Anyone who watched the BBC programme on Harry Potter author J K Rowling over Christmas could not help but be convinced by her commitment and enthusiasm for writing. Her passion for what she has done and what she wants to achieve was how English teachers once sounded, and in some cases still do, when talking about their passion for the subject and for teaching.

How refreshing it was to hear such a focus on young people and stories, which did not at any time refer to testing or objectives. That same feeling comes from seeing the Harry Potter film, when surely every English or drama teacher cannot help but wish they had three children just like that (well, perhaps with a few minor changes) in their class. And yes, deputy heads would, on occasion, like a secret three-headed dog available to meet difficult students, staff or parents.

J K Rowling’s empathy, understanding and non-patronising approach towards young people was perhaps best summed up when she was talking about the controversysurrounding the book. Her reply was direct and simple. We should have faith that young people are perfectly capable of recognising the difference between fiction and reality.

We as English teachers have that faith, knowing it to be true, and we as drama teachers base our whole teaching on that premise. But how many times do the people formulating education policy forget to place their faith in young people?

The recent emphasis on speaking and listening, due to the Daily Mail’s call for elocution lessons to be introduced in schools, certainly seems to have forgotten that fact. We know that what they might describe as “inarticulate” young people are perfectly capable of adjusting their speech according to the situation they find themselves in, in a way that many politicians seem to find difficult.

We also know that young people, through effective teaching and learning, are capable of transferring skills to newsituations, and even national tests, without having to be taught directly about them.

We know this, because we believe an essential part of English teaching is giving pupils the skills, confidence and understanding to make choices, whether that be selecting which piece of software, image, word, register or lay-out is most appropriate for producing the text for a specific audience or whether it is knowing when it is appropriate, and how, to shift from the skills of text messaging to the skills of formal analytical writing.

To give children the ability and confidence to make choices, the teaching of skills and creativity have to be combined; variety, breadth and experimentation need to replace prescription, and children must be able to experience as many worlds as possible through literature, media and drama. If we had Harry Potter, or, due to the national statistics on boys’ achievement, Hermione, in our class, then sometimes having faith might be easier, but what J K Rowling reminds us of very clearly is that every ordinary child is capable of extraordinary achievement. What we have to remember is that every ordinary teacher is capable of helping them to achieve it.

Ruth Moore is deputy headteacher at Hasland Hall Community School, Derbyshire and chair of the National Association for the Teaching of English, 50 Bradfield Road, Sheffield S8 OXJ. Tel: 0114 255 5419. E-mail: natehq@btconnect.com Web: www.nate.org.uk