This is a detailed PowerPoint taking students through the four reading question for the June 2020 AQA English Language paper 1 on The Silk Factory. It goes through the questions methodically, providing advice and model answers alongside mark schemes. There should be time given for students to try each question under timed conditions. Answers can then be peer assessed by partners and discussed as a class. I am including the question paper and insert along with a mark scheme that has a student-friendly version.

Practice paper for GCSE English Language paper 1, section A. This uses the opening of ‘The Lovely Bones’ by Alice Sebold. It is a detailed PowerPoint, going through each question, giving guidance and techniques as well as setting tasks for students. It includes model paragraphs for highlighting (also included on a separate sheet) and detailed explanations of the markscheme using student friendly language. It focusses students on the requirements of the top band for each question. PP, model answers and question paper included.

This is a detailed PowerPoint taking students step-by-step through the reading section of paper 1 using the opening of Rebecca. It has detailed reference to the mark-scheme and assessment objectives, with hints and tips as well as key vocabulary. Students are asked to complete each section and then peer assess using mark-schemes. Also included is the actual paper (which does include a picture for question 5 although I haven’t referred to that in the PP) and a student copy of the model answers.

This is a PowerPoint I put together for preparing the READING section of paper 2, November 2022. The paper asks student to examine two texts about insomnia. It takes students through questions 1 - 4, focusing on question requirements and allowing them to practise key skills whilst familiarising them with the mark-scheme. Vocabulary from the exam and the mark-scheme is explored as well. There are tasks throughout and opportunities for peer assessment but the final question should be marked by the teacher. I am including the question paper, insert and mark-scheme from AQA.

This is a collection of ten practice essays I made for The Sign of the Four (GCSE English Literature paper 1) covering most of the novel. They touch on themes such as: representation of women; representation of foreigners; the Gothic; drama and suspense; duality; friendship and more.

This is a booklet I devised for preparing students for the writing to argue/persuade task in paper 2 (question 5) It takes students step-by-step through the process of planning the task and the sort of techniques necessary for communicating clearly, and structuring a coherent argument. There is a section on punctuation along with suggestions for writing tasks. It was a very effective introduction to paper 2 question 5.

This is a PowerPoint, mark schemes with student friendly explanations and original exam papers for the 2017 question on ‘The Tiredness of Rosabel’ by Kathryn Mansfield. It covers Section A, question 1-4. I made the PP to thoroughly prepare students for answering the reading questions and it includes tasks, a student answer to discuss, and guidance for answering questions 2,3 and 4. Ideally, after working through the tasks, students respond to those questions under exam conditions. I am also including model answers. I always found it a successful resource in introducing the paper.

A comprehensive workbook for introducing analysing spoken texts for A level English. It starts with transcribing, gives a full table of definitions of key features and introduces main theories such as Face and Grice’s Maxims alongside plenty of transcripts. Activities range from discussions to essay-writing. Very useful for preparing students for understanding the way speech works and leads nicely into Paper 2, Section A topics of accent and dialect, occupation and gender.

A wordsearch made up of the players in Shakespeare’s theatre. Includes the answers!

This PowerPoint was devised to help students understand that there are strategies for helping with difficult spellings rather than simply learning spelling lists. It covers techniques like words-within-words, mnemonics, letter strings and more, and includes activities for each one as well as a paired task at the end. It is very useful as a way to examining what makes certain words tricky and how they are often widely misspelt.

This is a detailed PowerPoint with accompanying documents to practise skills for GCSE Paper 1 reading questions. The PP takes students through questions 1-4 using mark schemes, advice and model answers. It is focused on achieving the top level of the mark-scheme (level 4) and uses self-assessment and peer-assessment. The package includes the PowerPoint, the extract and questions, a student handout and an extra structure worksheet.

A quiz to check students can identify significant characters from Romeo and Juliet. Includes answers.

PowerPoint explaining Child Directed Speech for the Child Language Development question (Paper 1 Section B). There are two video examples to watch alongside lists of features of CDS so that students can identify them. Also plenty of examples of theorists and their ideas about CDS. Very useful for exploring Bruner’s LASS.

Students must put the jumbled events of the play in the correct order. This includes a help sheet for teachers.

Document detailing the specifics of the manner and place of articulation, for analysing the phonology of language acquisition. Very useful for developing AO1 skills (apply linguistic methods and terminology; apply different levels of language analysis) and for understanding sound production. Can also be used for the Accents and Dialects unit.

Two PowerPoints introducing lexical development in children for paper 1 section B of the A level English Language paper (AQA). Powerpoint one outlines difficulties that children might have with synonyms, homonyms, hypernyms and hyponyms. The next PP introduces different kinds of over/under extension referring to Jean Aitchison and Leslie Rescorla so should follow on from the first.

I made this PowerPoint as part of the Language Change unit for A level English Language, paper 2. It briefly introduces some of the main influences on English spelling from Caxton, to the Great Vowel Shift to standardisation and finishes with a video called “Why is English spelling so weird?”

A group activity worksheet focussing on key concepts in Romeo and Juliet - e.g. fate, youth/age, love, honour - for AO1, level 6 of the markscheme. Students should work in groups to find appropriate extracts, make a list of key points and then write an opening paragraph to an analysis. Their finished copies can be printed out so that they have a revision resource about concepts in Romeo and Juliet. Full guidance for teachers given.

This is a PowerPoint thoroughly presenting contextual factors in Romeo and Juliet including: religion + sin, patriarchy, setting and Artistotle. This resource is extremely useful for introducing AO3 factors (exploration of ideas/perspectives/contextual factors ) present in the play with references and some suggestions for discussion.

A free PowerPoint and script for a school (secondary) assembly about the history of libraries starting with Qarawiyyan Library in Tunisia. The resource also contains clips of famous films/tv programmes involving libraries from Agatha Christie to Ghostbusters. Originally written for a World Book Day and presented by a group of students, the script can be split up for several readers.