English Teaching Poetry Unit: Seamus Heaney’s 'Digging’ This short unit is designed to introduce and explore Seamus Heaney’s poem ‘Digging’ as well as develop students’ ability to write analytically using a specific, taught paragraph structure. This unit is collaborative in nature with lots of opportunities for paired, group and class discussion. It includes a very nicely presented 30 slide teaching PPT as well as all 12 student resources and a set of detailed teacher’s notes explaining how you can deliver the unit. Outcomes include an analytical PETAL paragraph which could be extended into a longer essay using the structure provided. I have also included a free self-study professional development unit on teaching poetry. Please note that all resources are provided in pdf format and units on other Heaney poems are available. These include ‘Follower’, ‘Storm on the Island’, ‘Mid-term Break’ and 'An Advancement of Learning. You might also like: William Blake’s ‘London’ Seamus Heaney’s ‘Storm on the Island’ Wilfred Owen’s ‘Exposure’ Ted Hughes’ ‘Hawk Roosting’ Seamus Heaney’s ‘Follower’

English Key Stage 3 Creative Writing Unit for Years 7-8 This highly engaging and enjoyable unit of work is designed to help students write creatively with a particular focus on narrative and descriptive writing. It supports students in actively exploring and enjoying both descriptive and narrative texts, looking at excellent and varied models from a range of literature and identifying successful features before moving to composing their own creative responses. It is ideal for a Year 7-8 class. A very nicely presented 83 slide teaching PPT is included as well as a detailed set of teacher notes with suggested approaches and all thirteen classroom resources. Please see the Preview for a selection of slides from across the unit. You may also like: English Key Stage 3: Travel Writing (Literary Non-fiction) Unit for Years 8-9 This unit is designed to teach key reading and writing skills in the context of travel literature and to help build some of the key skills required at GCSE level when studying non-fiction texts. It moves from reading to writing and is based on the study of a number of short travel extracts from writers such as Paul Theroux, Jonathan Raban and Dervla Murphy. It is aimed at Year 9 as preparation for GCSE and would work equally well with Year 8 groups. Outcomes include analytical as well as creative writing.

This half-termly unit of work is designed to help prepare students for OCR’s Entry Level Certificate in English with particular focus on the imaginative writing assessment. It supports students in developing some of the key skills required to write their own engaging narrative and descriptive pieces such as writing effective openings, writing dialogue, varying sentences and creating characters. It supports and leads them towards the imaginative writing task which they complete at the end of the unit. The 71 slide teaching PPT is included as well as a detailed set of teacher’s notes with suggested teaching approaches and all ten classroom resources in both Word and PDF formats. I have also included a CPD self-study unit for teachers on teaching imaginative writing for entry level students and a set of extra creative writing tasks which can be used for the assessment. I hope you enjoy teaching the unit.

OCR English Language GCSE: Writing Imaginatively and Creatively Unit This unit of work is designed to help prepare students for the OCR GCSE English Language with particular focus on Component 2 Section B: Writing Imaginatively and Creatively. This exam requires an original piece of creative writing such as a short story or autobiographical piece – this unit focuses particularly on the skill of narrative writing. It was written for my own higher ability group and explores descriptive and narrative techniques, looking at good models of texts and identifying successful features before students are asked to compose their own creative pieces with a view to achieving deliberate effects. A well-presented 61 slide teaching PPT is included together with all 12 student resources in pdf and word format. These include planning frames, alternative tasks and self assessment resources. You may also like: OCR English Language GCSE: Spoken Language Unit

This unit of work is designed to help prepare students for the Oxford AQA International GCSE English Language with particular focus on the writing section of Paper 1 Literary Non-fiction and composition. This unit focuses on the narrative task looking at good models of texts and identifying successful features before moving to students composing their own creative pieces. It is designed to be interactive and highly engaging with lots of opportunities for discussion and imaginative responses. I have written this for my own mid to high ability Year 11 group. It includes a 53 slide teaching PPT plus 12 resources which are included in both word and pdf formats. I hope you and your class enjoy it.

This unit prepares students for their WJEC GCSE English Language spoken presentation. The unit guides students through the process by looking at aspects of effective presentations such as openings, rhetorical devices, endings, use of cue cards to structure a talk, delivery and responding to questions. Strategies include exploring effective examples of talks as well as group discussions and opportunities to apply their skills. A 41 slide teaching PPT is included as well as all seven student resources in both word and pdf formats. I hope you enjoy teaching this unit.

This unit is deigned for secondary and key stage 2 teachers across the curriculum who wish to develop and improve the quality of writing in their classrooms, a challenge increasingly important for exam success which is so dependent on writing. There is now a significant amount of research into what works and this unit seeks to present guidance as well as practical ideas and examples that can be taken straight off the page and into your classroom.This unit has also been published by Pearsons as an interactive mobile app.

This sel-study CPD unit explores some of the most effective approaches and practical strategies that English teachers can take directly into the classroom to create a stimulating and engaging learning environment in which boys can flourish as writers. Although the strategies focus on how you can engage boys with writing, they represent good practice which can improve the learning for both boys and girls.

THE TEMPEST Key Stage 3 English Teaching Unit This unit is based around Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’. I have taught it to both Year 7 and 8 though it could easily be adapted for a Year 9 class. It is designed to fit into a half-term but, depending on how many lessons you have, could be taught over a whole term. There is a 65 slide PPT with a range of creative and enjoyable activities including drama-style tasks suitable for use in the English classroom such as a ‘guided tour’ of the island. There is also a homework project which runs throughout the unit and a Reading assessment essay built in. I have included a set of detailed teacher’s notes and a free CPD unit on teaching Shakespeare. Please note that all files are in pdf format.

Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Unit - Taking the Next Step This highly engaging and carefully designed interactive unit of work designed to teach some of the key skills required for tacking the Edexcel Functional Skills in English Level 2 exam paper. It is built around the idea of preparing for the world of college or work. There are three sections: Speaking and Listening – preparation for the discussion and presentation task Reading section – exploration of three different non-fiction texts Writing section – covers writing a personal statement and a formal e-mail - culminates in a assessed piece of work This package includes a 78 slide teaching PPT (editable PPT format) as well as a detailed set of detailed teacher’s notes and all 15 resources in both word and pdf formats. Tasks, activities and non-fiction texts are relevant, engaging and ideal preparation for the Level 2 exam. I hope you and your students enjoy the unit. More Edexcel IGCSE Functional Skills Resources Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Complete Course Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Unit -Climate Change Crisis Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Unit - Leisure Edexcel Functional Skills English Level 1 and 2: Speaking and Listening Unit

AQA Functional Skills in English: Level 1 Unit - Taking the Next Step This engaging unit of work is designed to teach some of the key skills required for tackling the AQA Functional Skills Level 1 English exam paper. It is built around the idea of preparing for the world of college or work. There are three sections: Speaking and Listening – preparation for the discussion and presentation task Reading section – exploration of three related non-fiction texts with a focus on exam style questions Writing section – focus on writing a personal statement which culminates in an assessed piece of work This includes an attractively designed 61 slide teaching PPT (editable PPT format) as well as a set of detailed teacher’s notes and all 14 resources in both word and pdf formats. Tasks and texts are relevant and engaging and ideal preparation for the Level 1 exam. You may also like: AQA Functional Skills in English: Level 1 - Complete Course AQA Functional Skills in English: Level 1 Unit - Climate Change Crisis AQA Functional Skills in English: Level 1 Unit - Leisure AQA Functional Skills in English: Speaking and Listening Unit

This half-termly unit of work is designed to help prepare students for the Edexcel English Language Paper 1 exam with particular focus on narrative and descriptive writing. I have written this for my own mid to high ability GCSE class. It supports students in actively exploring and enjoying both descriptive and narrative writing, looking at excellent and varied models of texts and identifying successful features before moving to students composing their own creative responses. The 63 slide teaching PPT is included as well as a detailed set of teacher’s notes with suggested teaching approaches and all eleven classroom resources in both Word and PDF formats. I hope you enjoy teaching the unit.

Key Stage 3 English: Reading Between the Lines Teaching Unit This unit of work is focused on developing the skills of reading between the lines and is based around extracts from the novel ‘Deep Water’ by Ann Turnbull. It covers key skills such as inference and deduction, questioning the text, prediction and visualising the text. It was written for my Year 8 lower ability English class though could easily be used for a year 7 group. All short extracts are provided so you do not need a copy of the novel though you may wish to buy one to read and enjoy other sections with the class. I have included a 47 slide teaching PPT, all nine resources in word and pdf formats and a detailed set of teacher’s notes. Hope you enjoy teaching the unit. Key Stage 3 English Units also available English Key Stage 3 Creative Writing Unit for Years 7-8 https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12487013 This highly engaging and enjoyable unit of work is designed to help students write creatively with a particular focus on narrative and descriptive writing. It supports students in actively exploring and enjoying both descriptive and narrative texts, looking at excellent and varied models from a range of literature and identifying successful features before moving to composing their own creative responses.A very nicely presented 83 slide teaching PPT is included as well as a detailed set of teacher’s notes with suggested approaches and all thirteen classroom resources.

AQA Step Up to English: Component 2 Exploring Practice Unit This half-termly practice unit is aimed mainly at Gold award candidates however it is also applicable to those doing the Silver award if, like me, you have candidates doing both awards in the same class. It includes a well-presented 48 slide teaching PPT with lots of engaging activities and texts to ensure students develop the skills necessary to complete the assessment tasks for reading and writing. All 14 student resources are included in word and pdf formats as well as a detailed set of teacher’s notes based on my experience of teaching the unit. Please note that the Exploring unit will not be assessed after 2023 therefore this is intended as a practice unit only. Please check current list of NEAs with AQA and note that information, guidance, support and resources are available from AQA. More Step Up to English Resources Complete courses and individual teaching units on all component 1 and 2 topics are available. They include teaching PPTs, all student resources and a set of detailed teacher’s notes and can be found at: RoseandMay’s TES English Classroom Resources New individual units: AQA Step Up to English: Component 1 STYLE Unit AQA Step Up to English: Component 2 CRIME Unit New Complete Course AQA Step Up to English: Complete Course (Leisure, Crime and Style Units) You may also like: AQA Step Up to English: Grammar and Punctuation Starters AQA Step Up to English: Component 2 Creative Writing Unit

Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Unit - Climate Change Crisis This engaging and fully resourced unit of work is designed to teach some of the key skills required for tacking the Edexcel Functional Skills Level 2 English exam paper. It is built around the topic of the climate crisis. There are two sections: Reading section – students explore three different non-fiction texts including a letter, web pages and a blog. Writing section – students learn how to write a persuasive letter and a blog and complete two pieces of work which can be assessed formally. This unit includes a well-presented 60 slide teaching PPT (editable PPT format) as well as a set of detailed teacher’s notes and all 11 resources in both word and pdf formats. Tasks and texts are relevant and engaging as well as ideal preparation for the Level 2 exam. You may also like: Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Complete Course Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Unit - Leisure Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Unit - Taking the Next Step Edexcel Functional Skills English Level 1 and 2: Speaking and Listening Unit

Creative Reading and Writing - Heroism Unit This engaging and enjoyable half-termly unit is designed to develop key skills in reading fiction and non-fiction as well as writing creatively. It is based on the topic of Heroism with lots of activities and great texts to help students develop key reading skills such as locating information, inference, commenting on structure and comparison as well as key narrative writing skills such as opening and ending a story, writing direct speech, varying sentences, improving vocabulary and planning. Texts include extracts from non-fiction and fiction texts including 'Pat Barker’s ‘Regeneration’, Remarque’s ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ and Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’. All 18 well-presented student resources are included in word and pdf formats as well as a 68 slide teaching PPT (see Preview) and a detailed set of teacher’s notes. I hope you enjoy teaching the unit.