A sound understanding of the social and historical context of A Christmas Carol is essential to gaining higher grades at GCSE. The new specifications demand that students see the play as a 'construct' and thus need to understand the intended message of the text and the influences upon the author at the time. With this knowledge, students are then able to consider the authorial choices as they read the text. I would advise working through this presentation at the start of the unit and revisiting it after reading the entire text. The presentation can be spread over two lessons.

This tracker lists all the skills that need to be taught in English Language throughout KS3 and KS4 on a handy tracker for either whole class or individual student use. The list of skills that need to be taught are linked to the GCSE spec, and has also designed to build on skills at KS2 (the writing grid incorporates the 'I Can' statements at KS2). Simply by covering the skills on this tracker, you can be sure that your students are receiving an adequate diet of English Language skills right from year 7 that builds upon their prior knowledge.

Fun assembly for Y6, KS3 and KS4 that promotes reading through a nostalgic visit to the books students enjoyed when they were younger. Simply print off the final three slides to use as Phone a Friend, Ask the Audience and 50/50 prompts and set up the data projector and you’re away! I recommend surprising a fellow colleague by asking them to come up to the front during assembly and try to win a million pounds; the students will be itching to tell them the answers! Sound is enabled.

I have used this resource to develop my own understanding of the mark scheme (even though I have been an examiner for over ten years), support my colleagues in understanding the mark scheme, and also to diagnose weaknesses within classes, enabling targeted intervention, differentiation within the classroom and targeted support. Once completed, it gives the teacher a full and clear understanding of what needs to be done to succeed in the exam. Essentially, it is an audit of skills within a class, looking at either a whole mock paper, or full practice questions in books. Assess the work for each of elements for each question, writing the student initial in each box. This is a little clunky to begin with, but gets much easier after the first few pieces and is very valuable in both focusing your understanding of what is required for each question and knowing where students need attention. The statements have been taken from the mark scheme and also developed from the on-screen software used by examiners. Your end result will clearly show where the average class strengths and weaknesses lie, which students need more help and in which areas and how you should direct your teachers. This would result in outstanding differentiation. I have completed a sample of three students (whereas usually it would be for a whole class), which shows that this very small group struggle with methods on Q4. Whole cohorts could be analysed via cutting and pasting several sheets onto one, allowing HODs to oversee weaknesses across the department. These audits could also be used as a basis for conversations in progress meetings and as a monitoring tool.

Simplified mark schemes based on the on-screen drag and drop comments on the AQA Examiner marking software. These much reduced mark schemes help teachers to understand exactly what the examiner is look for, can streamline marking and planning and can be modified to give feedback to students by simply highlighting their areas of competence. A valuable resource.

A fully differentiated lesson (bronze, silver and gold) that teaches how to describe a character using similes. Included are examples and support and challenge sheets.

A sound understanding of social and historical context is essential for a Grade 4 and above in the current English Literature specifications. It is imperative that students learn the intended message of the playwright or author of the text and the influences upon them at the time of writing. Being able to explain these features in relation to the text will place students within the higher bands of the GCSE mark scheme. This lesson directs children to consider the influences upon J B Priestley and the messages he intends to convey to his audience in An Inspector Calls. It can be taught at any point of the unit and is ideally repeated after reading the novel, as students will be able to link the images more readily to events and quotes in the play. The Powerpoint of statements are conclusions that the students will be coming to at the end of the lesson and can be displayed as starters in later lessons, asking students to brainstorm quotes and events which support the given point. The Powerpoint of images can also be used in a similar way, or as a display where students add quotes as they read the play. 1. Arrange the tables in the classroom as six workstations (six groups of tables). Print out the resources and place each set on a different table with the relevant heading. You might want to add a laptop that is set up to one of the websites on the links provided. 2. Arrange students in six groups of four or five and give each student an overview sheet. Point out that if they have not yet read the play they will not be able to fill in the quotes and events thought bubble, but can add to this later. 3. Allow students 5-6 minutes per workstation with the aim of completing the overview sheet. 4. At the end, ask each table to feedback about the subject covered at the table they are seated at. 5. Ask each student to write a message that Priestley was trying to convey on a Post-It and stick onto the wall. This will form the 'Student Comments' for later use.

GCSE Language style paper for the fight scene of Of Mice and Men. This assessment is designed for all abilities, though it also supports KS3 or lower ability students to understand how to answer the new GCSE style questions. It could also be used a support document or walk-through, with students answering the questions without a guide in their books. Threshold levels are included on the first page.

This fully differentiated lesson teaches students how to identify, explore the effect of and employ plosives.

Lesson 1 of a fully differentiated Creative Writing unit. This lesson (differentiated and includes support and challenge sheets) covers describing a character using picture prompts.

With the ever-increasing need for personalised learning, the scheme of work that is written by the Head of Department and shared across the department in a dying breed. Instead, teachers must plan their own medium-term and short-term plans to meet the needs of the students in their classes, which, considering extensive national changes over the past year or so, can be a daunting task for teachers of all levels of experience. This medium-term tracking grid supports teachers in their planning by: •listing all the Assessment Objectives for Language and Literature on the first page to prompt coverage and also to provide a list for teachers to cut and paste from. •beginning the planning with the completion of a progression matrix, effectively highlighting areas of under-performance and opportunities for support and challenge •Space for bullet point ideas of each week’s lessons, with a corresponding column for assessment objectives covered •Space for teachers to identify milestone or assessment tasks. The planning grid also works well when combined with the tracking grids for reading and writing, allowing teachers to assess students’ abilities against each assessment objective or skill and plan accordingly.

This is another lesson that helps students create an effective piece of writing using the DADWAVERS structure, but also incorporating different elements of sentence structures such as embedded clauses and fronted adverbials. The lesson includes a timer on the spinning wheel slides, encouraging students wo work quickly. Suitable for writing portfolio lessons at KS2 and all the way to exam preparation at GCSE level.

A series of lessons covering all the reading questions on both AQA Language papers, with writing frames, good examples and texts. I have explained what we are looking for as examiners and what we award marks for. I used this as an intervention unit, but could also be used as revision or for Years 7-10 when preparing for a GCSE style reading test.

Here is a lesson I created to explain the subjunctive form. The lesson requires students to make a poster at the end of the lesson, or you could have them creating a short drama using the subjunctive sentence starters displayed on the Powerpoint.

Useful posters with key quotes for each character in An Inspector Calls. Display around the classroom or school, print off pairs of copies and use as a memory matching game with all the quotes of one character face down - students can turn over two cards per turn, or just display on the Powerpoint and discuss or debate. It's always useful to have a set of key quotes.

A series of lessons based on the Brighton Rock Specimen Assessment Materials from AQA. The student booklet should be used with the Powerpoint lessons, which explains how to attain a Grade 4 and beyond, good examples of student work and clear explanations of the components required in student responses to each question. Very useful as an introduction to the Paper 1 or as a revision unit. Includes words of the day and recall questions. Videos of me teaching these lessons can be found at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9q_xc22DRvPTEY3sGyH8ug

These slides have been designed to be used once a week in registration as part of our whole school Literacy drive. They are whole class activities. Some need modifying to suit your school.

This assessment effectively bridges the KS2 and KS4 styles of questions and averts the Year 7/8 dip. Did you know, for example, that KS2 students are not required to comment on the effect of language or structure in their SATs tests? Nor are they required to evaluate texts. It is therefore unsurprising that students often perform badly in KS3 tests that are based solely on GCSE papers. My assessment paper takes elements of the KS2 paper that students are familiar with and works in aspects of the KS4 paper at an appropriate level. The grade boundaries are on the front of the paper and have been based upon 2017 threshold levels (AQA). This is one of the first of a set papers that aims to encourage students to become increasingly independent through their secondary school career and has been designed through a careful investigation into KS2 papers and an in-depth knowledge of GCSE papers. Please follow me if you find this useful and keep a look out for future bundles of assessment papers. Copyright acknowledgement to the author of this extract, who has circulated this first chapter as a free resource. Please do bu her book if you enjoy it.

Here’s an AQA Language Paper 2 on the theme of Refuse Collectors using an extract from Henry Mayhew and The Guardian. Please take a look at my ‘Easy Assessment Sheets’ for GCSE Language. Hope you find this resource useful. It would be great if you could let me know any feedback. Best wishes, Lindsey