This lesson was used with top set Y11 classes prior to a recent mock examination. Students will begin by matching poetic terms via a worksheet-a good settling activity. Formulaic approaches to the exam questions in Section B follow thereafter.

These lessons were used for non-specialist English teachers and were deemed fun and effective for students. Suitable for all abilities; KS3-lower abilities KS4.

Plot sort activity worksheet with answer sheet. Good for recapping order of events in the novella and to test memory of chapters.

Analysis of the description of the use of symbolism in the novella. Suitable for all abilities. Lesson time: 50 minutes.

This lesson can be used across key stages to teach creative writing. The lesson explores mini saga stories and challenges students to write, peer assess and redraft their writing. This lesson would most benefit those who see writing creatively as daunting or difficult under timed or restrictive conditions-i.e. based on an image. The task uses the approach of language paper 1 whereby a stimulus is given for students to base their writing on. Includes guided peer assessment, exemplars, student friendly wording of the assessment criteria, as well as a plenary which relays a useful memory technique. Differentiation: colour coded instructions, help boxes, stretch, challenge and never finished tasks plus teacher’s notes in the comment boxes under each slide. Lesson duration: 50 minutes

This resource is designed to equip students with the knowledge of which poems to compare for the exams. There are two pairs of summarised revision cards that can be used to memorise for the exam. Students can then complete the blank revision cards for the remainder of the poems. The exemplars are colour coded and students can use different coloured pens or highlighters, to mark comparative ideas and quotes on the blank sheets. Suitable for all abilities. Vocabulary key provided also.

Double-sided, colour-coded, quote bank worksheet to use as a revision tool. Also includes a brief summary of each chapter, to help students revise the plot of the novella, as well as a vocabulary key. Can be set as homework to revise quotations or as a resource during mock exams or in class practice questions. Print double sided on A4/A3 paper. Suitable for all abilities.

Content: This interactive lesson is most suitable for a double period of two 50 minute lessons. The students will partake in a range of analytical tasks, including close reading, challenging ideas of stereotypes and evaluative assessments of pair work. The starter task will introduce the students to the play ‘DNA’ by Dennis Kelly; key words are highlighted to guide less able students to the main ideas in the text. The students will then have a guided discussion on the definition of gangs, reviewing images of young people in groups and review a video with a short commentary on gangs. They will then decide how the images represent gangs (or not.) Teacher led discussions will enable the students to contemplate where their interpretations are derived from i.e. media, own experiences etc. Students will then practise a dramatic reading of the beginning of the play; teacher should monitor the students and select 4 to perform at the end of the lesson. Students will then peer assess each performance using an evaluative sheet.

This lesson was judged as outstanding in a recent observation. Students will build on their annotation skills and consider five areas for comparison: main ideas, language techniques, themes, structure and the effect on the reader. Students will work independently and compare two poems (Catrin and To a Daughter Leaving Home) Teachers are welcome to alternate the poems, by providing copies of different ones and simply changing the titles in the presentation. Included is also a detailed writing frame for comparative analysis. Suitable for a double lesson (each being 50 minutes.) Differentiated for all abilities. For the lowest sets, use simpler poems and break the lesson up over a week.

These interactive worksheets will keep your students busy over the half term! Tasks include: writing for different audiences and purposes, research tasks, media studies, 19th century reading and literacy. Vocabulary website link provides hours of brain training, as well as online literacy quizzes and YouTube links for comprehension questions. Students without internet access can simply complete the variety of tasks also. Suitable for mid-ability students.

These interactive worksheets will keep your students busy over the half term! Tasks include: writing for different audiences and purposes, research tasks, media studies, 19th century reading and literacy. Vocabulary website link provides hours of brain training, as well as online literacy quizzes and YouTube links for comprehension questions. Students without internet access can simply complete the variety of tasks also. Suitable for higher ability students.

This lesson will suit sets 1-4. Students will explore the different aspects of forming an argument through the context of Macbeth. Extension tasks provided, as well as sentence stems for constructing arguments. Group work will encourage speaking and listening skills, as well as writing to argue and persuade. Plenary allows students to self and peer assess group work contributions. Typically suited to a 50 minute lesson. Links to WAF2/5 and RAF3.

This resource can be set for a literacy lesson (approximately 50 minutes,) or for homework. Students will review the basic rules of sentence structures and complete a variety of literacy tasks, including the revision of nouns and adjectives, aimed at improving literacy. The workbook is differentiated and becomes more challenging, concluding with a descriptive writing task. This resource has been used for EAL learners and low ability students.

This lesson will prepare students for the new language exam for English. Students will review a selection of images and brainstorm ideas that will inform their writing. Differentiation: Exemplary paragraphs given Extended tasks for the more abled Planning resource sheet included Descriptive language lists provided Typically for a mid-low ability set. Can be used at KS3 for early preparation or KS4 for scheduled end of unit or end of year assessments.

This lesson was recently judged as outstanding in an observation. Students studying 19th century literature will be introduced to an extract from Thomas Hardy’s ‘Arch Deceiver,’ considering what the term ‘deceive’ means and looking for clues in the language and structural elements of the text. This lesson includes paired and individual tasks with a focus on inference. A suitable follow on lesson would be to convert notes from the grid into paragraphs, using paragraph structures of your choice. Typically for a mid-top set, for a 50 minute lesson. Power point and extract included. Teachers need only print copies of slide 6 for students to complete.

This resource would be suitable for revision of form and structure across all year groups (7-11.) The lesson focuses on two articles to begin with. Students retrieve simplistic information as well as have the opportunity to develop their responses using PEA style paragraphs. Pair work is encouraged to identify four types of structural devices in each article: dialogue, facts, statistics and language. Pack includes copies of extracts. Latter part of the lesson includes an extract from Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Teachers may wish to simply focus on the first part of the lesson-the articles, as they are more accessible to lower sets. Duration: approximately 50-100 minutes

These interactive worksheets will keep your students busy over the half term! Tasks include: writing for different audiences and purposes, research tasks, media studies, 19th century reading and literacy. Vocabulary website link provides hours of brain training, as well as online literacy quizzes and YouTube links for comprehension questions. Students without internet access can simply complete the variety of tasks also. Suitable for lower ability students.

Assessment Focus: WAF5 An outstanding, well paced, interactive lesson which covers the conventions of writing to persuade. Students will study tone, review and test their knowledge of language techniques, and use punctuation to add expression to their writing. Students are also given opportunities to take part in ‘mini tasks’ lasting 60 seconds each, throughout the lesson, offer peer reviews and practice their spelling, punctuation and grammar skills for WAF5. Main independent task includes success criteria and prompt questions. Suitable for a double lesson: mid to top set ability groups, however lower sets would benefit, simply split the tasks over 2-3 lessons and allow an in-depth revision lesson on the list of language techniques provided-or simply exclude the more complex techniques from the list. KS3/4.

Content: An accessible, but thoughtful lesson on structure in Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘Valentine.’ Students will execute independent and paired tasks in order to annotate and comment on the use of poetry devices that inform the language, structure and form in a poem. Differentiation: Extension and super extension tasks provided, as well as sentence starters and writing frames. Suitability: Most suitable for ability KS3/4, sets 2-6. Approximately a 50 minute lesson.

This lesson is designed to support students who struggle to answer questions relating to AO2 (analysing language and structure in a text.) Most suitable for a KS4 class (mid-high ability) Lower sets/KS3 can access the lesson by including some close reading exercises with the use of a Dictionary and Thesaurus. Teachers can then set a comprehension task prior to the annotating and extended writing tasks (e.g. rewrite the extract in your own words) and plan to assess based on AO2 only. They would then have no need to include the exam based tips/timing suggestions. Detailed lesson plan included, along with a model response from the top band and level descriptors for self assessment. Lesson duration: approximately 90 minutes/2 double 50 minute lessons Pack includes suggested timings for answering questions and practical tips to aid in exam nerves.