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.

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.

The new GCSE English Language and Literature Assessment Objectives 'boiled down' to 5 CORE WRITING 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. If you find them of use, check out the Planning for Progression in Reading: New 9 to 1 Skills progression map also uploaded to TES. I hope they are of some use to you.

Designed for the NEW AQA (2015 onwards) English Language Paper 2B - WRITING TASK A variety of writing tasks, each linked by theme, to accompany various Paper 2A practice exam resources I have already produced, all available FREE of charge from my 'shop'. Help yourself and leave a review! The 2B tasks in the Word document are designed to accompany the following practice 2A papers I have uploaded: * NURSING - THEN & NOW * CAPITAL PUNISHMENT * RAIL DISASTERS * CRIME & PUNISHMENT * CHILD LABOUR and each writing task follows the format of the published AQA specimen exam paper for Paper 2B. I hope you find these of use to accompany resources you may have already downloaded. Matt :)

A highly differentiated resource to support students whose literacy is a barrier to accessing the new GCSE English Language exam papers. I have adhered to the question format of Qs 1 to 3 of the exam paper but have scaffolded the responses to enable less able students to practise the skills demanded by the new AQA English Language Paper 1A: Reading exam. To accompany the pupil workbook, I have produced a set of SMART Notebook slides for whole class interactive teaching of the resource. Q1 - the same Q2 - cloze exercise Q3a - sequence the statements to show understanding of narrative events Q3b - cloze exercise to show comprehension of narrative events, using specialist terminology I have uploaded lots of these differentiated practice papers, as well as differentiated Language Paper 2s, all available FREE at my 'shop'. Also, loads of 'actual' specimen papers! Help yourself and please leave a review. Matt :)

A practice exam paper for the new AQA Language Paper 1A: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing, using an extract from Nigel Hinton's novel, 'BUDDY', published in 1982. Also included is a 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. This extract was originally designed for use with pupils at Key Stage 3, introducing the format of the new GCSE exam Qs with a more accessible text. In the extract, a young boy named Buddy and his two friends, Julius and Charmian, decide to visit a house on their street where a murder has taken place. 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.

A highly differentiated resource to support students whose literacy is a barrier to accessing the new GCSE English Language exam papers. I have adhered to the question format but have scaffolded the responses to enable less able students to practise the skills demanded by the new AQA English Language Paper 1A: Reading exam. To accompany the pupil workbook, I have produced a set of SMART Notebook slides for whole class interactive teaching of the resource. Q1 - the same Q2 - cloze exercise Q3a - sequence the statements to show understanding of narrative events Q3b - cloze exercise to show comprehension of narrative events, using specialist terminology I have uploaded lots of these differentiated practice AQA Paper 1s, using extracts from: To Kill a Mockingbird, War of the Worlds, Skellig, The Hobbit, The Monkey's Paw, The Sniper, Buddy, Dracula, Z for Zachariah, The Pearl and Frankenstein, as well as several differentiated Language Paper 2s, all available FREE at my 'shop'. Also, loads of 'actual' specimen papers with SMART Notebook slides for whole-class interactive teaching, Q by Q! Help yourself and please leave a review.

Using a journal entry penned by Samuel Pepys as an eyewitness account of the Great Fire of London and a Guardian newspaper article of the King's Cross tube station fire in 1987, the theme of these two non-fiction texts is different perspectives of fires in the city of London. 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. 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 8 of these highly differentiated papers for Paper 2A now and all are available FREE at my 'shop' with SMART Notebook resources too. Help yourself! Matt :)

A specimen Language Paper 1A, designed for use @ KS3, using as the extract the moment where Lucy steps into the wardrobe and enters Narnia, meeting Mr. Tumness for the first time. I've included a series of SMART Notebook slides to support whole-class interactive teaching of the paper, Q by Q and there is a Q3 key terminology matching starter activity; a modelled Q3 structure response and a new Q4 slide. There are loads of these specimen Paper 1s and 2s ALL FREE at my 'shop' here on TES, as well as highly differentiated versions for students with low-level literacy. Please leave a review and help yourself to them! Matt :)

UPDATED: August 19th, 2017 A booklet designed for use with the new AQA English Literature Paper 1: Shakespeare examination. The booklet comprises social, historical and cultural contexts information, a number of detailed character analyses, including: * Macbeth * Lady Macbeth * Banquo * The Weird Sisters and a variety of AQA-style Literature practice exam questions, with some prompts and a suggested essay structure writing frame to stimulate student response for study / revision beyond the classroom. The extract length and exam paper question format adhere to the model provided by AQA in the only official specimen exam paper they have thus far published. I hope it is of some use to you and your students. Matt :)

A revision booklet to support study of A Christmas Carol for the new AQA English Literature GCSE, The booklet contains: * a graphic timeline of events * thumbnail character profiles (taken from BBC Bitesize) * a series of extracts with accompanying exam Qs in the style of that produced by AQA in their published specimen paper Hope it is of some use. Matt :)

A Practice GCSE Paper 1 Section A exam paper, using an extract from Alice Sebold's novel, 'The Lovely Bones', published in 2002. In this extract, the opening of the novel, the narrator - a fourteen years old girl who has been murdered - gives an intriguing and engaging account of the night she was killed. The extract, complete with line numbers and Qs 1 to 4, is produced as a Word document but I have also included a set of SMART Notebook slides to assist you in teaching the 4 exam Qs, question by question. I have included also a model response to Q3 structure, modelling appropriate use of subject terminology and impact on the reader.The SMART Notebook slides can be unlocked and the content easily amended to suit any other text and Qs you might wish to use with your students in the future. I hope these resources are of some use to you. NOTE: I've uploaded LOADS of practice paper 1A and 2A exam papers (and also highly differentiated exam papers for less able students) to my 'shop' here on TES and ALL are FREE! Help yourself and please leave a review - thanks! Matt :)

Using an eyewitness account of a prison visit reported in The Telegraph in 1881 and a 21st C American newspaper article in support of the death penalty, the theme of these two non-fiction texts is different perspectives of capital punishment in different cultures and centuries. 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 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 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 7 of these highly differentiated papers for Paper 2A now and all are available FREE at my 'shop'. Please 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 'Titanic Tragedy', using a survivor's autobiographical account of the disaster and a 21st century informative web page written by teens for teens. 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. (One of the texts in the GCSE exams will be 19th C but as this paper was designed to introduce the format and the skills tested, both texts here are from the 20th and 21st C, exploring different viewpoints of the same event.) I have uploaded LOADS of practice Paper 1s AND 2s to my 'shop', ALL FREE of charge. Please help yourself - just leave a review. Thanks! I hope it is of some use to you.

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: here, it is the theme of CHILD LABOUR across the centuries and in different cultures. Extracts used here are Lord Shaftesbury's Parliamentary speech in 1842 about the working conditions of children in British coal mines and a newspaper article from 2014 regarding child labour in India. 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 have, on occasion, tweaked the vocabulary or sentencing of Shaftesbury's parliamentary speech ever so slightly, simply to make it more accessible for classroom use.) NOTE: I've uploaded LOADS of Practice exam papers for Paper 1 and Paper 2. They are all FREE at my 'shop' so please help yourself - just leave a review! Thanks. I hope it is of some use to you. Matt :)

Courtesy of @MrsLCavalier who provided the source texts over on Twitter (via @Team_English1), I have produced an AQA English Language Paper 2 Walking Talking mock exam via SMART Notebook slides, complete with reminders about the focus of each Q; the timings; how to approach each Q; exemplar responses and Q by Q slides with interactive timers. PLEASE NOTE: If you don't use SMART Notebook interactive whiteboards in your school, you can download a FREE SMART Notebook viewer which enables you to open and view/project the slides in a format that it akin to Powerpoint. (Occasionally, due to formatting glitches some of the graphics or text can go a little wonky!) Or you can just download the source texts and the question paper. It is hoped that this is of use to you and your colleagues. Matt :)

Made using copyright free images from www.unsplash.com and the free software package Adobe Spark, here are thirteen key quotation display posters for use in your classroom. When printed, the posters are approx 40cm x 40cm and the images are high resolution - perfect for display. They also only take a couple of minutes to make each one! Have a go!

A new practice exam AQA English Language Paper 1: 'Creative Explorations in Reading' paper which uses a dramatic moment from 'Dracula' where Johnathan encounters the three hags during his stay at Castle Dracula. The resource contains 4 exam questions which adhere strictly to the format of the specimen paper. Also included is a series of SMART Notebook slides, to aid your whole-class interactive teaching of the paper Q by Q, for textual annotation. I've added a model response to Q3: structure, too. NOTE: If you don't use SMART Notebooks, you can still view the slides by downloading a FREE, SMART Notebook Viewer (which will open the Notebook in a format similar to Powerpoint on your computer). Very occasionally some of the graphic / text moves a little (a formatting glitch in the software!) You can access the viewer FREE of charge here: http://express.smarttech.com/ Loads of other Paper 1s and 2s, as well as differentiated versions, ALL FREE at my 'shop'. Please leave a review and help yourself! Matt :)