A creative writing workshop aimed at KS3 and KS4 students. Students are given examples from across literature that demonstrate the idea of ‘show, don’t tell’ and there are several opportunities for pieces of writing. The powerpoint can be used over the course of a couple of lessons, building on student’s writing skills.

A Powerpoint lesson to take students through the planning process. Ideal for GCSE English Language students as it covers key terminology needed for the structure question, but applies the terms to the planning of creative writing. Includes some advice taken from AQA examiners’ report. Different methods of planning are used including ‘Drop, Shift, Zoom’ and Freytag’s pyramid. Encourages students to have a narrative in every piece of writing, including when they’re writing descriptively.

A creative writing workshop powerpoint aimed at KS3/4 students (although may be adapted up/down). We look at a range of language techniques including adjectives, symbols and motifs, and pathetic fallacy and how they’ve been used in examples from literature. This presentation only looks at how writers develop settings. Throughout, there are quick writing tasks so children can use this techniques in their own writing. Opportunity to explain the creative writing task in GCSE English Language paper 1 and how to break down pictures to look for ideas. The workshop I ran lasted 90 minutes, but there’s opportunities to break the individual sections down into different lessons. Each technique could, for example, lead into analytical PEE paragraphs using the exemplars. At the end, there is a quick check for students to get into the habit of checking through for SPaG and sentence lengths/variety. Again, this provides opportunity to link to GCSE assessment criteria. This is part 1 of a series of 4 workshops. Other workshops include character, plot and editing.

A huge powerpoint for everything a student needs to know about Macbeth for GCSE English Literature exams. Includes a brief overview of each act, then more detailed revision questions; character profiles; discussion of major themes; context; exam board (AQA) advice; exam style questions; deeper thinking questions for stretch and challenge. I have used this as a 3 hour revision workshop in the past - we didn’t cover all the questions! - but can be used across a series of lessons or as a useful tool for student revision and independent learning.

Complete revision powerpoint for GCSE English Literature students. Includes overview and key analysis for major themes and characters, as well as advice from the exam board and exam style questions.

KS2-3 revision of compound sentences. Opportunity for developing creative writing, as well as recapping and revising FANBOYS/coordinating conjunctions

Prereading activities for a secondary school reading group. Range of discussion questions for the novel ‘Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black’. Looks at the artwork, trailer (on Youtube) and a couple of pages from the text.

Lesson 8 of Shakespeare’s Hamlet scheme of work. In this lesson, students look at being able to deliver advice persuasively. It builds on the previous lesson about the advice that Polonius gives to Laertes and Ophelia. Can be used to help students understand how to structure writing to advise ahead of starting the GCSE course.

In this lesson, students read extracts from Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ and consider the way that Ophelia is treated, as well as the effects of language on her character. Reading questions are structured for students to work up towards more complicated analysis and deeper critical understanding of the play.

Lesson 7 of the Shakespeare’s Hamlet scheme of work. In this lesson, students read and annotate Polonius’ advice to his children and consider to what extent is his a comedic character, as well as how useful his advice is. Opportunity for students to try acting this scene in different ways towards the end of the lesson.

Lesson 4 of the Hamlet scheme of work. Introducing year 9 students to Shakespeare and soliloquy. Students consider 4 different interpretations and presentations of the soliloquy and make notes on the ways that the director and actor have staged this speech.

Lesson 6 of the Hamlet scheme of work for year 9 students. This lesson builds on from lesson 5 and is an editing lesson. Students look at varied sentence types/lengths and openings in order to reflect on their own writing.

Lesson introducing students to situational factors and social context before reading Hamlet. Lesson links to PSHEE and covers controversial ideas that are found in Shakespeare’s plays (such as large age gaps and marriage). Lesson needs teacher management of conversations/topics.

Lesson 2 of Hamlet scheme of work. This lesson is aimed at top set year 9 students and introduces them to meter. Could be used as a stand alone lesson, or an introduction into Shakespeare for any play.

Lesson 5 in the Hamlet scheme of work. Introduction for year 9 students to Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, Act 1, scene 5. Looks at the religious context of Adam and Eve, ahead of GCSE English literature, and works towards a creative task after comprehension questions based on the scene.

Lesson 3 in Hamlet Scheme of Work. This lesson is aimed at top set year 9 students and looks at the opening scenes of the play. Includes creative writing task to get students to engage with the dramatic opening and the emotions at the start of the play.

Extract assessment question for year 9 students studying Hamlet. Building skills towards GCSE English literature.

Second lesson on Shakespeare’s Ophelia from Hamlet. This lesson looks at Ophelia’s character after her father, Polonius, has died. Students watch different versions of the same scene and discuss the differences in the way that her character is portrayed, as well as the reasons behind these differences. Students work up towards considering the social and political implications of her portrayal in a scene from the film ‘Ophelia’. Aimed at year 9 students building critical thinking and analysis skills ahead of GCSE English literature course.

This lesson takes students through planning to answer a question on the portrayal of Hamlet as a character in Shakespeare’s play. Students are working towards generating thesis statements and considering Shakespeare’s intentions.

A worksheet to help guide students through their independent reading. Students should be able to recap and summarise the events of the story, as well as being able to consider the context that surrounds it. This worksheet can be used as a guide of how to write a book review and helps students structure their ideas into different points.