Eleven tried and tested resources which can be used as extension/challenge, homework or starter activities to help pupils improve their creative writing. They include a range of guided tasks (one offers differentiation by choice) including persuasive writing, writing from the point of view of a specific character and descriptive writing based round a picture ready for the GCSE English Language writing tasks. I have these resources (along with my poetry challenge reading tasks and prose challenge reading tasks) laminated on coloured paper (green for reading and yellow for writing) in a folder my pupils can access if they have completed all my main lesson tasks. I have also used these writing tasks for cover lessons, as adapted learning group tasks and with my KS3 creative writing club. Now my school is moving towards pupils using laptops in lessons, I have uploaded these into my KS3 class Teams rooms to encourage pupils to access stretch and challenge activities as part of their independent learning. I have uploaded my reading extension/challenge poetry tasks and reading extension/challenge prose tasks in separate TES resources. Alternatively, you can purchase all the resources in a bundle.

33 resources for 15 engaging and meaningful lessons teaching ‘War Horse’. This scheme of work was adapted for my mixed ability Year 7 class during lockdown for delivery via remote learning. Therefore, it is also ideal for teaching in classrooms with new Covid protocols in place. If you have any pupils self-isolating, resources for each lesson can quickly be emailed or uploaded to your school’s virtual learning environment. Lessons would also be suitable for if you need to set cover. A wide range of extension tasks and differentiation by choice are included, as well as vocabulary support for most chapters, hyperlinks to clips from the film and audio versions of each chapter, and SPaG practice. Many tasks can be self-assessed. Pupils study the whole text of ‘War Horse’ and their understanding is built up through a series of structured lessons focusing on the development of reading skills such as retrieving information, extending vocabulary, comprehension, deducing, inferring and interpreting ideas and then commenting on the writer’s use of language and/or structure. A detailed mark scheme is included for the end of unit teacher marked reading assessment (in the style of GCSE paper 1) including example answers for varying marks. This scheme of work proved hugely successful with my pupils who had an array of specific learning needs, many requiring additional support or challenge. Pupils especially liked the range of learning tasks, engaging starters, the clarity of the instructions and activities encouraging empathy with the narrator and other characters.

6 resources covering 3 lessons exploring the end of Frankenstein, key quotes, the Prometheus myth, themes and to encourage students to start thinking more carefully about links between Frankenstein and The Handmaid's Tale for their AS and A Level prose comparison exam paper. Resources include: 3 PowerPoints, starter quotes, student handout to help with group tasks and lesson plans. These lessons come after the free resources I have uploaded for teaching Frankenstein, my SOW on The Handmaid's Tale and before the lessons comparing the two texts. They were created for the new English Literature Edexcel AS, but can be used for the full A Level too.

5 charts (to be enlarged to A3) with proven success for revising the 15 poems from the new English Lit poetry anthology: Power and Conflict (AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 2). Some details are already included to get students started - including some relevant context - and to support less able students. You could remove some of the information for more able groups. The poems are grouped together so students can see clearer links between each group of three poems. The first two charts (effects of conflict) were prepared to help my mixed ability Year 10 class revise the poems we had covered ready for end of year exams. The remaining three charts (power poems) were created for Year 11 revision. The class these charts were originally created for achieved outstanding results in their poetry comparison essays in their GCSE English Lit in 2018. Each time I have used these charts, I have divided the class into groups, allocating poems for students to teach to the rest of the class. Not only do students learn their allocated poems better having to teach them again to others, but after feedback they have explored links between the poems with more confidence because the students know and understand the poems and methods used in more detail. As an extra challenge (if a group complete their allocated poems quickly), they have to discuss and add elements of conflict in the power poems and power in the conflict poems. I also photocopy these single sided so students can display them at home for revision.

An outstanding lesson on I Love Me Mudder for Year 7 during Black History Month. Includes a range of engaging activities, differentiation tasks, a pre-lesson research worksheet (could be used in class or for homework) and guided self assessment. Tried and tested with great success in the classroom for the last three years.

Introductory lesson to A Streetcar Named Desire. This lesson forms lesson 1 of my SOW for the new Edexcel English Literature AS/A Level spec. However, it would also work for the new AQA spec. Three resources: 21 slide PowerPoint, homework sheet and comprehensive lesson plan. There are differentiation by task opportunities for the homework task - setting students more challenging topics to research and then present to the class. The background information sheet is not included as this was taken from a free Teachit resource. Details on how to find this on the Teachit website are included in the lesson plan. This introductory lesson has proved hugely successful both times I have taught it. Students were really engaged and gained much more from watching the 1951 film in the following lessons than previous students had.

Resources (12 slide PowerPoint and comprehensive lesson plan) for a lesson analysing Scene 11 of A Streetcar Named Desire. This is lesson 16 of my SOW for Other Drama for the new Edexcel English Literature AS/A Level. However, it would be just an effective for the new AQA spec. Extension tasks are included and there is a differentiation by task/group activity detailed. Assessment objectives 2 and 3 are the focus of the lesson.

Cloze activities on Chapters 1-10 and Chapter 15 of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. I first created these to help a low ability class and used them as starters or mini plenaries. Learning support also used these cloze exercises to help absent pupils catch up or remind pupils what they had read in class. Chapters 8 and 9 are combined in one cloze exercise. The rest are on individual chapters.

An outstanding lesson exploring the use of generic conventions (AO2) in Wuthering Heights. This lesson, containing 5 resources including a comprehensive lesson plan and 13 slide PowerPoint, is part of my SOW for the new Edexcel English Literature A Level spec - teaching Wuthering Heights as one of the two coursework texts. However, the lesson can easily be used for the new AQA spec. Extension tasks and independent study task included as well as opportunities for differentiation by group/task. In a mixed ability class, students all made progress during the lesson (clearly demonstrated to the students and lesson observers in the mini plenary and plenary). Plus the subsequent essay also revealed much improved understanding and analysis skills for AO2. Lessons 1-12 of my Wuthering Heights SOW have also been uploaded to TES Resources as two separate bundles.

6 resources covering 3-4 lessons (lesson 7 could be split into two separate lessons) preparing students for the new AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 1 exam (Section B - the 19th century novel). These are lessons 6-8 of the successful SOW I created for my current Year 10 class and focus on key aspects of Chapters 3-8 of Great Expectations Volume One. Moreover, they really helped students develop understanding of the novel, Dickens' techniques and key analysis skills needed for AO1 and AO2. Resources include: 3 detailed PowerPoints (lesson 6 = 9 slides; lesson 7 = 15 slides; lesson 8 = 9 slides); a starter worksheet for lesson 7; extracts from Chapter 8 and lesson plans giving extra information and assessment objective/skills focuses. All lessons include extension tasks for the more able. There is also some scaffolding to help students plus a homework task offering differentiation by choice. Please note that the themes handout for lesson 7 is not included as this is a Teachit resource. It can be obtained as a free PDF from Teachit once you register with them.

8 resources for 3 lessons helping pupils prepare for the AQA KS3 assessments (reading). Tasks are based on the Paper 1 format, although the source is non-fiction rather than fiction (local news article) as I had just completed a non-fiction SOW with the class. Lessons 1 and 2 take pupils through the main tasks, with whole class modelling of the longer answers to support all pupils. Pupils then individually complete a task at a time in timed conditions. This also helped focus pupils on how long to spend on tasks with different marks. Peer assessment is used for the shorter tasks to cut down teacher marking time. There is a mark scheme (again based on the AQA KS3 assessments) which can be matched to APP levels or school flightpath skills. For lesson 3, I gave pupils copies of example answers to focus on key skills in the mark scheme and to support their DIRT. This lesson has differentiation by task to enable more able pupils the challenge of answering a language and structure task without teacher guidance - so building resilience in addition to analysis skills. During lessons 1 and 2 there are also extension tasks (and skills reminders) for the more able, plus modelling examples to support all pupils. Most activities are self-explanatory, but I have included some additional details and ideas for teachers below some slides. I have also included a sheet of all the questions that could be issued to pupils - although I only used the PowerPoints with my class. These resources were produced for a mixed ability Year 7 class (APP level range from 3 to 6) and it proved highly successful in focusing pupils on comprehension and PEE analysis of language and structure. Moreover, confidence has been increased in their ability to succeed in the forthcoming end of year exams. The lessons could easily be adapted for set ability groups.

An eight slide resource covering key aspects/quotes of Macbeth Act 3, Scenes 2-4. The lesson includes a variety of tasks including whole class reading, pair/small group reading, watching and discussing a clip of Act 3, Scene 4 and answering written questions to check understanding. The learning focus is RAF3 (interpretations supported by relevant, brief evidence and to encourage students to link ideas/quotes from different scenes). Extension tasks are included to challenge more able pupils. This is a lesson from the SOW I created for a Year 9 set 2 class.

Eight resources covering three lessons: two preparing students for a timed GCSE Lit exam style essay and one where students write the essay. Resources: three PowerPoints (one for each lesson: 16 slides, 7 slides and 1 slide); two example extracts with essay question (based on format from the new AQA GCSE English Literature specimen Paper 1 exam paper); example essay response to one of the example questions; the same example essay response to one of the example questions with key aspects of AOs high-lighted; sheet with the relevant AOs and level descriptors. The lessons go over key success criteria from the AOs including some useful details on what could gain marks for AO3 (context). Also included is a checklist of success criteria, for example: WLA (word level analysis); subject terminology; effect on the reader. I displayed this on the board whilst my pupils wrote their timed essay. Extension tasks included in purple for differentiation. Link to new AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 1 specimen mark scheme also included. Lessons and resources specifically created as a pre-mock activity for my Year 10 class once we had finished studying the novel.

Three resources, including a 15 slide PowerPoint, for a lesson exploring Lady Macbeth's language in Act 1, Scene 5 and the use of dramatic irony in Act 1, Scene 6. The lesson was created for a Year 9 set 2 class, but could easily be adapted for different abilities or a KS4 class. Extension tasks are included and pupils peer assess their PEA work for RAF5 (explain and comment on a writer's use of language). A research homework - with extension task - is also included. The lesson proved to be hugely successful with my current and previous Year 9 classes.

A 21 slide resource covering Macbeth Act 5, Scenes 2, 3 and 4. After reading Scene 2, pupils discuss questions (extension task included). After reading Scenes 3 and 4, test pupil knowledge and understanding through a quiz based on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' When I used this with my Year 9 set 2 class, I paused the quiz at the end of the Scene 3 questions to read Scene 4. You could, however, read both scenes before starting the quiz. I also used named lolly sticks to ensure random pupils were chosen to answer questions. For the final question I had the answers stuck round the classroom and asked pupils to stand next to the one they agreed with. I then chose more able pupils to explain their choices. It is an active learning lesson which worked very well with my class.

Seven resources for an outstanding rated observed lesson on Frankenstein for the new AQA GCSE 1-9 spec. Lesson created for a top set Year 10 class exploring the methods Shelley uses to create tension and drama in Chapter 23 (AO2 focus). Details on lesson plan re objectives, timings, differentiation, creative and independent learning. Plus some extra info on the notes sections under some slides. I laminated the starter picture and AO2 criteria so I could use them again. I hope some or all of the ideas are useful and save my fellow English teachers some valuable time for prep, marking, family time or much needed sleep!

A lesson for the new AQA English Language AS/A Level using an Argos Barbie advert to bring together genderlect theories students have learned and apply them to an example for analysis. Lesson leads to students writing a practice AS / A Level English Language Paper 2 essay on language and gender. Example essay question included on the final slide. Annotated modelling example to get students started, addressing different linguistic methods, is also included on the PowerPoint.

Three lessons and a copy of the poem. Created for part of a Year 8 ballads scheme of work. Extension tasks are included. Although the lessons show progress through my school's adapted APP levels, each could easily be adapted. The first lesson focuses on reading the poem and understanding the poet's choice of viewpoint and possible effect on the reader. The two following lessons focus on writing skills -specifically correct use of the semi-colon.