifically in act 2)
Exam skills and exam practice (with scaffolded method for responses, model paragraphs and reference to mark schemes)
Context - women in 1912, Suffrage, power balances etc
Revision of plot
Now including a bonus extra introductory lesson - a CSI style discussion of the play!
This resource includes a complete lesson looking at analysing the language of an extract from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for AQA English language paper 1, Q2. It is suitable for low to mid ability GCSE learners, as an introduction to the language analysis question or as a revision activity.
The PPT included guides pupils through the process as follows:
break down of the question and how marks are awarded
guided reading of the extract
an approach to answering an exam style question (PEEZL)
a help sheet for lower ability learners (gap fill)
a modelled example paragraph
Peer assessment using marking criteria
This resource is a 20 slide revision PPT for Animal Farm AQA GCSE English Literature examination (modern text).
It covers all you need to revise the text with pupils, including:
plot recap task + diagram
key character mind mapping task + quote finding
suggested key character quotes
minor character task + suggested quotes
key context image task
key context information
quote exploding task with modelled example
themes table task with scaffolded option
key vocab task (find definitions)
past exam questions planning task - 8 past exam questions included with 1 modelled planning example
AQA mark schemes
This resource was created April 2022
This resource is a 90 slide PPT full scheme of work on Tom Becker’s novel ‘Darkside’, updated Jan 2022. It is suitable for middle to high ability learners in years 8-10. The novel contains some excellent descriptive language which forms great preparation for studying GCSE literary texts.
The PPT is approx 15-18 lessons, not including the reading of the novel! and all resources are included. It approaches the novel as an analytical reader but also provides opportunities to produce writing, both fiction and non-fiction, in cross-over tasks. The novel provides excellent opportunities for under-pinning context and cultural capital for Victorian novel study at GCSE.
The PPT covers the following:
-inference and predictions from cover
-diary entry writing
-language techniques/ descriptive writing strategies
-discussion of language effect plus exemplar
-presentation of key characters
-comparing characters
-creating suspense
-guided annotation
-peer assessment opportunities
-gothic conventions
links to Frankenstein
built in optional HW tasks
character analysis
PEEZL method of analysing language
finding and locating evidence
descriptive writing
settings
tension tracking
spoken language opportunity - news reports
Victorian Britain
Emotive language
tracing plot developments
Pathetic fallacy
text transformations - travel writing cross-over task
endings
Updated January 2022
This resource includes 1-2 lessons on Amitage’s poem ‘About His Person’, updated March 2022.
It originally formed part of a scheme for year 9 looking at a wide variety of poetry in preparation for their GCSE study, but would be suitable for any GCSE group as practice. The lesson approaches the poem as an unseen text, helping pupils develop poetic analysis skills (for AQA, but would work for any exam board).
The PPT includes:
Introduction to the poem through an image
Pupil task to write a suitable question for the poem
guided annotation through a suggested question (as per unseen poetry in the exam)
suggested annotations included on the PPT
Creative writing cross over (where pupils write their own poem in a similar style, about themselves)
This resource is a full scheme of work for the novel ‘Coraline’ by Neil Gaiman. Originally written for a low ability year 8 group, it is suitable for years 7 or 8, low to mid ability. Updated Jan 2022.
There is a mammoth 93 slide PPT plus all resources included in this bundle. The PPT works through a range of activities designed to develop both reading and writing skills via cross-over creative tasks. Suggested reading chunked to go with lessons.
Topics and tasks as follows:
Pre-reading tasks (book name and cover)
expectations / predictions
characterisation
Effect of language (using the PEEZL acronym)
Example of writing about effect
Inference
Settings
Creative writing - create an ‘other’ you
Improving creative writing
Parallel world theme
formal letter writing
planning and scaffolded writing and peer assessment opportunities
comparing the two worlds
tracking tone changes
creating horror
pre-annotated extract
writing as a character (diary entry)
Use of simile / creating own similes
theme of survival
tracking Coraline’s journey
more in-depth theme investigation
writer’s messages
forming critical opinions
twisted fairy tales (investigation and creating own)
Heroines and stereotypes
quote finding
effective endings
foreshadowing
5 years later - writing a new chapter
Updated Jan 2022
This 120 slide SoW uses a variety of fiction and non-fiction stories from around the globe as a springboard for reading and writing activities, whilst also developing cultural capital through understanding of context, themes and writers’ messages. Themes touched upon include:
race
immigration
feminism/ equality
mental health
abuse/ corruption and power
religion
war
slavery
The scheme was originally written for a year 9 group, but would also be suitable for years 8 and 10, with some slight adaptations. Links are provided to all of the stories used, which are either completely free or are free published extracts. These can be further edited as seen fit, if required.
There are also supplementary non-fiction texts, all of which are included as resources. These texts develop contextual understanding of each theme further.
The stories used are:
My Family’s Slave - Tizon
Heart of Darkness - Conrad
The Yellow Wallpaper - Gilmore
The Sisters - Joyce
The Beekeeper of Aleppo - Lefteri
The Paper Menagerie - Liu
Activities include:
understanding literary context
recognition of other cultures and traditions
understanding of Syria / war
refugees
Leaflet writing
the context of historic slavery
modern slavery
perspectives and viewpoints
comprehension/ reflection questions
language analysis
using PEEZL to respond to reading questions (point, evidence, explain, zoom, link)
features of news articles and writing news articles
AQA style non-fiction language paper 2 questions
persuasive language
religion’s impact
Ireland, Catholicism and James Joyce
Abuse of power
Articles on the church’s abuse of power (in the context of Catholic children’s homes, mid 20th century)
understanding of AQA paper 2 writing genre, purpose and audience
Speech writing
Model speech
Peer and self assessment/ improvement opportunities
Developing excellent points and links for PEEZL
Imperialism and empires / colonisation
Victorian viewpoints
Responsibility
Letter writing
Gender expectations
Autobiographical stories
Diary writing
Essay writing
Structuring paragraphs
Mixed race experiences
Argumentative writing
Scaffolding and differentiation
This resource is a comprehensive revision and teaching tool for AQA focused on boosting grades for English language paper 1: active reading strategies + question 4 and paper 2: question 4. It also covers English Lit paper 1 section A (Macbeth) and paper 2 section B (conflict and power poems) as a bonus.
This PPT is 42 slides and is designed to help pupils move from grade 3 to 4, or grade 4 to 5 through specific, careful tailoring of the key skills required to make the jump. All resources and examples are included.
The PPT works through the following aspects:
active reading strategies
mark scheme tips
annotation skills
exam strategy tips
planning advice
short, sharp tasks
being selective with evidence
methods and what they are
a way to structure responses
exemplar paragraphs
methods for comparing
Linking scaffolds
what can go wrong
suggested revision resources for literature
quote learning advice and strategies
play structure
Ao3 suggestions
using quotes effectively
how to improve responses
grouping poems
analysing a student response
This resource includes an extract from George Orwell’s ‘1984’, formatted to mimic an AQA exam paper text extract. Alongside this, there are 5 examination style questions (based on the AQA paper, Qs1-5, reading and writing) for students to either use in class or as a homework task. The question sheet contains each question but condensed down to 2 sides of A4, to save on printing costs.
Suitable for GCSE learners.
This resource is a 38 slide PPT end of term quiz designed ‘on theme’ for English lessons - fun and educational!
There are 8 rounds to play - you can choose to play them all or pick and choose which ones to use with your classes - there is more than enough material for a full lesson. The quiz rules are displayed at the start for ease of teaching and setting it up and it is recommended to play in teams, but could be done individually if required. The rounds vary in difficulty to bring a bit of challenge where required, and each round is marked after it is completed. There are 10 questions per round, with a variety of characters, authors, celebs etc used to try and make it as appealing as possible to teenagers!
Rounds as follows:
literary faces - name the characters / authors from their photo
quotable - name the character/ book that the quote is from
where in the world? - name the country based on a list of random and literary facts about it (includes a world map with pins to make things easier)
Shakespeare or Fakespeare? - identify whether each quote is from Shakespeare or elsewhere (elsewhere includes Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Batman, amongst others!)
celeb readathon - name the celebrity (their faces are disguised by their favourite book)
literary techniques / devices - name the technique used in the sentence
lyrical genius - name the band or song for each song lyric that was inspired by a book (these are mostly rock songs)
anagrams - unscramble the names of famous literary characters
This resource contains 12 examination questions for Inspector Calls. They have all featured on past AQA papers and so are suitable for revision and for seeing what sort of question might be asked.
This resource is an English Language condensed paper 1 created to replicate the style of AQA examination questions. There are more available in this series in my paid shop, alongside a bundle of 4 for a reduced cost.
The text extract is from Orwell’s Animal Farm. The text also has a context blurb at the top and is formatted with line numbers to replicate exam text extracts.
All questions are included (Q1-5) worded to replicate AQA style.
The paper is condensed which means there are no lines for writing - it spans 2 sides in total for cost effective printing.
Perfect for tutoring, exam revision, mock exams, walking-talking mocks or in class study.