Designed for NEW AQA Language paper 1A: a practice exam paper using the opening of Robert O'Brien's novel, 'Z for Zachariah', published in 1974. This extract, written in the form of a first-person diary, is narrated by a 16 years old girl named Ann Burden who believed herself to be the only survivor in her town after a nuclear war. She thinks someone is coming and she is no longer alone. Is this person a friend or a foe? The format of the exam questions matches those in AQAs specimen exam papers. UPDATED APRIL 2017: included is a REVISED series of SMART Notebook slides for teaching the exam paper Q by Q; a Q3 key terminology matching starter activity; a modelled Q3 structure response and a new Q4 slide. NOTE: I've uploaded LOADS of AQA practice exam Paper 1s AND 2s to my 'shop' ALL FREE of charge. Please help yourself - just leave a review. Thank you! I hope this is of some use to you.

PLEASE NOTE: AQA Paper 1A will ONLY use 20th or 21st C fiction extracts in the real exams (NOT 19th C fiction extracts.) These resources were originally created to introduce our 'Gifted & Talented' students at Key Stage 3 to some 19th century classics while introducing also the format of the new AQA English Language Paper 1 section A exam paper. Each exam paper features an extract from a different 19th C classic, including: * Great Expectations - Pip meets Miss Havisham * Dracula - Harker realises he is a prisoner at Castle Dracula * Dracula (alternative extract) - Harker encounters the three hags * Frankenstein - Victor attempts to animate the Creature * A Christmas Carol - Jacob Marley's ghost visits Scrooge and there are also IWB slides to support your teaching of the exam paper Q by Q, for all 4 Qs. The Qs follow the format of that published by AQA in their approved specimen papers. NOTE: I have uploaded LOADS of Paper 1 AND 2 exam papers to my 'shop' and ALL FREE of charge! Help yourself - please leave a review. Thanks! I hope they are of some use to you.

A new AQA Eng Lang paper 1A practice exam paper designed for use with less able students. The extract is adapted (with some vocabulary and sentences simplified) from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and I have produced some simplified activities. Also included are a series of SMART Notebook interactive whiteboard slides, for teaching the resource Q by Q with the students, adding an interactive element to the Word resource. Q1 - the same Q2 - cloze activity where students are expected to provide relevant textual details Q3a - sequence the narrative events into the correct order to show understanding of structure Q3b - cloze activity modelling Q3 response. Pupils show comprehension by correct selection. In their own published Key Stage 3 English AQA test papers, Q3 is tested by pupils sequencing a series of statements in the correct order so I have adhered to this format. I know that pupils will not be given this level of support in their GCSE exam but they still need access to differentiated material and activities in order to make sufficient progress to be able to access the questions on the GCSE paper. I hope this is of help to those of you who teach students whose literacy is a real barrier to accessing this new exam paper and have now uploaded lots of others like this one. If you like this resource, I've created lots of other differentiated papers like this one, using extracts from the following novels or short stories: War of the Worlds, Dracula, To Kill a Mockingbird, Skellig, The Pearl, The Machine Gunners, Buddy, Z for Zachariah, The Sniper, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Monkey's Paw. Also uploaded to my 'shop' and all FREE are loads of typical specimen paper 1 and 2 practice exam papers for the new AQA 9 to 1 English Language exams, with accompanying SMART Notebook slides for teaching Qs 1 to 4, Q by Q. Please leave a review and help yourself. Matt :)

The new GCSE English Language and Literature Assessment Objectives 'boiled down' to 5 CORE Reading Skills and then those core skills are traced through a hierarchy of competence, using phrases common to new AQA Language and Literature mark schemes (highlighted in bold on the progression maps), linked to the new numerical grades 9 to 1, using the FFT 'refined' model. They can be used across both Key Stages 3 and 4 to assess skills progression and to ensure consistency in application of assessment criteria across members of your department. If you find them of use, check out the Planning for Progression in Writing: New 9 to 1 Skills progression map also uploaded to TES. I hope they are of some use to you.

A set of ten editable PPT slides for use with revision or consolidation of Priestley’s play, “An Inspector Calls.” Each slide features a quotation integral to one of the play’s main themes or characters and each contain four tasks: identifying a writer’s methods; linking the quotation to the play’s social, cultural or historical contexts, contrast (or connect) to elsewhere in the play; and synthesising details in the quotation for more sophisticated textual analysis. Feel free to tweak them, or add your own. There are sets for Macbeth and A Christmas Carol, too, if you like the format! Hope they are useful.

Using a letter penned by Charles Dickens as a survivor of a terrible rail disaster and a newspaper article 15 years after the Paddington rail disaster, the theme of these two non-fiction texts is different perspectives of rail disasters. I have adapted Dickens’ letter ever so slightly, simplifying some vocabulary and sentencing to make it a little more accessible to students whose reading ages are significantly lower than their chronological age, to provide an appropriate point of access to the skills demanded by the new AQA GCSE Language Paper 2A exam paper. Also included is a set of SMART Notebook slides for whole-class interactive teaching of this resource. I have adhered to the phrasing of the exam questions, but the tasks are differentiated thus: Q1 - same as the actual exam paper Q2 - cloze exercise of the summary (this could be easily tweaked to sentence stems) Q3a - highlight and write down 3 relevant examples of language used to convey viewpoint Q3b - cloze exercise of use of language to convey viewpoint and attitude I have not included the Q4 'comparison of methods to convey attitudes' task as it is beyond the ability of the students for whom I have produced this resource. I hope that it might be of some use to others. I've produced 8 of these differentiated papers for Paper 2A now and all are available FREE at my 'shop'. Please help yourself! Matt :)

A practice Paper 1 exam paper based on the ending of Susan Hill's novel,'I'm the King of the Castle', published in 1970. In this dramatic extract, taken from the climax of the novel, the protagonist - a victim of bullying named Charles Kingshaw - drowns himself in a nearby pond, unable to bear the torment he endures at the hands of a boy who is about to become his step-brother. UPDATED APRIL 2017: a REVISED series of SMART Notebook slides to accompany TES contributor Claire Mesher's practice exam paper so that you can teach this extract and Qs 1 to 4 interactively, supplying also a model response to Q3 where the focus is on structure and using key subject terminology appropriately, a Q3 key vocab matching starter activity and a new Q4 slide. I hope this is of some use. Thanks, Matt :)

Using an extract from George Orwell's non-fiction, "Shooting an Elephant" (1936) and an article taken from The Daily Mail online from 2011, the theme of these two non-fiction texts is attitudes towards elephants. I have adapted the texts, simplifying some vocabulary and sentencing to make them a little more accessible to students whose reading ages are significantly lower than their chronological age, to provide an appropriate point of access to the skills demanded by the new AQA GCSE Language Paper 2A exam paper. Also included is a set of SMART Notebook slides for whole-class interactive whiteboard teaching of this resource. I have adhered to the phrasing of the questions, but the tasks are differentiated thus: Q1 - same as the actual exam paper Q2 - cloze exercise of the summary (this could be easily tweaked to sentence stems) Q3a - highlight and write down 3 relevant examples of language used to convey viewpoint Q3b - cloze exercise of use of language to convey viewpoint and attitude (again, could easily be tweaked to the sentence stems of a PEE paragraph where pupils supply the point, evidence and explain how it conveys the writer's viewpoint.) I have not included the Q4 'comparison of methods to convey attitudes' task as it is a skill currently beyond the ability of the students for whom I have produced this resource. I hope that it might be of some use to others. I have produced 8 of these highly differentiated resources, all available FREE at my 'shop'. Please help yourself! Matt :)

Using a journal entry penned by Howard Carter documenting his discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen and an excerpt from Charles Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle where he describes the Fuegians, the theme of these two non-fiction texts is different perspectives of discoveries. I have adapted the texts ever so slightly, simplifying some vocabulary and sentencing to make them more accessible to students whose reading ages are significantly lower than their chronological age, to provide an appropriate point of access to the skills demanded by the new AQA GCSE Language Paper 2A exam paper. Also included is a set of SMART Notebook slides for whole-class interactive whiteboard teaching of the resource. UPDATE: If you do not use SMART interactive whiteboards, to view the SMART Notebook slides simply download the SMART Notebook Express viewer, FREE online. It is a piece of software published by SMART Technologies and is completely safe to use. (express.smarttech.com) I have adhered to the phrasing of the exam questions, but the tasks are differentiated thus: Q1 - same as the actual exam paper Q2 - cloze exercise of the summary (this could be easily tweaked to sentence stems) Q3a - highlight and write down 3 relevant examples of language used to convey viewpoint Q3b - cloze exercise of use of language to convey viewpoint and attitude and an extension task where pupils complete PEE paragraphs, supplying relevant evidence and explanations. I have not included the Q4 'comparison of methods to convey attitudes' task as it is currently beyond the ability of the students for whom I have produced this resource. I hope that it might be of some use to others. I've produced nine of these highly differentiated papers for Paper 2A now and all are available FREE at my 'shop' with accompanying SMART Notebook resources, too. Please help yourself and leave me a review! Matt :)

Designed to be used alongside study of the play, the 25 slides are used as a recall starter, providing opportunity for regular low-stakes quizzing and retrieval of knowledge of the play. The slides are editable and assess knowledge cumulatively, Act by Act so by the end of the play they should have a secure knowledge of key quotations, stagecraft, characters and contexts. I hope they are useful. Please leave a review. Thanks.

A set of ten editable PPT slides for use with revision or consolidation of Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’. Each slide features a quotation integral to one of the play’s main themes or characters and each contain four tasks: identifying writer’s methods; linking the quotation to the play’s social, cultural or historical contexts, contrast (or connect) to elsewhere in the play; and synthesise details in the quotation for more sophisticated textual analysis. Feel free to tweak them, or add your own. There is a set for A Christmas Carol, too, if you like the format! Hope they are useful.

This resource has 8 x weekly SPaG review slides for use when teaching Macbeth. Each slide comprises 6 common areas of SPaG error for review and consolidation. Help yourself! PLEASE NOTE: Sell and be damned!

Four spreadsheets, one for each of the AQA GCSE Language and Literature exam papers. Input the students’ scores Q by Q and the cells automatically turn shades of red, amber and green, enabling you to see at a glance individual or collective strengths and areas for further teaching or revision. These columns are protected so the formulae cannot be accidentally corrupted. There are 250 rows so it’s useful for either the individual teacher or for use across the Year group. Simply input the scores, the rest is automatic: the raw total, expressed also as a percentage and then converting automatically to the grade equivalent based on AQA’s published grade boundaries FOR EACH PAPER (not overall!) It might help inform your planning or to identify patterns of underperformance across a teaching group or across the department, so you can tailor interventions which target specific students on specific questions. Hope you find them useful.

A practice exam paper for AQA English Language Paper 2: Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives. The theme of this paper is VIEWPOINTS towards IMPRISONMENT across the centuries and in two different countries, and the two non-fiction extracts used are a 19th C letter written by Oscar Wilde to the editor of an English national newspaper, complaining about the treatment of children in Victorian English prisons and a 20th C newspaper article describing America's latest maximum security prison, Florence Prison. Section B writing task (linked by theme to the topic of the texts in Section A) is also included. The 5 exam questions adhere to the format of those used by AQA on their published specimen paper. NOTE: I've uploaded LOADS of Practice Paper 1 and 2 Language exam papers to my 'shop' and ALL are available FREE of charge, so help yourself - just leave a review. Thanks! I hope this is of some use to you. Matt :)

A practice exam paper for the new AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2: Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives, using two non-fiction texts based on the same theme or topic. Extracts used here are a 19th C eyewitness account written in the form of a letter by Charles Dickens to a friend, as a fortunate survivor of a terrible rail disaster, in 1865 in which many people were injured and killed with a 21st C newspaper interview with the parents of a woman killed in the 1999 Paddington rail disaster - so the different perspectives here are of someone directly involved in a rail accident and a rail victim's parents struggling to come to terms with their loss 15 years after the rail tragedy. Section B: Writing task (linked by theme to the topic of the texts in Section A) is also included. The 5 exam questions adhere to the format of those published by AQA in their specimen exam papers. NOTE: I've uploaded LOADS of practice Paper 1 AND 2 Language exam papers to my 'shop' and they are ALL FREE of charge so help yourself - just leave a review. Thanks! I hope it is of some use to you. Matt :)

A practice exam paper for the new AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2A: Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives, linked by the theme of 'Elephants', using an extract from an autobiographical essay written by George Orwell in 1936 and a 21st C tabloid online newspaper article regarding the exposure of animal cruelty suffered by England's last circus elephant. The texts and the format of the exam Qs follow that published by AQA in the approved specimen materials. Please note: As these resources were originally designed for use by pupils at Key Stage 3, introducing the format and the skills tested by the new GCSE, Orwell's work was published in 1936 but, for the purposes of introducing contrasting viewpoints and attitudes at KS3, it is suitably challenging. I hope it is of some use to you.

Designed for less able students at Key Stage 3 or 4, this is a practice exam paper for the NEW AQA English Language Paper 1A: Reading 20th C Fiction texts. I have adapted an extract taken from JRR Tolkein's "The Hobbit" (1937), simplifying some of the vocabulary and sentencing to make the text a little more accessible for students whose reading age might be lower than their chronological age. I've also designed and included a series of SMART Notebook slides for interactive whiteboard teaching of the resource, Q by Q. The format of the paper is as follows: Q1 - the same Q2 - cloze exercise focusing on how the writer uses language to describe the dragon and its lair Q3a - sequence a series of statements to show understanding of narrative events / structure Q3b - cloze activity, modelling Q3 response, for pupils to complete. I know that the new GCSE paper is untiered and students will not be given this level of support in the exam. However, this resource is intended to provide an appropriate point of access and opportunities for students whose literacy is a barrier to learning to practise the reading response skills demanded by this exam - and to support the teachers who have to deliver it! I hope that it is of some use to you. I have produced other resources like this one using extracts from Frankenstein, War of the Worlds, Skellig, A Christmas Carol, The Monkey's Paw, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Dracula, The Pearl, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Machine Gunners, Buddy and Z for Zachariah. I've also uploaded loads of typical specimen AQA 9 to 1 Language exam Paper 1 and 2s to my shop, all available free of charge. Please leave a review and help yourself! Matt :)

A practice exam paper for the new AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2A: Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives, linked by the theme of 'Fires in London', using Pepys' 17th C journal entry of the Great Fire of London and a Guardian newspaper article from the King's Cross tube station fire in 1998. The texts and the format of the exam Qs follows that published by AQA in the approved specimen materials. Please note: I have produced only Qs 1 to 3 (there are 4 Qs on the exam paper) as these resources were originally designed for use by pupils at Key Stage 3, introducing the format and the skills tested by the new GCSE. NOTE: I've uploaded LOADS of practice Paper 1s AND 2s to my 'shop', ALL FREE of charge. Please help yourself - just leave a review. Thank you! I hope it is of some use to you.

Using an excerpt from Roald Dahl's autobiography, 'Boy' - The Great Mouse Plot - a booklet of highly differentiated activities which address skills tested by Qs 1 to 3 of the new AQA Language Paper 2A exam paper, but for students whose reading age is significantly lower than their chronological age. It's a good way to introduce the focus of each question, and to get students responding in appropriate ways at a level that is appropriate to their ability. I hope this is useful to you and your students. Matt :)

A practice exam paper for the new AQA Language Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing UPDATED: APRIL 2017 - to include a REVISED series of SMART notebook slides to teach Q by Q in class, which can be unlocked and adapted for other Paper 1A practice exam papers I have uploaded to the TES site, all available free of charge. Includes a Q3 key terminology matching starter, a Q3 STRUCTURE model response, a new Q4 slide. This extract is taken from John Steinbeck's novella, 'The Pearl', published in 1947. In the extract, set in Mexico during the 1940s, a child named Coyotito has been stung by a scorpion. The child’s father, a Mexican pearl diver named Kino, takes his child to the white European doctor who works in a nearby town. The text and the format of the exam Qs 1 to 4 follows that of AQA's approved specimen papers. NOTE: I've uploaded LOADS of practice Paper 1s AND 2s to my 'shop', ALL FREE of charge. Please help yourself - just leave a review. Thank you! I hope this is of some use to you.