A thoughtful, low-prep Christmas or end-of-term lesson that always gets pupils engaged. Using a real First World War letter describing the 1914 Christmas Day Truce, students explore what life was like in the trenches and how soldiers might have felt during this extraordinary moment. The lesson starts with a quick recap of creative writing skills, then uses a short video and an authentic letter as stimulus. Pupils jot down ideas (with a focus on the senses and effective word choices) before writing a letter home from the trenches. This approach works really well for encouraging empathy and reflective, detailed writing, even from students who don’t usually enjoy creative tasks. Everything is clearly structured and ready to go, with prompts and feedback built in, so it’s ideal for the last week of term when you want something meaningful without lots of planning. It also quietly reinforces skills needed for English Language creative writing (Paper 1, Question 5) without feeling like exam practice. Suitable for KS3 or KS4, and a great alternative to a “film lesson” while still keeping the end-of-term atmosphere.

GCSE English Language: New 2026 Specification – Question 3 Structure Lesson Engage your students with this ready-to-use, high-quality lesson on structural analysis and tension, designed for the new 2026 GCSE English Language Specification (Question 3). This lesson guides students through the skills needed to analyze how a writer builds tension through structure, using an extract from The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. What’s Included? ✔ Full lesson PowerPoint with step-by-step guidance ✔ Extract from The Woman in Black (Hearing the Rocking Chair) ✔ Model paragraph using the WHAT, HOW, WHY structure ✔ Sentence starters for structured responses ✔ Self-assessment checklist to encourage independent improvement ✔ Engaging discussion questions to deepen understanding Perfect for KS4 teachers looking to prepare students for the updated exam format while boosting their confidence in structural analysis and tension-building techniques.

Engaging creative writing lesson on building tension in gothic horror, featuring analysis of Josh Malerman’s “Incidents Around the House,” interactive activities, model paragraphs, and guided writing tasks. Full Description: This lesson is designed to help students master the art of building tension in creative writing, with a special focus on the gothic horror genre. Centred around an extract from Josh Malerman’s “Incidents Around the House,” the lesson guides students through the key techniques authors use to create suspense and unsettle readers. What’s included: • Starter activities to activate prior knowledge and encourage discussion about tension in literature. • Short film analysis to visually demonstrate how tension is constructed in gothic settings. • Close reading of a chilling extract from “Incidents Around the House,” with guided questions and annotation prompts. • Explicit breakdown of tension-building techniques, such as sentence structure, sensory detail, suspenseful pacing, and subverting expectations. • Model paragraph showcasing effective tension, with opportunities for students to identify successful features. • Creative writing task: Students continue the story, using sentence starters, descriptive prompts, and a focus on cliffhangers and atmosphere. • Peer review activity to encourage constructive feedback and collaborative improvement. How to use this resource: Ideal for KS3 and KS4 English lessons, this PowerPoint can be delivered as a standalone lesson or as part of a creative writing or gothic literature unit. It’s perfect for developing analytical skills, descriptive writing, and structured peer assessment . All activities are clearly scaffolded, making it accessible for a range of abilities and easy to adapt for remote or in-class learning. This resource will help students confidently craft suspenseful scenes, analyse effective writing, and deepen their understanding of gothic conventions, while fostering creativity and engagement.

Resource to develop skills in descriptive writing for question 5 by identifying language features in a model text, then learners writing their own -with a bit of Stormzy at Glastonbury thrown in for good measure! Powerpoint and model text included. Could be used for KS3 or GCSE

Developing narrative writing skills through the medium of the zombie apocalypse! Lesson focuses on how to structure a story, first by watching a short film and plotting it into the story mountain structure, then students writing their own story, inspired by the Walking Dead! Also includes a Wordwall interactive quiz.