I teach GCSE and Functional Skills English in an FE college. I plan classes to engage learners studying on a wide range of vocational courses and believe that to engage learners we have to keep lessons fresh, exciting and fully differentiated.
I recently achieved full met/outstanding in my latest observation. I have a BA English Language, MA Creative Writing, PGCE English Specialism and QTLS.
I teach GCSE and Functional Skills English in an FE college. I plan classes to engage learners studying on a wide range of vocational courses and believe that to engage learners we have to keep lessons fresh, exciting and fully differentiated.
I recently achieved full met/outstanding in my latest observation. I have a BA English Language, MA Creative Writing, PGCE English Specialism and QTLS.
This fully resourced two lesson plan looks at Edexcel English Language 7a and 7b. The plan includes extracts from In Cold Blood and You Could Do Something Amazing With Your Life [You are Raul Moat].
The plan includes a fully scaffolded and differentiated powepoint for both lessons including a series of activities, refresher questions, group tasks and scaffolding to an exam style answer.
Resources include picture prompts, extracts, worksheets to aid annotation of texts and scaffolding worksheets.
This engaging topic has been very popular with learners and has led to some great answers to both 7a and 7b which can be a more difficult question to teach. This is partly due to needed to read two extracts so the extracts included are fairly short so that more time can be focused on understanding perspectives and how to correctly answer the questions.
This lesson is perfect for new and lower ability GCSE learners and E3-L1 Functional Skills learners who need to improve their ability to identify and discuss language and structure features. Using an extract from The Book Thief, the lesson includes comprehension questions about a video clip and the extract. The lesson builds on annotation skills before students complete a final GCSE style question.
This pack includes:
A fully differentiated powerpoint
Reading comprehension worksheet
Extract
This lesson is aimed at GCSE and Functional Skills learners and aims to help them improve their annotation skills while embedding reading for pleasure and historical knowledge. It is based on the Edexcel GCSE but can be used for a range of English Language learners.
This booklet uses texts on shocking true stories of social media being misused to con people to entice learners into improving their reading and writing skills. Designed for revision sessions and to help prepare functional skills learners for GCSE, this booklet is suitable for lower level or new GCSE students as well as functional skills learners.
The booklet combines short extract on social media conartists such as Belle Gibson with reading comprehension questions and scaffolded GCSE style tasks to introduce students to the requirements of the Edexcel GCSE Paper 2.
This engaging booklet can be used for small group support with a teacher or as a homework revision guide. It can also be adapted as part of a larger lesson.
Thank you for purchasing with me. Any feedback is greatly appreciated!
This reading comprehension is designed to help Level 1 Functional Skills learners begin to prepare for GCSE. It is perfect for revision sessions or at the end of term when learners have completed their Level 1 or Level 2 qualification and are waiting to start GCSE.
The resource includes an article on school meals and whether they should be free, a series of reading comprehension questions and a scaffolded GCSE style exam question with an option to compelte a table or a paragraphed answer.
This fully resourced and scaffolded two lesson resource pack includes:
engaging and scaffolded powerpoint
range of resources
extract
The lesson includes short activities to introduce Dracula in a student-centred way. It helps learners get to grips with annotating for language and structure features before guiding them through the language and structure question in paper 1.
This fully resourced and differentiated lesson guides learners through the evaluation and analyse language and structure questions from the Edexcel GCSE English Language exam.
The lesson includes:
schemata building starter task
video based evaluation task
language and structure guided reading and annotation
preparation for exam style questions
differentiated main writing task
This lesson uses an extract from The Cuckoo’s Calling to teach the skills needed for paper 1 and paper 2 of the Edexcel English Language GCSE. The skills and tasks are transferrable to a range of learners including those in younger year groups.
The main writing task is differentiated in a traffic light style way and there is a self assessment criteria with guidance for a what went well and even better if.
This lesson includes an interesting and engaging video and extract to keep learners interested. It also covers the main skills and knowledge needed for two of the main questions on the GCSE English paper.
This three lesson powerpoint and resources is designed to help new GCSE and Functional Skills learners develop their understanding of 19th century literature and their creative writing skills.
The three lessons draw comparisons between Dracula and The Vampire Diaries, includes guided annotation and a series or creative writing tasks including character profiles and story arc planning.
The three lesson can be delivered to FS over 3-4 lessons or over 2 for GCSE learners. This is a fun and engaging way to introduce learners to the 19th century texts while making it more fun and accessible with some creative writing!
This pack includes:
three lesson powerpoint with a range of inspiring prompts and videos with learning objectives and differentiation
character profile worksheet
story arc worksheet
language feature worksheet
This pack is mainly aimed at Edexcel GCSE with Functional Skills learners preparing to move up to GCSE and new GCSE learners in mind.
This resource has students plan and participate in a debate before writing a blog article on their topic. Students will discuss the pros and cons of the British monarchy before working in teams to complete further research.
This lesson is aimed at new GCSE Edexcel students and Functional Skills students who have completed their qualification and are moving on to preparing for GCSE.
The lesson includes a series of group tasks, written and reading tasks as well as a final self-assessment.
The pack includes:
a three lesson powerpoint with a range of activities
a research pack on the monarchy
an example blog article with reading comprehension tasks
This is a two lesson plan that includes differentiation for differing interests and levels. The powerpoint directs learners to develop their reading skills in preperation for their GCSE English exam. The resources attached include both an extract from Frankenstein and an exract from Jane Eyre. I teach students on a childcare course who I use the Jane Eyre resources with and I use Frankenstein with my Science students.
The lessons are planned to build subject specific knowledge and reading skills in lesson 1 before learners then plan and write their language and structure answers in lesson 2. In the first lesson groups work on building their existing knowledge through vocabulary finders and mind mapping before the whole class completes a first read. Learners then complete a directed second read either as individuals (more confident learners) or in small groups (less confident learners.
I use SQUID paragaphs - Statement, Quotation, Infer, Develop - but this could easily be swapped for a different structure.
I also use PERSUADER for language features and SCOOTER for structure features:
Personification
Emotive language
Simile and metaphor
Unusual imagery
Alliteration
Dialogue
Exaggeration
Repetition
Sentence structure
Contrast
Opening
Order of ideas
Time
Endings
Repetition
Fully resourced two lesson pack on the song ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’. Perfect for grabbing the attention of teenagers who aren’t keen on creative writing. This lesson uses the true crime events behind the lyrics to inspire story ideas and creative writing.
This fully resourced pack includes:
poweproint
printable worksheets which can be changed for your own learners
scaffolding
stretch tasks
Perfect for preparing learners for their GCSE creative writing, this lesson has inspired some fantastic writing from my own learners.
This GCSE English Language lesson uses a clip from Killing Eve to focus on Evaluation. Then, learners are guided through reading an unseen text and annotate for the language and structure question.
There are two scaffolded writing tasks - one for evaluation, one for language and structure. This means this lesson is ideal for preparing learners for working more quickly through the two main reading questions in the EDEXCEL GCSE English Language.
The engaging topic has been popular with my learners and has seen a good few paragraphs on both questions from higher level learners.
This lesson uses clips from Happy Valley to prepare learners for the evaluation and language and structure questions for EDEXCEL GCSE English Language.
For higher level groups this can be taught in one lesson, while for lower level groups this can be split across two for more scaffolding and time for questioning.
In part one, learners find the structure features in an opening scene from Happy Valley. They then write SQUID paragraphs (info on this is included but this could be redone to suit whichever paragraph structure you are using.
Next, learners will look at the advert for the most recent Happy Valley series and complete evaluation. This starts with guided note taking on SITE before learners then complete exam style paragraphs.
This has been a popular lesson amongst my learners as many are fans of the show.
Paper 1 and Paper 2 Walkthrough booklets that include extracts and broken down questions. The booklets are perfect to prepare learners for their exams. This might be at the start of understanding the GCSE requirements or to support learners in revision ahead of exams.
A handy bundle of lessons, booklets and worksheets that are perfect for E3 to L1 Functional Skills English.
This bundle would be handy to have just in case of unexpected cover or when getting to know a new group of learners.
This complete lesson focuses on the language and structure component of the Edexcel Language and Structure questions in GCSE Paper 1 and Paper 2.
The lesson uses a recent news article about Bobby Bostic who was freed after 27 years in prison. He was sent to prison as a teenager and the article focuses on the main differences he sees in life now compared to in the past.
The lesson takes learners through annotation of the text, a video clip task to increase motivation and interest before a differentiated main writing task in the form of an exam style question. There is also an extension task in the form of creative writing.
This lesson is suitable for learners who are new to the GCSE curriculum or as revision of key skills in the lead up to exams.
This language and structure lesson uses Strike to engage learners in this crime fiction lesson.
Using a video the lesson first walks learners through evaluation of an advert.
Then, students look at an extract and annotate for the language and structure question - there is particular focus on structure because this is an area the majority of my learners struggle with.
This lesson is fully resourced and differentiated to help learners with the language and structure question in both paper 1 and paper 2 of the Edexcel GCSE English language exam.
A bright and colourful resource to help learners prepare for their exam and take care of their wellbeing.
The poster includes some quick top tips on exam preperation and is ideal to be displayed in classroom.
Prepare learners for Paper 2 with this series of fully resourced and diffrentiated lessons.
Paper 2 Reading
Language and structure - Happy Valley lesson
Evaluation - Psychopaths (Killing Eve)
Comparison - True Crime
Debate and Blog Writing
This two lesson pack about Deepwater Horizon, helps learners to annotate a text and answer exam style questions for the EDEXCEL GCSE English Language.
The lessons are fully differentiated and include a printed resource booklet which can be used to support lower level learners. The powerpoint is scaffolded with a range of tasks to walk learners through the analysing language and structure question and the evaluation question.
The powerpoint includes video, differentiated questions and stretch tasks.
This lesson is suitable for new GCSE learners getting to grips with the requirements of the exam or higher level learners who can work more independently through writing tasks but who would benefit from an interesting and engaging subject matter.
This booklet is designed to help learners complete revision in their own time or supported in revision sessions. They will then be able to take the completed booklet home to continue revision in their own time ahead of the English Language GCSE exams.
The booklet is designed to support learners with their paper 1 exam.
It is designed to support all learners in starting to revise.
It includes:
An artistic and engaging design
Plenty of space for notes
Recap of key acronyms
Simple matching tasks
Some spelling tasks
Annotation of shortened extracts
Guidance on the language and structure and evaluation question
A creative writing prompt with space to plan and write