I run 1 hour long support sessions in GCSE English for students who are more vulnerable. I have short and simple sessions to support these students with their learning. This session cover paper 2 question - the compare question and focuses on how to structure an answer (point, quote, infer - you may use a different format). The materials start simply with the analysis of two images and works it way up to two short samples of different era texts. The materials are enough to fill an hour support session, feel free to adapt to suit your own timetable and cohort. Hope it helps

I support vulnerable students with their English with weekly 1-2-1 hour long sessions. The sessions I create are designed to create interest in the student and to revise skills taught in their main session. This session starts with developing Haikus to engage the student and get them thinking of different vocabulary and sentence structures, it is also useful for underpinning spelling techniques and proofreading. We work our way up to L1 reading practice with a piece of text about Frida Kahlo. Feel free to adapt for your own needs. Hope it helps

I support vulnerable students with their Functional English in 1-2-1 hour sessions. The materials I create are designed to be simplified, to support their main learning and be used as revision or guided homework, however feel free to adapt to your own cohort. This session supports the reading paper at L1 and is based around the painting, the raft of Medusa. We start simple and focus and read and obtain questions and work our way up to exam style questions. Hope it helps

This is what I call a “Quickie Workshop”. It is specific to identifying inference and GCSE English Exam answer format (PEE - You may adapt to suit whatever answer format you use with your students". Inference is something students, particularly second language learners, struggle with and it is always worth a re-fresh as much of the GCSE exam does require this skill. This lesson starts simply with everyday phrases and works it’s way up to a book extract and a whole article based around Cheryl Cole’s divorce. It has a supporting grid scaffold to help put the PEE structure together and wraps up with a quick self assessment. This is ideal for half term workshops or tutorials but just as easily can be used as an introduction to inference or fattened out to be a whole lesson with example exam questions. Please be aware that TES previews can distort the look of the resource and this is not a true reflection. Hope it helps.

This resource aims to broaden students knowledge of our history, promote equality and diversity whilst also improving their read / obtain skills and engagement with texts. This resource focuses on the contributions of Sikhs during the two World Wars, as many students are unaware of their participation as it is rarely mentioned in movies and memes and unfortunately, this seems to be where many students get their information. This resource has enough material for an hour and half session but has enough substance to be developed further into any direction you see fit. The focus of the session is primarily E3/L1 read and obtain with some higher level vocabulary slotted in to stretch and challenge. The session also involves a class discussion, a video with task attached , paired and individual activity and is measured via a points system, as in my experience lower level students enjoy being awarded points as they progress in a session. I usually use these types of sessions to try and motivate disengaged students to engage with written text, as many “switch off” when there is text to read or they are required to write something themselves, and so this has been designed for that purpose, however there is room for development to suit your own students needs. Please be aware that the TES preview can at times distort the look of the resource and this is not a true reflection. Hope it helps.

This mini bundle consists of a mini reading activity and writing activity, along with video and video worksheet for L1 English Functional Skills. All resources are based around Greta Thunberg and are designed to be as similar as possible to the layout of the pearson functional skills exam - although they can be altered to accommodate any exam board. The reading paper is based on 1 article about Greta and takes questions as they are presented and worded on the exam. The writing is also presented and worded as it would appear on the exam, so this mini bundle is perfect for any exam prep or to use with lower ability learners. This package also comes with a BBC video and worksheet to accompany it. Please keep in mind that the TES preview can sometimes alter the look of the resources and this is not always a true reflection. Hope it helps

This resource is an introduction to comparing two tasks and the P.E.E answer format to Q13 on the L2 reading paper. The theme of the lesson is “Flat Earth” and contains a Powerpoint, video and related worksheets. This is a quick paced session design for classes which are 2 hours, but can be altered to suit your timetable. Hope it helps

If you have reluctant hair students who need, but don’t want, L2 functional English then this resource may be helpful. I teach very short sessions (1 hour) to disruptive and disengaged student so naturally if you need to adjust the materials to suit your needs / class lengths then you can. This lesson is centered around a clip from America’s Next Top Model - the hairstyle episode where the models get make-overs. I used this to introduce the idea of comparison and a P.E.E answer structure which is needed for Q13 of the Edexcel reading paper. The students compare the reactions of two models and form a P.E.E answer. Again, my classes are only an hour so feel free to further develop. Hope it helps

I find it useful, when close to the exam period, to take students through an exam answer as if they were the examiner and awarding the marks. This helps to clarify in the students mind the skills and knowledge they need to demonstrate in the exam and to identify any areas of development within their own writing skills. This session is based on that premise. This session has enough resources to fill a 2 hour session. It takes 3 sample answers from the exam board and the class examine each one and uses a simplified mark scheme to award marks. The class is then asked to honestly critique their own skills next to the criteria and develop a revision plan to work on up until their own exam. The session is based around SOLO teaching method which chunks up learning and increases in difficulty. I find this helps to put the writing exam, and students own skill sets into perspective and aids in self study. Hope it helps

Many of my students enjoy getting embroiled in a debate about the Royals and so I try to embed this interest within my lessons. This is a 6 page resource based around a recent article on the BBC news website about Meghan Markle. The aim of the resource is to try and bridge the gap between Level 2 Functional Skills and GCSE English Language by making low level structural features (such as short sentences / paragraphs, inclusion of tweets, purpose of online text) a point of the resource. The resource comes with a link to the online article, which includes a short video of the event, a copy of the article itself and a series of question sheets which have been scaffolded into levels and abilities to cater to the mixed levels I often see in FS classes. These question sheets start with simple read and obtain style questions and work their way up to questions which focus on structural features and ask for some analysis. The way in which you want to distribute these questions is left in your hands. You may want all students to try all the questions or leave the difficulty level up to the student and let them choose the level questions they want to tackle and use the rest as extension tasks. The topic of this resource allows for embellishment to your lesson if you feel the students will take to it, you can include a group discussion on the topic of Royals or what merits as news worthy in todays day and age. However you want to use this resource in your class is up to you. Hope it helps. Please keep in mind that the TES preview can distort the look of a resource and this is not a true reflection.

I have complied a wide range of texts, modern and 19th century, for you and your students to use at a drop of a hat. I have complied 27 pages full of non fiction texts in one handy booklet. This was a big hit with my classes and with my students, particularly as we the approached revision and mock exams period. I gave one to every student at the beginning of the year but also found these very useful to have out on the students desks and around the classroom through out the year. This booklet covers a wide range of diverse topics which are likely to crop up in the live exam. Topics such as war, health, education, and includes letters, diary extracts, online articles and autobiographies. Each topic has a modern text alongside a text on a similar topic but from another era in order to help students compare texts and writers viewpoints. Texts includes diary entries by Karl Pilkington and Anne Frank, autobiographies from Jessica Ennis and Billy Connolly, BBC articles looking at Stephen Hawkings view of the NHS next to a letter sent to The Times by Florence Nightingale and much more. This booklet can be used with any exam board and I have found it a useful companion to have in class to give to students for revision sessions, extension texts and sources to help you create mock (or mini mock) exams from. Please be aware that TES preview can at times distort the look of the resource and his is not a true reflection. For this reason I have included some sample screen shots of the booklet to give you a feel of what it contains. Hope it helps

This session explores structural features for paper 1 , question 4 of the EDEXCEL GCSE English exam by looking at an extract of Margret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale. This lesson is quick paced, engaging and exciting which explores human rights and human rights violations. This lesson helps to expose students to events that have and are taking place around the globe and to encourage awareness and tolerance, therefore embedding equality and diversity but also British Values. This is a great lesson to invite youth workers to attend and help support activities and group discussions as they can bring another dimension to this topic, therefore encouraging cross school or college participation in English and encouraging a holistic approach to education. Students work in groups and pairs to break down and examine the extract, they explore ideas of culture and individuality whilst also looking at the ways the Margret Atwood uses structural features to communicate atmosphere and repression to her audience. The lesson ends with a practice question, peer marking and a small self assessment plenary. The lesson comes with the full extract, powerpoint of the entire lesson, worksheets and two videos, one exploring human rights and the other is the trailer for The Handmaids Tale. I used to teach in a college where lessons came in 3 hour blocks therefore there is enough material for 3 hours in this resource, but it can be altered into smaller sessions depending on your timetable. Please note that TES previews an at times distort the look of the resource but this is not a true reflection. Hope it helps.

Climate change is a hot topic of the moment and is engaging young people around the world to help start make a difference. To help support this and raise awareness in young people I have created this full lesson based around the subject of climate change and changes a everyday person can make. This pack is a complete lesson with enough material to fill a 3 hour session. It contains plenty of group and paired activities, 5 - 10 minute reading and discussion activities, video clips, an information pack which can be used for independent research for the final writing task based on paper 2 question 5 of the GCSE English language exam. It also underpins issues regarding climate change and also aims to raise awareness among young people by looking at the Nobel peace prize candidate Greta Thunberg, an amazing young lady who started the “School strike for climate change” protests at aged 15. There are various articles in which students look at language, sentence structure, language and tone and is best suited to classes who have already done work on language features. The resources are selected to include a range of levels and abilities and can be altered to suit your students needs and tasks not used in the session could be set as homework. This session can also double up to set presentations to help hit all the requirements of the GCSE spec. Please be aware that the TES preview can sometimes distort the look of the resources and is not always a true reflection. Hope it helps.

This is a quick paced, fun lesson all centered around the theme of monsters in literature. The pack comes with the full lesson on powerpoint and 5 separate worksheets which include an extract from Frankenstein and an ideas board to help students who struggle to come up with ideas. This session focuses on the EDEXCEL exam, paper 1 question 5, it consolidates DAFOREST and POSHIMP acronyms for language features and introduces ROW of CLONES acronym for structural features. The session comes with a fun starter which can be achieved by all levels and progresses in difficulty, team activities, handouts and ideas boards are in place to help those who struggle. The final task is to improve on a piece of writing they completed earlier in the session. A task which is designed to show students their own progression through-out the session / in real time rather than waiting for feedback at the end or in the next session Please keep in mind that the TES preview does distort the look of the resource and this is not a true reflection. Hope it helps.

I have always used cheat sheets as a form of revision for my students sitting GCSE. It is essentially an extended version of an exam plan but not quite a mock exam, it’s some where in the middle. I love to use these because it promotes a sense of confidence for the students and it it a condensed version of EVERYTHING they need to know about each question of the exam. I explain it to them as an “exam blueprint”. This session is what I call a “meat and potato” type of lesson. No frills just does what it says on the tin and gives the students what they need. The session puts students into teams and takes them through a breakdown of each exam question and they copy these “cheats” onto a past exam paper. Along the way they try their hand at some of the questions, get examples of what makes a good answer and they have some independent study questions in their cheat sheet to try at home. They get to keep their “cheat sheet” for revision purposes. This has always worked and I have found that students have always got on board with this idea because they instantly see the benefit of it and it helps them feel more secure about sitting their exam. This session comes with a full powerpoint for paper 1 and student handouts with source material. Please keep in mind that TES preview can distort the look of resources but this is not a true reflection. Hope it helps

This resource is an entire lesson with enough material to fill up a 3 hour session or 2 smaller sessions. The session aim to help students practice their skills for paper 2 question 4, the comparison between a modern and older text on the same theme / topic. The topic of this session is immigration and looks at the immigration of Irish people to America and modern day Syrian refugees and underpins the idea of equality and compassion. Comparison materials are a letter written in 1884 and a poem written in 2017. I have found that in a world of fake news, memes and multicultural classrooms that students are very interested in these topics as they are often unsure of today's world and it's politics. This is a lesson which is designed to let the students do most of the thinking and analysing and is a perfect session to deliver as exam dates become nearer and they need to become more independent in delivering answers and insight. There are plenty of short timed paired and team activities which build up students knowledge and insight and ends with a chance to deliver a exam style answer and a short self assessment. Worksheets come with support material to help those who struggle and open questions to push those who are more capable. Please keep in mind that at times the TES preview somehow distorts slides and worksheets and that is not reflective of how the resource will look when downloaded. Hope it helps.

I find teaching functional skills English , I’m getting more and more students who in fact need ESOL specialist classes. I’m not an ESOL tutor but due to the increasing demand to teach English as a second language and fill ESOL gaps in students knowledge I have developed a number of resources of common problems ESOL student have, which I have complied into a 35 page support booklet which I now give my ESOL learners. The idea is the students use this booklet to support their own self-study and English language development or I use it to set targeted and individual homework. The booklet has explainers and tasks to comeplete and ideas on how to further develop own self-study. I find it quite useful and I hope you do to. You can adapt the booklet to suit your own cohort or levels. Please be aware the the TES preview can distort the look of the resources, and this is not always a true reflection.

This is a 39 page booklet designed to help students independently revise for their exams. I also found these booklets very helpful in getting low attending students back up to speed, Ofsted loved them and my students said they found them more helpful than mock exams for revising certain questions they were less confident with. This booklet covers the underpinning skills and exam practice for paper 1 question 3. It underpins ROW of CLONES - a mnemonic for structural features and exam answer structures. It also uses mini extracts from various books by Graham Green, Stephen King and and extract from Harry Potter. It breaks down and explains each question, gives examples and mini tasks before allowing students to try an example exam question. It is encouraging, colourful and I hope you find it as useful as I have. Be advised that TES previews often distort the look of the resources and this is not a true reflection of how it looks. Hope it helps.

This lesson is focused around one of the, arguably, harder questions from paper 1 of the AQA exam - question 4. This lesson is quick paced, supportive and full of student focused activities. This lesson focuses around students formulating their own opinions and thoughts on the characters, Robbie and Cecilia from the book Atonement. Many tasks are designed to provoke deeper, independent thought from students with plenty of group and paired activities so students can discuss and share ideas, promoting critical thinking and independent learning skills. Tasks come with word banks and starter sentences for those who struggle to get started yet they can also be used to push the more able in your class to formulate deeper and more insightful answers and ideas . This lesson come with a full lesson powerpoint with enough material to fill a 3 hour lesson, extract and trailer for the movie, 3 worksheets and a support scaffold which can be distributed in class to support students. The session ends with a quick peers assessment task. Hope it helps.

I have always used cheat sheets as a form of revision for my students sitting GCSE. It is essentially an extended version of an exam plan but not quite a mock exam, it’s some where in the middle. I love to use these because it promotes a sense of confidence for the students and it it a condensed version of EVERYTHING they need to know about each question of the exam. I explain it to them as an “exam blueprint”. This session is what I call a “meat and potato” type of lesson. No frills just does what it says on the tin and gives the students what they need. The session puts students into teams and takes them through a breakdown of each exam question and they copy these “cheats” onto a past exam paper. Along the way they try their hand at some of the questions, get examples of what makes a good answer and they have some independent study questions in their cheat sheet to try at home. They get to keep their “cheat sheet” for revision purposes. This has always worked and I have found that students have always got on board with this idea because they instantly see the benefit of it and it helps them feel more secure about sitting their exam. This session comes with a full powerpoint for paper 2 and student handouts with source material. Please keep in mind that TES preview can distort the look of resources but this is not a true reflection. Hope it helps