This 21-slide lesson explores Alfred Noyes’ poem, ‘The Highwayman’. Students explore the meaning of heroism and consider the use of ‘anti-heroes’ in film and literature. They are then taught about the history of highwaymen (including how they have been romanticised in popular culture over the years), and learn about the notorious career of Dick Turpin. Students then read Alfred Noyes’ famous poem and unpick its language, imagery, and structure. We think about the romantic and tragic elements of the poem, and discuss whether or not the titular highwayman deserves our sympathy at the end of the narrative. In the next task, the poem’s language and Noyes’ use of various linguistic techniques (including similes, metaphor, and repetition) are identified and analysed. The poem’s atmosphere and epilogue are also explored. The lesson ends with two creative responses to the poem (which could be set as homework tasks or be covered in the next lesson). This lesson is ideal for upper KS2 and lower KS3 students. A copy of the poem is included in this resource. PowerPoint and Word doc are saved as PDF.

This 18-slide stand-alone lesson explores the question: ‘Does spelling matter?’. Students are prompted to think about why spelling is so important, and the lesson demonstrates some humorous examples of how incorrect spelling might lead to some dangerous misunderstandings! We think about some tricky homophones, including effect/affect and practice/practise, and devise some methods for remembering which spelling applies to certain contexts. Students are asked to correct the spellings of various sentences and passages to consolidate their understanding. There is an opportunity for peer and self-assessment at the end of the lesson. Also included is a homophones worksheet for students to complete either in class or as a homework activity. This lesson is ideal for upper KS2 and for KS3 pupils. PowerPoint and Word Doc saved as PDFs.

This is a top-band exemplar essay analysing how marriage is presented in ‘The Farmer’s Bride’ by Charlotte Mew and ‘Singh Song!’ by Daljit Nagra. These poems are studied as part of AQA’s ‘Love & Relationships’ cluster at GCSE and this question and answer reflects the question style of the exam. Exam question paper is also included.

This resource contains detailed and academically challenging PowerPoints for all five acts of Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’. Each PowerPoint goes through an act scene-by-scene, analysing language, theme, character and context, combining scholarly notes from a range of sources. These PowerPoints work well when accompanying the reading of the text in class. Students find them useful for revision of the play too. These five PowerPoints have the potential to cover several weeks of lessons. These resources are aimed at A level students (particularly those studying comedy as a genre), but could be used for the study of the play with any high attaining group.

A top-grade essay analysing aspects of comedy in Act I Scene I of Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’. This resource is aimed at those studying the Aspects of Comedy paper for AQA English Literature at A level.

Based on AQA’s English Literature exam, this resource features an example question and TOP-BAND essay on violence and crime in Stevenson’s ‘Jekyll and Hyde’. Perfect for HA pupils studying the text at GCSE.

This 23-slide lesson explores the character function of Jacob Marley in ‘A Christmas Carol’. Paying close attention to Dickens’s language, imagery, themes and context, this thorough presentation considers how Marley’s Ghost is used to convey the author’s message and how the character functions as a catalyst for Scrooge’s metaphorphosis. Questions, tasks, and discussion points are included for pupils. An extended essay question is included at the end. This lesson is ideal for those studying the text for GCSE, but could be easily adapted to suit KS3 pupils. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 25-slide lesson explores Tennyson’s poem, ‘The Eagle’. The lesson includes a zoological, historical and mythological overview of eagles, considering their connotations and status in various cultures, as well as biographical information on Tennyson. Students are presented with numerous questions, tasks, and discussion points to analyse Tennyson’s poem. Close attention is paid to Tennyson’s language and technique. Students are tasked with an analytical response to the poem (an exemplar paragraph is included) before the lesson ends on a creative writing activity (which could be used as a homework task). This lesson is ideal for KS3, but could be used to help GCSE (particularly SEND) students with poetry too. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 23-slide lesson is the perfect analytical summary of Old Major’s character function in Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’. Students are encouraged to consider Old Major’s purpose within the novella and how he links contextually to the allegory of corrupted Communism. Emphasis is placed on his rhetorical skill, foreshadowing, and structural significance. There are many questions posed for students to answer either individually or collaboratively. At the end of the lesson is an extended essay question for students to answer (either in class or as a homework activity). This lesson (which could easily be split into multiple lessons) is ideal for high-attaining GCSE students but could also be used to challenge KS3 pupils. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 27-slide lesson explores Langston Hughes’ poem, ‘Aunt Sue’s Stories’. The lesson includes an introduction to Hughes and his cultural significance, and asks students to deconstruct the meaning and effect of stories and storytelling. The poem’s language, themes, structure and rhythm are deconstructed, and questions and tasks are featured for students throughout the lesson. At the end of the lesson, after a series of focused questions on the poem, students are asked to produce a piece of creative writing inspired by Hughes’ poem. This could be set as a homework task if lesson time is short. This lesson is ideal for KS3 pupils and deals with the important history of African-American people, as well as more general themes of identity, memory, and ancestry. PowerPoint is saved as PDF.

This 20-slide lesson explores Dennis Scott’s poem, ‘Marrysong’. Students are encouraged to consider the concept of marriage - both literally and symbolically. Scott’s life and work is introduced and then we delve into the poem itself. The lesson pays close attention to Scott’s use of language, imagery, form, structure, and rhythm. Scott’s use of extended metaphor and cartographic imagery is analysed. The poem’s key themes and ideas are deconstructed, with ambitious vocabulary provided to equip students for sophisticated analysis. Students are also prompted to reflect on the poem’s tone and overall message. At the end of the lesson is an exam-style question on the poem. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 30-slide lesson explores the character of Sir Toby Belch in Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’. With academic scrutiny, this lesson analyses one of Shakespeare’s most iconic and riotous characters, beginning with an overview of Sir Toby’s key lines, attributes, and role in the plot. We consider Sir Toby’s role as a quintessential comic creation: his Falstaffian parallels, his festive spirit, and his role as the ‘Lord of Misrule’. Important historical and theatrical context is explored alongside Sir Toby’s character. We consider how self-aware Sir Toby is, thinking about his relationship with the audience and how he relates to Shakespeare’s stagecraft. Crucially, Sir Toby’s function as a comic character (and how he relates to other characters, including Malvolio, Sir Andrew, and Maria) is discussed. We scrutinise Sir Toby’s role in view of the Carnivalesque atmosphere of the play. Questions, discussion points, and essay questions are featured throughout. Students are encouraged to consider Sir Toby’s character at a high level, so this lesson would be ideal for students aged 16+. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This is a thorough and comprehensive lesson on Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem ‘Love’s Philosophy’, which is studied as part of AQA’s GCSE Literature anthology on ‘Love & Relationships’. This PowerPoint unpicks key themes of unrequired love, intimacy, frustration and religion with close analysis of language, form and structure. Also included are many small questions for students and a ‘mock’ essay question in which students must compare ‘Love’s Philosophy’ to another poem, just like in the real AQA exam.

This 21-slide explores Rosemary Dobson’s poem, ‘The Three Fates’. The lesson encourages students to consider ideas of fate, discussing the role of the Three Fates in Greek mythology. Dobson’s life and work is also introduced. The poem is read and students give their first impressions, before delving into close linguistic analysis. Dobson’s use of imagery, form, structure, and rhyme is then deconstruction. Students are taught the key themes of the poem, and equipped with ambitious vocabulary to allow for sophisticated analysis. We then debate how we might describe the tone of the poem. Questions and discussion points are included throughout the lesson. An exam-style essay question is featured at the end. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 21-slide lesson explores Isobel Dixon’s poem, ‘Plenty’. Students are encouraged to consider what it means to have ‘plenty’, reflecting on ideas of necessity vs. luxury. We look at Dixon’s life and work, thinking about how the poem reflects her childhood. We read the poem together before delving into its language, imagery, structure, rhythm, and form. Tasks include images linked to key ideas in the poem, which students must identify. Questions and discussion points are included throughout the lesson. The poem’s key themes and ideas are deconstructed, and ambitious vocabulary is introduced to aid students with sophisticated analysis. We also consider the tone and mood of the poem. At the end of the lesson, an exam-style essay question is featured for students, with tips for how to structure the response. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This resource uses an extract from Salman Rushdie’s ‘Midnight’s Children’ as a practice paper for those studying AQA GCSE English Language. The resource includes the extract from the novel, an accompanying PowerPoint with three exam-style questions, and a top-band exemplar response to Question 2 of the mock (analysing the writer’s use of language). Questions are modelled on the first three questions of AQA’s GCSE English Language Paper 1. These questions test reading comprehension, linguistic analysis and structural analysis. This resource is ideal for those studying AQA’s GCSE English Language (particularly HA groups).

This extract from ‘The Bell Jar’ by Sylvia Plath is great practice for those studying AQA’s English Language GCSE. Included is an extract from the novel as well as 4 mock questions in the style of the AQA paper (Section 1A). There are plenty of rich linguistic and structural features to unpick here. This extract is particularly aimed at high-attaining pupils. Please note: The novel contains mature themes.

This resource contains an extract from Alice Sebold’s novel ‘The Lovely Bones’ as well as 4 questions based on AQA’s GCSE English Language Paper 1. This is an ideal practice or revision resource for those studying the AQA GCSE. Also included is a PowerPoint with some step-by-step questions for students to consider before answering the mock questions.

This 22-slide lesson explores Mervyn Morris’ poem, ‘Little Boy Crying’. The lesson explores Morris’ life and work before asking key questions related to parenthood, children, and perspective. The poem’s language, form, structure, and imagery are deconstructed, with close analysis of Morris’ methods. We consider the poem’s key themes and ideas - including masculinity and violence - and think about how Morris’ choice of narrative tone and style informs the poetic vision. Ambitious vocabulary is included to aid students with sophisticated analysis. We also consider philosophical questions raised by the poem. An exam-style essay question is featured at the end of the lesson. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 20-slide lesson offers a comprehensive introduction to print journalism. In this lesson, students reflect on the trustworthiness of the news and their engagement with it. They learn what ‘journalism’ means and explore its different written forms, thinking about how it has adapted and evolved in the modern world. Students learn how to write journalistically, thinking about style, layout, and form. We consider the role of the ‘front page’ and analyse some examples, learning about the specialised vocabulary for describing different aspects of front pages. Students learn about the main printed newspapers of the UK - noting differences between broadsheet and tabloid - and we reflect on the angles, agendas, and demographics to which each newspaper is adhering. Students are also encouraged to reflect on their engagement with international news, and we ask important questions about what makes us ‘interested’ in a journalistic story. We also ask whether there is a place for printed journalism in the modern world, and if we are experiencing the ‘death of print’. The lesson ends with a research task for students to look up and define key journalistic terms. This is an ideal lesson for introducing students aged 10+ to print journalism. PowerPoint saved as PDF.