What is the purpose of this resource? To enable pupils to immerse themselves confidently in reading by teaching them how to process subject matter as they read and equipping them with the tools to assimilate the text’s content Why would I want to use this resource? To enable pupils to become competent readers that: Engage fully with a text at the word and sentence level and use that information to make sense of the text’s composition and its effect on the reader; Recognise and understand that texts comply with generic structures, and as a result, are created for particular purposes and have identifiable audiences; Appreciate that a reader’s interpretation of a text depends on their life experiences and also any previous reading experiences that they can bring to the table; Comprehend that texts are structured in specific ways to convey meaning, and that over time, regular readers will be able to perceive and predict these generic patterns – even in unfamiliar texts; Understand the importance and impact of textual features such as pictures, font types, layout and the semantic field (i.e. the author’s specific choice of language); Ask questions of all texts before, during and after reading.

What is this resource? Two fully planned lessons that include thinking tasks, starters, lesson resources (e.g. reading, writing and peer assessment tools) and plenaries These two lessons could easily be extended to 3-5 lessons depending on the ability range of the group being taught. Plus, if the teacher includes the creative writing task they want the class to complete at the end of the these lessons, it will result in a week of work. It should be used at the beginning of a learning phase on “Creative Writing” as a recall task or as a developmental task teaching students the key elements of basic “Creative Writing” **Who is it for? ** KS3 and KS4 English What’s included? Thinking tasks Starters Activity Resources Plenaries Curriculum links? English and Literacy Support Lessons (KS3 and KS4) Practical Tips? It is to be used in conjunction with a creative writing task where students are required to write independently after the lessons using the skills that have been covered on these slides.

Good handwriting is important. If teachers cannot read what a student has written in their books or on test papers, they will not be able to mark the pupils’ work accurately. That could mean losing some marks in exams and low self-esteem. Tests are already challenging enough! Plus, if a student’s handwriting is difficult to read, it is tough for teachers to tell if a student is meeting basic literacy criteria. **Who is this resource for? ** Students with poor handwriting **What’s included and why is it useful? ** There are two self assessment (student-focussed) activities that are designed to get students thinking about the impact of their handwriting and there is a practice section that follows on from a ‘tips’ section too. Links to curricula, standards or specifications? Learning English, English lessons, Literacy Support lessons

Purpose: To gauge student progress and to generate enthusiasm for a topic by using personal reflection to demonstrate overtly to students how they have benefited from a learning task Why would I want to use this resource? This is great tool for introducing a topic. The slides are constructed to reveal explicitly to students how their learning is developing through the practice of different skills. If pupils are taught to perceive the connection between their progression and their unique learning style, they are likely to engage more deeply with the learning context and curriculum. Thus, using a purposeful teaching tool like “Strategic Thinking Plenaries and Starters” exposes students to the benefits of each topic/lesson. My suggestion is that the teacher use one slide at the end of each lesson (or at the end of every second lesson if they see a class more than 3 times a week) for the first two weeks of a new topic to demonstrate explicitly to students the thinking skills they will be developing as the content is taught. Also, a slide could be used as a mini plenary in the middle of a lesson (or as a consolidating task at the end of the starter) when the teacher needs to show clearly that the students have benefited from the activities the teacher has facilitated. In this sense, a teacher could use more than one slide in any lesson What is the Purpose of this Resource? This set of slides is based on strategic thinking skills using the acronym RESPECT, which itself is a new perspective that improves the quality of academic dialogue between teachers and pupils. It also empowers students to participate in the topic/lesson by strengthening communication across the curriculum. It is inspired by the paradigm of “Learning to Learn”. Thus, the focus is placed not on students simply doing something because a teacher tells them to; it’s built on creating lifelong, enthusiastic learners who want to commit to scholarship in the classroom. The emphasis is on refining the classroom ethos and linking life at school to the world of work ( i.e. the connection between soft skills and curriculum content) Overall, RESPECT (see below) is a tool that enriches the learning experience. The RESPECT acronym means: R - resilience E - expectations S – scanning P - pace E – entrepreneurial C – collaboration T – three mistakes a day or you’re not trying

What is this resource? It is to be used to assess the gaps and fill in the student’s literacy skills in relation to basic grammar acquisition, vocabulary use and written and verbal communication. Ideally, it is to be used in one to one or small group settings such as Literacy Sessions. Who is it for? Literacy Support teachers EAL lessons Teaching Assistants English Teachers What’s included? 3 grids containing specific targets linked to grammar, vocabulary and verbal and written communication skills Curriculum links? Whole School Literacy Programmes and Literacy Support Sessions Practical Tips? The grid provides the list of topics that need to be covered. It would be the job of the Literacy Support teacher to provide the activities for those topics.

Aim: to turn reluctant readers into independent readers in any curriculum area using these 6 different strategies Who is it for? All teachers in all curriculum areas KS2-KS4 Classrooms that don’t have a Teaching Assistant, but needs one ** What’s included?** A break down of the 6 strategies, including resources for use ‘during’ the reading of a key classroom text and ‘after’ the reading process **Why is it useful? ** It enables all pupils - including those with low literacy skills- to engage with the curriculum of any subject area **Differentiation opportunities? ** The document is in essence about ‘differentiation’ and contains numerous ideas on how to engage reluctant readers Links to curricula? All curriculum areas Whole School Literacy ** Practical tips ?** The document is in essence about the ‘practical’ nature of reading and therefore is based on practical advice

These colour sheets can be glued into the front of students’ exercise books at the start of the year and revisited each new term when new, updated versions, can be glued into the exercise books. This is a method for tracking a student’s progress. They’re linked to the new 2 year linear GCSE English Language and Literature courses. It has suggested topics (i.e. programmes of study) on each IEP too if you’re a new HOD and need some guidance.

This is suitable for all KS3 and KS4 reading assessments for Language and Literature programmes or study. It is designed to enable students to work independently when they’re marking a peer’s work without the teacher’s assistance. It includes a SPaG grid of common SPaG errors.

This handy resource will enable you to set this Writing to Inform task for HW or as a timed writing task in class. It does require some preparation from the student and should be used as a Formative Assessment task after the genre has been taught. Suitable for KS4 or for an advanced KS3 group

This year long Programme of Study is based on a study of the new linear GCSE English Course. This long term plan reflects the new GCSE Linear Exam Assessment Objectives. Students will be assessed on: Responding to GCSE fiction and non-fiction text extracts exploring creative writing based upon GCSE literary non-fiction text extracts Exploring Shakespearean tragedy: the study ofeither Macbeth or Merchant of Venice Exploring contemporary poetry: contemporary poetry (AQA Anthology) The study of the 19th century novel - the teacher’s choice Exploring and developing a viewpoint A mock GCSE summer exams It also includes: activity suggestions lesson content suggestions exam structures a map of the assessment objectives for the whole year links to AQA’s GCSE exam frame and criteria It is ideal for new HoD, departments without a HoD, or HoDs who are seeking a fresh perspective or Programme of Study. Enjoy!

This year long Programme of Study is based on a study of the new linear GCSE English Course. This long term plan reflects the new GCSE Assessment Objectives. Students will be assessed on: Responding to GCSE fiction and non-fiction text extracts exploring creative writing based upon GCSE literary non-fiction text extracts Exploring Shakespearean tragedy: the study of the rise and fall of Othello Exploring contemporary poetry: contemporary poetry The study of the 19th century novel: Alice in Wonderland Exploring and developing a viewpoint A mock GCSE summer exams It also includes: activity suggestions lesson content suggestions Exam structures a map of the assessment objectives for the whole year links to AQA’s GCSE exam frame and criteria It is ideal for new HoD, departments without a HoD, or HoDs who are seeking a fresh perspective or Programme of Study. Enjoy!

This resource is to assist the development of teachers in your department. The focus is on their progression as they move towards exceptional teaching skills while building a climate of learning. The resource includes observation templates that achieve the following:  Starter and LO Observation Grid  Development Phase– Observation Grid  Plenary Observation Grid  What is Your Teaching and Learning Balance? Template  Extract from: The Perfect OFSTED Lesson (Pre Observation Checklist)  SWOT: A Post Observation Reflection  Impact on Learning Observation Grid This is also a valid resource for developing a buddy peer observation system across the school or within departments. The templates have been tested numeous times across the curriculum in a busy, inner London secondary school, but it could be used in any teaching sector. Enjoy!

This is a SPaG grid that’s a simple tick sheet that students can glue into their exercise books each term (or half term) to show their progress across the literacy skills. It is designed to be a student self-assessment resource.

The Worksheet contains 2 banks of persuasive skills. Set 1: Basic Techniques for persuading your audience for hitting Grade 4-6 (new GCSE) and Set 2 includes more advanced Techniques for persuading your audience for hitting Grade 4-9 (new GCSE). Useful for independent work/HW tasks for KS3 and KS4.

This can be used across the school to encourage student to reflect on their literacy development and self-editing skills. If you print two slides per 1 piece of A4 it can be easily glued in after a student has completed the work and before the teacher marks it. It is useful for ensuring students are critically assessing their own work so they become independent learners. Also, it’s good for showing progression if you’re planning on getting students to re-draft their work after you’ve marked it.

This is a summary sheet that can be glued into the students’ exercise books after the Mocks. It’ll help them form targets.

For the post Mocks period. This sheet can be used as an in-class self assessment after a mock of AQA’s “Paper 1: Explorations in creative reading and writing” or as a HW task after a mock of AQA’s “Paper 1: Explorations in creative reading and writing”.