Empower your teaching with this customisable Learning Targets Poster - an adaptable tool for clearly communicating targets and keeping students aligned and engaged! Created in PowerPoint, just click on the elements to add your targets - or print it off and put them in by hand. This comes with a Word document - students are introduced to the idea of emerging, consolidated, or established - and can track their own targets. LEVEL & VOCATIONAL AREA - in this area simply type in something relevant for your institution… Enjoy!

This has been created to be challenging (but not too hard!) for students approaching their L1 Reading exam and incorporate the skills needed to pass it! It comprises 11 questions based around a short text. It’s perfect for a lesson starters or end. It should take up to ten minutes for students to answer the questions, with then answer time taking another five. This may sound like a lot of time, but it is focused on getting the students through the exams (not “woolly” in any way, shape or form!) I have found that this time has been well spent and is reflected in both student confidence around the exams and their actual exam performance. They questions cover two pages (so perfect for quick double-sided copying) plus there is a third page of the correct answers for teachers (you don’t want to be doing the Do Now yourself, do you!?). This “Do Now” activity is designed for learners doing the Pearson Edexcel exam – but I am sure it can be used for other exam boards too. The texts takes the form of a short article. The questions consist of: Multiple choice Short answers True/False This worked very well where I work. I hope you enjoy using it with your students too!

These ten beautifully designed “Do Now” activities are designed to get your Functional Skills English lesson off to a great start. They have been written to be challenging (but not too hard!) for students approaching their L1 Reading exam and incorporate the skills needed to pass it! Each one consists of ten (sometimes 11) questions based around a short text. Download a free sample here - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13147971 They are perfect for lesson starters or ends. It should take up to ten minutes for students to answer the questions, with then answer time taking another five. This may sound like a lot of time, but as they are focused on getting the students through the exams (not “woolly” in any way, shape or form!) I have found that this time has been well spent and is reflected in both student confidence around the exams and their actual exam performance. They cover two pages (so perfect for quick double-sided copying) plus there is a third page of the correct answers for teachers (you don’t want to be doing the Do Now yourself, do you!?). These “Do Now” activities are designed for learners doing the Pearson Edexcel exam – but I am sure they can be used for other exam boards too. The texts take the form of flyers, short articles and online forums. The questions consist of: Multiple choice – identifying the purpose of a text, language features and use of punctuation Short answers – identifying organisational features and their location in the text, using sub-headings, relacing single words with a synonym, explaining short quotes from the text True/False – some feature three, others just one – akin to multiple choice but a little more straightforward. A good confidence boost for weaker learners. As well as covering the skills needed for the exams, the “Do Nows” are designed to allow students to become accustomed to the kind of questions they will get in the exams and how they are written. In order to engage learners I have made these, where possible, about subjects that engage young people. Also incorporated are “value” based activities, such as British Values, which go some way to incorporate your institution’s (and the governments) policies about subjects that should be covered at school or college. The subjects of the “Do Nows” are as follows: British Values Bullying History of Rap Music Consent (very PG!) Cricket Drug Use Future of Gaming Hairdressing Course Mental Health Online Safety The files are uploaded in their original PowerPoint format and as PDFs. These have gone down very well where I work. I hope you enjoy using them too!

What if there was a Higher Tier GCSE? Imagine a resource designed to stretch the most capable students, challenging them to excel beyond the standard GCSE English Language curriculum. This is what I like to think I have created here. Although I don’t think any teachers would want to return to a system of Higher and Foundation levels, almost every year I have students who find previous exams very straightforward – especially in the Reading Section. As such I always keep an eye out for passages that might stretch and challenge the more able students. Revisiting Billy Budd recently, I came across the passage included, which is where Billy accidentally kills another sailor. It lends itself beautifully to the demands of GCSE English Paper 1 and was, I thought, a more challenging text than usual. This was due both to the advanced vocabulary and imagery it uses as much as the fact it was written in the late 1800s. This “Higher Tier” paper, centred on this carefully selected (and minutely edited as opposed to the usual AQA butchery!) passage from Billy Budd, pushes students to tackle complex language, nuanced themes, and sophisticated literary techniques. It provides an invaluable opportunity for them to delve deeper into textual analysis and to refine their critical thinking skills. I have used it in my classes and it has stretched the more able students quite satisfactorily. There is also an extensive mark scheme for the Reading section - so you don’t have to make one up yourself. There isn’t one for the Writing section - it is the same as AQA. The questions essentially remain unchanged – but Q1 is now “explain” rather than list in order to satisfy “higher tier” requirements of a 4 mark question! However, the nature of the text means that brighter students will find the other questions more challenging than usual. As such, the Billy Budd “Higher Tier” paper simulates an advanced exam experience, preparing students to face intricate passages with confidence and clarity. It can be used as a part of classroom teaching, revision sessions, or independent study, this unique paper is the ideal tool for students eager to take their understanding of English Language to the next level and aim for the “higher” grades in their exams.

Short Exam-Focused English Activities for GCSE English Language When is a cover lesson not a cover lesson? When it’s all printed up and ready to go the next time a colleague is off. When it’s beautifully presented and covers a number of the important assessment objectives the students will have to cover in the exams. When it’s cunningly disguised as something that has taken time to prepare and hasn’t been thrown together in a panic. When the students enjoy doing it…! These two cover lessons are called “Sharpen Your Skills” and take the form of short 8 page booklets that can be taken to class and will need little or no explanation. They each have a variety of tasks (see below) which are low stakes but cover some important elements of the qualification. There is an answer booklet for each, too. I have used these in my institution with success. Students have reported that they like the variety of tasks involved which keep them busy for an hour. Plus they have enjoyed the subject matter of the tasks and texts involved. Although the evaluation question can be a little challenging, it focuses on skills that can attract high marks in the exams… In fact, we have students asking for more so they can do them at home! Sharpen Your Skills 1 comprises of… A “Do Now” set of five questions A “Ready Steady Write” – flash writing about being faced by a zombie A newspaper report about gangs in South London from 1898, with a “List Four Things” question and an evaluation task A “multiple choice showdown” about various aspects of the text (9 questions) A “describe the setting” task which asks students to write the second paragraph of a text. Sharpen Your Skills 2 comprises of… A “Do Now” set of three questions (one which mirrors P2Q1) A “Ready Steady Write” – flash writing about education failing young people. An extract from Octavia Hill’s 1875 “Homes of the London Poor”, with a “List Four Things” question and an evaluation task A creative writing task with a set of picture prompts which asks students to write about when they or someone the know has shown bravery. They are both included as Word documents and PDFs. All images are used under a Creative Commons licence,

A beautiful set of slide posters (50 to choose from) which can cover an entire academic year (with some left over). Each word is defined, with synonyms and antonyms – plus example usage. The “Word of the Week” slides are presented to capture students’ attention and enhance engagement. The visual appeal creates a great stimulus for students to explore new vocabulary. Incorporating a “Word of the Week” into the classroom provides a dynamic way to enrich students’ vocabulary and foster a love for language. By focusing on a single sophisticated word each week, teachers can create a structured environment where students regularly encounter and engage with new terms. This approach not only enhances vocabulary acquisition but also improves comprehension and communication skills. Where I work, we use these in the classroom – and include them in the weekly email to all teachers. They also go up on our GCSE English team with the challenge to students to use them in sentences and in their work. The slides are also shown in our reception area as part of the revolving slideshow visitors see when they come in. There’s a multitude of uses for these slides. A “Word of the Week” encourages students to explore words in various contexts, helping them understand nuances and applications. Teachers can introduce the word through diverse activities such as discussions, writing exercises, and creative projects, making the learning process interactive and memorable. Moreover, this method supports cognitive development by challenging students to use and recognise advanced vocabulary in their everyday conversations and academic work. It also aids in building confidence, as students become more adept at expressing themselves with precision and sophistication. Overall, a “Word of the Week” fosters an enriching learning environment where vocabulary growth is a continuous and engaging experience, preparing students for academic and real-world success. All images are used under a Creative Commons license – no copyright issues. Please note that the first slide – alacrity – also has a pointer to where you can place your institution’s logo. The words are: alacrity, antagonise, to aspire, avarice, benevolence, capricious, clandestine, collaborative, conscientious, crescendo, dauntless, delectable, delineate, derision, diaphanous, dichotomy, discombobulate, eloquent, ephemeral, epitome, exhilaration, foolhardy, futile, homogeneous, implacable, implicit, indignant, insolence, interrogate, inveterate, invidious, malevolent, myriad, ostracise, ostensibly, paragon, persistence, plethora, precipitous, predilection, procrastinate, radiate, resilient, satiate, solitary, tranquillity, transient, ubiquitous, vociferous, zenith.

This is a beautifully presented set of 10 “Do Now” activities for GCSE English. Sometimes it’s difficult to activate learning, especially at the beginning of the first session of the week. A great way to kickstart a class, assess prior learning and to give the students instant feedback is a “Do Now” activity. Over and done in ten minutes or less, I often use them at the beginning of a class to signal to students that it is time to learn – and what better way is there than to get them actively thinking? These worksheets really get them into the “English Zone” as it were. The stakes are low, but having used these with my own learners, I know that the engagement is high! Each worksheet has a number of very quick activities on it (between three and six) which can be done in around five minutes. For variation, each worksheet has a different “mix and match” of activities. This means the students will not know what is coming in their next “Do Now” and this will hopefully keep them on their toes and interested! These activities comprise: Spot’n’Spell – learners read a short passage and correct TWO spelling mistakes One Word Drafting – learners are asked to improve a sentence with just one word (sometimes an adverb, sometimes any word) Spot the adjectives – learners must underline the adjectives in a very short passage Fill the gaps – learners read a paragraph of classic literature and fill in gaps Suggestion Box – learners are asked to write what a word suggests in a sentence (can be about character, place and so on) Unjumble – learners asked to separate the adjectives from the adverbs The Great British Idiom – learners given an image that shows a famous idiom and are asked to put it into a sentence What Am I? – learners given a definition of a structural or linguistic device and asked to write the answer That is the Question – Learners given a description of an exam question and asked to give Paper, Question and Mark (eg Question 2, Paper 1, 8 marks) Punctuate Me! – Learners gives four sentences and asked which one is punctuated correctly Time to Shine – Learners asked about exam timing for certain questions Language or Structure? – Learners asked to separate language and structural devices True or False – Learners asked to say whether a statement is true or false Word Star – learners asked to match up words with their definitions I “like” it – learners asked to improve a sentence by adding a simile Strong Links – learners asked to place an adverbial phrase into a short text to create a stronger link between sentences Be Direct – leaners asked to reword a sentence, using direct address List Four Things – learners given a short text and asked to list four things about one of its elements Order! Order! – learners asked to put four sentences of an exam response into the correct order S The worksheets are in colour but print off fine in black and white. They are designed to engage the students with individual designs and graphical “Easter Eggs”.

All of the extracts in this document are free from copyright restrictions. This is either because of when they were written (and so now fall out of copyright statutes), have no copyright restrictions and/or were originally published under a Creative Commons license. They have been carefully collated to ensure that a wide range of voices can be heard by students studying towards their GCSE English. We have not overlooked famous authors by any means but a pivotal reason for putting these core texts together was to counter the inherent Eurocentricity of past and current curricula. Although there are no associated tasks included here (they are on the VLE) we are happy to make these texts available to anyone who cares to read them. They were chosen for their engaging content and so even if you do not use these as specific tasks, we hope that you will find them collectively an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. If you love to dip in and out of literature, you have come to the right place! When substantial additions are made (this is an ongoing project) we will update the document available online.

I have attempted to give this Paper 2 Question 5 activity a contemporary edge! This activity is (probably aimed) at more able, socially aware students. However, I do hope that it is sufficiently interesting in term of subject to engage (and provoke a response from) most students. Students will be asked to do some research about Extinction Rebellion (in case they haven’t heard of it) and then participate in a small group discussion on the movement. They are then given a Paper 2 Question 5 example question – which will be attempted after a whole class (teacher led) discussion around how to go about writing the response. The document consists of the tasks with a section for the response (if exercise books are not readily available). There is also a list of websites at the end to stimulate discussion for and against movements like Extinction Rebellion. I have not put these articles in to word documents as I wish to respect the copyright of the respective authors. However, I found the two I have boxed particularly interesting as they are so diametrically opposed to each other! I hope that this lesson will make a revision session for Paper 2 Question 5 a little more interesting… Thanks! Assessment Objectives covered This explicitly covers AO5 Content and Organisation Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences. Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts AO6 Technical Accuracy Students must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

Context: This lesson is designed to stretch and challenge a group of students who are aiming for a grade 6 or above. It introduces the idea of writing a polemic; as opposed to supporting one’s own views with relevant argument, the idea is to win the ‘argument’ through contentious rhetoric. The aim is to be introduced to writing strong verbal attacks on someone or something as a method to support a specific opposing position. Students will be encouraged to use the word in writing, in conjunction with Pandora’s Box. The concept of The Seven Deadly Sins in Christianity will be introduced and students will be exposed to a number of artworks associated with these ‘evils’ by a number of famous artists. They will be able to debate these sins and then write a polemic aimed at convincing their audience that their allotted sin is deadlier than the others. The session finishes off with an abridged version of Swift’s The Lady’s Dressing Room. Although timings are given in the time plan this lesson can go many places – it may have to be continued in the next session. Assessment Objective A05 and A06 for writing, with particular emphasis on writing highly engaging texts with a range of complex ideas. Also featured Assessment Objective: AO2: Explain, comment on and analyse how writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using relevant subject terminology to support their views. AO4: Evaluate texts critically and support this with appropriate textual references (poem).

This is an editable resource (if you feel the need to tweak!) but a PDF is included too. Ever tried to teach speech writing and been met with a sea of faces staring back blankly? However, when the terminal exam promises the distinct possibility of a speech writing task (Paper 2 Question 5) then students must be prepared for this eventuality. This is one way to encourage students to write good speeches. This set of prompts is designed to introduce students to speech writing in a number of ways. It resource is designed as a 60 minute section of any class and it focuses on a FULL RESPONSE for a speech about whether or not students should be made to do homework. If you want to use exercise books, there is an ‘instruction only’ set here too. Each paragraph the students must write is accompanied by a number of prompts to the left. The prompts indicate what they should write. So, the first (major) prompts, for example, are: Para 1 Write a one word sentence using an exclamation mark. Then, ask a rhetorical question. Para 2 Overview Give a brief overview of the points you will make in your speech (use the ones you jotted down on the first page). Use a list to do this. Don’t make this too long! Para 3 Make your statement. This is your message – your side of the argument. Tell your audience what your message is. • Start with: “Personally, I believe…” or similar. • Use a compound sentence • Finish your last sentence with an ellipsis. …and so on! The prompts then progress, enabling the students to create a complete response which includes all of the skills descriptors for Paper 1 Question 5. Your students should end up with a piece containing a minimum of 9 paragraphs of varying language with structural features and language devices used throughout. This lesson could also be used as a ‘snap’ revision session or a cover class. In fact it’s a highly adaptable (and editable!) resource which you can turn to many things. These exercises cover the following Assessment Objectives: AO5: Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences. Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts AO6: Candidates must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

This pack of picture questions is designed for AQA GCSE English Language 9-1, but focusing on images from the the sci-fi and fantasy genre. I created them “on demand” for my students who wanted some stimulus material that was a little more bloodthirsty than usual! Having said that, I think I have managed to keep them below what might scare your average Year 10 or 11 student. The responses you get may well make your hair stand on end, though, if “my lot” are anything to go by…! They simulate Paper 1 Question 5 where students are given a picture and are presented with two options (it’s hard, almost to call them questions!). The tasks can be for a descriptive or a narrative response. I hope that you will be able to use this pack to help you increase the story-telling powers of your learners as well as their descriptive prowess. The pack is editable although I have included PDFs if you don’t need to… However, it looks lovely printed in colour and laminated (for use in multiple classes without them getting too battered!). The pack gives teachers the opportunity to have a selection of ready-made questions for Paper 1 Question 5. These can be used to ensure that there are always writing tasks at hand. They might be used to stimulate class or small group discussion or can be used as interchangeable exercises to be done during a session. I hope that there is a sufficient variety of images in this pack to pique the interest of even the most reluctant of writers. By giving your learners a choice of task (while the assessment objectives - A05 and A06 remain the same) these sample questions might help to ensure both differentiation and an element of choice. Each is formatted to include the question on a single A4 sheet. The originals are also included on their own if you would like to use them without the question stimulus. These exercises cover the following Assessment Objectives: AO5: Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences. Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts AO6: Candidates must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. The pack is fairly diverse - however I am restricted to sourcing images that are modifiable and can be used for commercial purposes. There is a link to the creator of the image on each of them if you do want to check the Creative Commons license (and to give the creators the credit they deserve too, of course!).

The second set of WORD GYM homework and tests. You can buy these as a bundle HERE. I don’t know about you but a lot of my students don’t read – much, at all, ever (unless in the classroom and that sometimes takes some coercion!). That means that the development of their vocabulary is essentially restricted to what they hear rather than what they read. This is a worry, considering that both of the written texts that they have to produce in the GCSE English exams are marked on the use of sophisticated vocabulary (amongst many other things). However, my students do respond to a little gentle competition. I wanted to create a resource that would give them something to do for homework (the dreaded word!) but which wouldn’t take a huge amount of time. Not only that, I didn’t want to give the words VOCABULARY or SPELLING too much prominence either – the students would run for the hills (metaphorically at least). Finally I did not want to increase my workload (in terms of marking) in any way, shape or form. So I came up with WORD GYM. The idea is that each week ten words will be given out to students. This is called the warm up – where they have to go away and discover for themselves the definition and word class of the week’s chosen words (all KS4) plus write a sentence for each word. The follow up is the work out – the ten minute (or so) test in class where they are presented with a variety of questions. This resource consists of: 5 warm ups (this is the homework) containing ten words each 5** work outs** (this is the test for the classroom and comes as as single file). The questions and answers for the 5 work outs, again all the questions are in a single file. The short tests work very well and it is hoped that you will start to see some of the words being used in other texts your students create. These resources are all editable so if you don’t want to use a word or two you can adapt them to suit yourself. These exercises cover the following Assessment Objectives: AO5: Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences. Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts AO6: Candidates must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

This pack of picture questions is designed for AQA GCSE English Language 9-1. They simulate Paper 1 Question 5 where students are given a picture and are presented with two options (it’s hard, almost to call them questions!). The tasks can be for a descriptive or a narrative response. This pack of questions covers narrative responses. There are 20 options (which look great laminated!) and each picture has at least two story suggestions on it. The pack gives teachers the opportunity to have a selection of ready-made questions for Paper 1 Question 5. These can be used to ensure that there are always writing tasks at hand. They might be used to stimulate class or small group discussion or can be used as interchangeable exercises to be done during a session. I hope that there is a sufficient variety of images in this pack to pique the interest of even the most reluctant of writers. By giving your learners a choice of task (while the assessment objectives - A05 and A06 remain the same) these sample questions might help to ensure both differentiation and an element of choice. Each is formatted to include the question on a single A4 sheet. The originals are also included on their own if you would like to use them without the question stimulus. They would probably also be very useful if you are covering a class - the skills that students develop with these questions are vital for success in GCSE English as this question alone represents 25% of the entire exam. There is a tie in with the (FREE) As Told By Teachers anthology here, in as much as some of the story suggestions have the same title as some in the anthology. As such, you can use the ones in the anthology as exemplars, if you should so wish. They are: Lost (slide 2) Story on a winter’s evening (slide 7) Breakfast had been well and truly interrupted (slide 8) The girl who came back (slide 16) All of the wonderful pictures have been ethically sourced and are available under a Creative Commons license which means you do not have to worry about copyright with them at all. Each originator is credited by use of a link to the original.