I'm an experienced English teacher, senior leader and examiner with a wealth of experience teaching English across all key stages. Having examined for AQA and WJEC, I have a precise knowledge of how to support students so they can make maximum progress in their learning.
I'm an experienced English teacher, senior leader and examiner with a wealth of experience teaching English across all key stages. Having examined for AQA and WJEC, I have a precise knowledge of how to support students so they can make maximum progress in their learning.
A full, unseen paper 2 for exam revision that focuses on a modern extract from a letter to a school thanking them for their donation to the dog charity and another 19th century extract about the problem of stray dogs in London.
There is also a writing question attached.
I have used this with my own year 11 classes as walk through revision for the GCSE exams, which was beneficial as we added notes to the help sheet and then the students were able to write much more detailed responses, moving securely into level 3.
A brand new, unseen paper for English Language paper 2 with a modern, engaging text and a 19th century diary entry. The paper also includes a helpful grid to scaffold answers making revision easier and helping students to form their own answers.
There is also a section B writing activity that includes a planning sheet. I have used this with my own year 11 classes, which helped them to develop their paper 2 exam responses, particularly the synthesis Q2 and the Q4 comparison.
A five week countdown that has activities and tasks for An Inspector Calls, Macbeth, A Christmas Carol, Unseen Poetry and the Love poems. The paper one tasks ask students to revise from all parts of the play to help deepen their knowledge.
Each day, the students also must then revisit revision from the previous days to ensure they develop their retention skills and add this knowledge to their long term memory.
Model answers all with activity tasks attached. I have used these as activities in class or for flipped learning style homeworks where they had the model answer before a test so they could use some of the points they’d read.
The questions covered are:
Supernatural
Macduff
Appearance Vs Reality
Lady Macbeth
Loyalty
A model answer for the whole play that you can add to an extract of your choice.
I have used this as a starter activity then changed the question focus to ambition so students could apply the points they had read.
It has a bronze, silver, gold task with a PYT challenge to stretch the most able.
A model answer that covers the theme above across the whole play.
I have used this in a lesson against an extract and asked students to synthesise this into a new response. It has a bronze silver, gold task and an additional challenge task to stretch the most able.
You could use this for a homework task or a main activity like I did above.
A model answer for the question of loyalty for the whole play. It is differentiated and includes a PYT (extension task - push your thinking to challenge the most able).
I have used this for an activity in a lesson or you could use it for a homework task.
An answer for the whole play for the importance of the character of Macduff.
This has an activity attached, which is differentiated using bronze, silver, gold and a challenge task to push the most able. I have used this in class for an activity, and have also given it out as a homework task.
A model answer that allows students to see the importance of the supernatural in the play.
It has a differentiated task, bronze, silver, gold and includes a challenge activity using PYT (push your thinking) to stretch the most able.
Three answers that show different levels of the mark scheme, for the theme of betrayal. I have asked students to read all three, highlight the sections that are analytical and explain what makes 2, better than 1 and what makes response 3, better than 2.
There is a bronze, silver, gold task and PYT for challenge.
I have also demonstrated that the theme questions should be explored in an evaluative way, as done in response 3, where the answer explores the type of betrayal too.
A Grade 8+ Model answer for the character of Mrs Birling.
To achieve a high mark in the exam, students need to create a convincing, perceptive argument about the character where they can thread a critical stance through their response.
The thread through this response is - could we pity Mrs Birling for her bourgeoisie, supercilious attitude instead of the initial dislike we have for her.
After reading the model answer and assessing it using a bronze, silver gold differentiated task, students need to plan their own response and add in the higher level terminology included: hubris, allegorical, supercilious, proletariat and bourgeoisie.
You could cut these out and get students to rank order them to justify, which is better and why.
This can be used for a homework, revision task before an exam.
This could also be used as part of a task within a lesson.
There are five responses to an exam question on Eric that gradually become more perceptive and detailed. Alongside the responses is a bronze, silver and gold differentiated task to challenge all learners. There is an extension task (push your thinking) to add additional challenge.
This is something I have used with year 11 to help develop their understanding of the character, context, writer’s intentions and to teach the skills of writing a detailed reading response.
A model answer for AIC that includes a bronze, silver, gold differentiated assessment task and a PYT extension task. You could use this as a homework task, revision task of as part of a lesson where you analyse a model answer.
A free Macbeth model answer that uses a differentiated task to get students to assess it. This can be used for revision or before students do a mock exam to get them to consider how to deveop their ideas.
The focus of the question is ‘how Macbeth’s hallucinations and visions are important’ in the extract and across the play.
There are six questions on this worksheet that focus on six poems. The task is differentiated with bronze, silver and gold.
The poems are in pairs:
Simple Joys and Bags of Love
Homework and Studying
Apologising and I’m Sorry
This will work well as a revision tool before the GCSE exam or could be used as homework.
Six poems/ questions for the unseen poetry exam that students can use to revise. The poems in this collection are entitled:
‘Sleeping’ paired with 2. ‘The Insomniac’
‘Sunday Kickabout’ paired with 4. 'Gingerbread Biscuits
‘Redecorating’ paired with 6. ‘Empty Suitcase’
The worksheet also has a differentiated bronze, silver, gold task.
There are six poems included in this designed to be grouped in three questions:
Set 1 - these two poems are about the sea/water
Set 2 - these two poems are about the arrival of Winter
Set 3 - these two poems are written from the POVs of animals, one a dog and one a cat, and deal with their views of their owners
The poems link to the AQA specification, but could be adapted to suit any Literature unseen questions.
The worksheet is differentiated using bronze, silver and gold to challenge students with their annotations.
A simple resource to be used in lessons for revison or could easily be given for homework.
This is ideal to get your students to think about five key moments for each character/ theme and for them to find quotes, which link to these.
Ten exam questions for An Inspector Calls which can be used for revision. The students need to think of ten points they could include for each one to revise key characters and themes.