These resources seek to redress imbalances in most English curricula, containing writing challenges, unseen poetry analysis and non-fiction analysis by LGBTQIA+ writers and writers who are black, asian and from other ethnic groups often, wrongly, omitted from canon. Where possible, intersectionality has been considered too as we are more than one label… It is SO important that our children/students hear a range of voices and know that the world should value each of us equally. Thank you for taking the time to view these resources. Any mistakes or clumsy phrasing is my own - please let me know politely if I should change anything.

With assessments moderated and marked, one thing screamed out to the English department I’m a part of: the inference is missing. It wasn’t that student answers weren’t long enough, often they were. It wasn’t that quotes were missing, mostly they were well selected and supportive. It wasn’t that they’d missed the steer. It was that, where the inference should be, there were empty phrases: “*This makes the reader want to read on.” *“The writer uses language for emphasis.” * *“This creates more meaning.” I don’t know where students hear these phrases from but they seem incredibly universal! When I was thinking about a solution, it seemed clear that students struggle to know the difference between empty, space-filling phrases and actual analysis. Considering how to make this difference more evident, I realised that it might be worthwhile doing some phrase comparison and, thus, the ‘Inference Powerpoint’ was born. It consists of a series of slides, each one intended as a starter/bell work which should take five minutes. The aim is that students should select the phrase which includes the best inference and explain how they know it is the most analytical. Additionally, students can they decide on the flaws of the other answers. Not all of them have one obvious answer, in that the aim is that students are considering what makes inference effective, so it is worth sometimes warning students of that. Perhaps more usefully, it seeks to teach students about some other common errors. Often there are answers of exactly the same length or a really vague and meaningless longer answer so that students can rely on length as a guide. We’ve all had students who use that as a guide!

This is a worksheet, detailing how to write up context for ‘An Inspector Calls’ (though it could be used for teaching other texts where context explanation is required. It runs through how not to do it and then how to do it, leaving a space for students to have a go themselves at the bottom. I’d imagine teaching it to the class, going through it together and discussing how and why the second one is better before getting them to write one themselves. Additionally, you might want to write an example together as a class, an example in pairs and then one independently to ensure mastery. All of my resources are influenced to some degree by ‘The Learning Scientists’: www.learningscientists.org Do check out my other resources and blog: https://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org You can find me on Facebook and Instagram as The Idealistic Teacher or An Idealistic Teacher. Thank you for taking the time to look at my resources. :)

These are transactional writing tasks based on the power and conflict cluster of poems. All fifteen poems are covered, with an exemplar response for ‘Bayonet Charge’. These follow the format of 200 word challenges, though they could be used in other ways quite easily. Each includes an appropriate task for AQA GCSE English Language paper two, section b. These tasks are varied so all text types and purposes should be covered. Feel free to use these as a lesson or as cover to set if you are absent. More able students should be able to approach these independently whilst you may wish to go through them more slowly, step by step with less able learners. Please do c heck out my other resources and my blog: https://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/author/idealisticteacher/

Here you’ll find reading tasks, focusing on non-fiction writing and nineteenth century context. Whilst both of the diary entries here are by Anne Lister in 1823, this resource provides a useful AQA English Language Paper 02A revision resource and an excellent opportunity into some SMSC work. Students often presume that they are developed, civilised and cultured, whilst those of the past lived rather more narrow, small-minded lives. Anne Lister proves this wrong. Use this as an opportunity for discussion about how wrong it is to generalise when discussing context! Please do note that these tasks mention Anne Lister and her life as a lesbian, including a mention of “making love”. It is no more gratuitous than that but it should be pre-read by the teacher and students may need to be spoken to about the content. Alternatively, let them read it and discuss it themselves, if they’re mature enough, and see which of them see the date! Please do contact me with any questions and check out my other resources/blog: http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org

These are posters I’ve used for my classroom. They can be divided into two types - classroom communication and BfL. They seek to communicate with students, allowing them to receive messages and top tips as well as enabling further behaviour for learning. Rewards based, these posters encourage effort and producing work of the highest quality. Whilst the specific class names may not apply in your school context, I have included a blank class communication poster that could be adapted. Any comments, please do get in touch! Check out my other resources or take a look at my blog where I talk about these… https://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/author/idealisticteacher/

These are all paired AQA Language section B tasks, one for paper one and one for paper two. I’ve been using two per week throughout this academic year! Recently, our school has altered its behaviour policy and is running after school detentions. I’ve created these as purposeful writing tasks for our students to complete during these detentions. The aim is to develop students’ planning and writing abilities whilst getting them to consider the nature of their behaviour and the value of education. This means that all of these are about character development and SMSC in addition to exam preparation. There is a simple layout, inspired by ‘The Learning Scientists’ though I’m not sure that Oliver Caviglioli would approve of the boxes used in the design! Planning space is provided and, I would advise, should be used to ensure that students develop a structure prior to actually writing. I would print this on A3 paper for it to be most useful. Do get in touch with any feedback! I may well add more as time goes on… If you like these, check out my other resources, follow me on instagram/twitter or pop over to my blog: https://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/author/idealisticteacher/

This writing challenge focuses on narrating the beginning of a story about an orphan - it might be worthwhile showing students short video extracts from ‘Oliver Twist’ as they enter the room as a bit of inspiration. KS4 students would benefit most from this writing activity which could be done as a stand alone lesson or to support the teaching of English Language paper one, section B in general. This activity would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through it as a class activity (perhaps planning together) for less able students. For students who are just coming across writing narrative for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan and write it up separately, before focusing on editing and improving. The Writing Revolution would suggest that approaching it through describing as a teacher (modelling how it’d done), then in pairs and then indvidually would lead to better responses too. In terms of writing narrative, writing the beginning means that students should have an idea of where the story is going but are not required to race through it an write the entire thing. Using something like a ‘story mountain’ to plan it quickly and then circling the beginning section that they will actually write is often useful. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my blog and other resources! http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/

This year, I had a student in my year 11 class who had given up. That’s not an exaggeration. He was refusing to write anything at all. The issue was nerves and this simple sheet, made just for him, really was the solution I never expected it to be. Useful as a basic scaffold for any Literature questions or reading questions in the Language exam, this enables those students who are struggling or who have given up to access anything. I gave my student a stack of them to keep in his book and he just whipped them out whenever he had to choose and explain quotes. This really did enable him to get a five in Literature. I was genuinely astounded. I’ve included the handwritten sheets I made for him too, in case they’re of any use. Do check out my shop and the blog: http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org All resources are inspired by the principles of ‘The Learning Scientists’: https://www.learningscientists.org

Here you’ll find three different worksheets: one running through the first text on slavery; the second running through a second text on ancient Egyptian slavery; and a worksheet running through the different questions, one to four. Both of these texts are 19th century to provide increased stretch. The aim here is that the worksheets provide a structure for a series of lessons, giving students time to learn how to approach a non-fiction text before then answering exam style questions. The texts could be used separately or could build up to writing full exam answers. Questions one and three could be done when studying the separate texts. Take at look at my other resources and blog! http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org

This writing challenge focuses on persuading the reader to do more to help the environment - it might be worthwhile showing students excerpts from programs like Planet Earth to help them visualise what life is like for polar bears or other animals affected by pollution and global warming. KS4 students would benefit most from this writing activity which could be done as a stand alone lesson or to support the teaching of English Language paper two in general. This activity would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through it as a class activity (perhaps planning together) for less able students. For students who are just coming across transactional writing for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan and write it up separately, before focusing on editing and improving. The Writing Revolution would suggest that approaching it through describing as a teacher (modelling how it’s done), then in pairs and then indvidually would lead to better responses too. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my blog and other resources! http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/

This writing challenge focuses on describing the festival Holi - it might be worthwhile showing students a video of a paint fight during the festival. KS4 students would benefit most from this writing activity which could be done as a stand alone lesson or to support the teaching of English Language paper one in general. This activity would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through it as a class activity (perhaps planning together) for less able students. For students who are just coming across writing description for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan and write it up separately, before focusing on editing and improving. The Writing Revolution would suggest that approaching it through describing as a teacher (modelling how it’d done), then in pairs and then indvidually would lead to better responses too. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my blog and other resources! http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/

This writing challenge focuses on describing a slum - it might be worthwhile showing students 'Slumdog Millionaire from 06:30 to 09:30 minutes to help them visualise what life is like in a slum. KS4 students would benefit most from this writing activity which could be done as a stand alone lesson or to support the teaching of English Language paper one in general. This activity would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through it as a class activity (perhaps planning together) for less able students. For students who are just coming across writing description for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan and write it up separately, before focusing on editing and improving. The Writing Revolution would suggest that approaching it through describing as a teacher (modelling how it’d done), then in pairs and then indvidually would lead to better responses too. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my blog and other resources! http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/

AQA GCSE students will benefit from these example unseen poetry questions and responses using the latest question format (May 2019). These poems would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through these as class activities for less able students. They may be useful if students are failing to understand the impact of context on the writing of a poem. For students who are just coming across unseen poetry for the first time, it would be useful to run through question one and poem one separately, before focusing on language comparison and poem two. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Difficult words are translated and there is some planning space provided. Take a look at my other resources! Or my blog: https://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/author/idealisticteacher/

AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example unseen poetry question two and response using the latest question format (May 2019). This would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through as a class activity for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to understand how to explain language. For students who are just coming across unseen poetry for the first time, this would be useful to run through question one and poem one using an example, before focusing on language comparison for question two. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. THIS GOES WITH ANOTHER RESOURCE (SIMILARLY TITLED). The other resource has an additional poem and includes question one. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Difficult words are translated and there is some planning space provided. Take a look at my other resources! Or my blog: https://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/author/idealisticteacher/

AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example unseen poetry question one and response using the latest question format (May 2019). This would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through as a class activity for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to understand how to explain language. For students who are just coming across unseen poetry for the first time, this would be useful to run through question one and poem one using an example, before focusing on language comparison for question two. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. THIS GOES WITH ANOTHER RESOURCE (SIMILARLY TITLED). The other resource has an additional poem and includes question two. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Difficult words are translated and there is some planning space provided. Take a look at my other resources!

AQA GCSE Language students will benefit from these example non-fiction reading questions using the latest question format (May 2019). These texts will provide stretch activities for more able students, and it would be possible to run through these as class activities for less able students. For students who are just coming across the non-fiction exam for the first time, it would be useful to run through question by question, culminating in question four as an amalgamation of the previous questions. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Copyright for the modern hotel review belongs to: Becca Blond. Dogs Stay Free at Denver’s Hotel Teatro Posted on March 28, 2017 by Becca Blond The article can be found at:https://planetblond.com/2017/03/28/dogs-stay-free-at-denvers-hotel-teatro/ Take a look at my other resources or blog: http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/

GCSE students will benefit from this example ‘A Christmas Carol’ exam-style extract question for the current examination series (May 2019). This focuses on the Cratchits and their Christmas dinner. Provided are two exemplars, one more stretching and the other more supportive, as well as the extract itself. This would be useful as an independent stretch activity for more able students, and it would be possible to run through it as separate, timed class activities for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to explain the writer’s language in depth. For students who are just coming across extract essays for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to annotate and understand the extract, how to plan as a class, modelling how to answer before encouraging students to write their own paragraph. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my other resources and blog: http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/