A new practice exam AQA English Language Paper 1: 'Creative Explorations in Reading' paper which uses a dramatic moment from 'Dracula' where Johnathan encounters the three hags during his stay at Castle Dracula. The resource contains 4 exam questions which adhere strictly to the format of the specimen paper. Also included is a series of SMART Notebook slides, to aid your whole-class interactive teaching of the paper Q by Q, for textual annotation. I've added a model response to Q3: structure, too. NOTE: If you don't use SMART Notebooks, you can still view the slides by downloading a FREE, SMART Notebook Viewer (which will open the Notebook in a format similar to Powerpoint on your computer). Very occasionally some of the graphic / text moves a little (a formatting glitch in the software!) You can access the viewer FREE of charge here: http://express.smarttech.com/ Loads of other Paper 1s and 2s, as well as differentiated versions, ALL FREE at my 'shop'. Please leave a review and help yourself! Matt :)

A Practice GCSE Paper 1 Section A exam paper, using an extract from J R R Tolkein's 'The Hobbit', published in 1937. In this extract, a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins enters the lair of a dragon named Smaug and steals a golden cup. The dragon awakens and is infuriated at the theft of his treasure. UPDATED APRIL 2017 - a set of REVISED SMART Notebook slides to assist you in teaching the 4 exam Qs, question by question. I've added a new Q3 key terminology starter, a modelled Q3 structure response and a new Q4 slide. The Notebook slides can be unlocked and the content easily amended to suit any other text and Qs you might wish to use in the future. Also available FREE at my 'shop' is a highly differentiated version of this paper for less able pupils to respond to. Works well alongside this in mixed ability groups or just for less able candidates. Help yourself - there are loads of specimen Paper 1s and 2s at my 'shop'! I hope this is of some use to you. Matt :)

This 36 page pupil workbook contains a variety of highly differentiated activities to accompany the study of Alfred Noyes' classic ballad, 'The Highwayman' with students whose literacy is a barrier to learning. UPDATED: 20-03-17 I've added a wide range of images as a separate downloadable Word document for use with the Media Storyboard task. This might be preferable if your students have poor fine motor skills and, where possible, the images reflect a variety of camera 'shot' types so they can justify the choices they have made in the accompanying 'commentary' writing task. UPDATED 09-02-17 To include SMART Notebook slides which replicate all 36 pages of the Pupil Workbook. Some of the activities include: * pre-reading non-fiction comprehension: 'Dick Turpin' * sequencing Part One narrative events to show awareness of structure * cloze summary of Part One and extension task with sentence stems for completion * cloze and sentence stems for the journal of Tim, the ostler * a media storyboard and commentary * simile and metaphor, commenting on the use and effects of language * sequencing Part Two narrative events to show awareness of structure * cloze summary of Part Two and extension task with sentence stems for completion * newspaper report of the deaths * production of a non-literary leaflet: Highway Safety for Travellers I hope this is of some use to you. Please leave review. Thanks, Matt :)

In this dramatic opening, the narrator describes a man being thrown from a grounded hot air balloon which then begins to ascend. Alone and terrified, in the basket there is a small boy. I have adapted TES contributor Claire Mesher's resource for use with SMART Notebook, as a series of interactive slides to aid your teaching of this specimen exam paper Q by Q, for Qs 1 to 4. Also, I have added a model response to Q3: Structure demonstrating how pupils can apply subject specific terminology appropriately as this is mentioned in every band on the AQA mark scheme for this question. NOTE: I've uploaded LOADS of Paper 1s AND 2s to my 'shop', ALL FREE. Please help yourself - just leave a review. Thank you! Thanks :)

Courtesy of @MrsLCavalier who provided the source texts over on Twitter (via @Team_English1), I have produced an AQA English Language Paper 2 Walking Talking mock exam via SMART Notebook slides, complete with reminders about the focus of each Q; the timings; how to approach each Q; exemplar responses and Q by Q slides with interactive timers. PLEASE NOTE: If you don't use SMART Notebook interactive whiteboards in your school, you can download a FREE SMART Notebook viewer which enables you to open and view/project the slides in a format that it akin to Powerpoint. (Occasionally, due to formatting glitches some of the graphics or text can go a little wonky!) Or you can just download the source texts and the question paper. It is hoped that this is of use to you and your colleagues. Matt :)

The inspiration and original idea for this resource was @MrsSpalding on Twitter, and this is the product of a collaboration with two other Twitter users. The three GCSE Literature texts addressed are: * Macbeth * A Christmas Carol * An Inspector Calls and a range of critical theories are applied to each, including: * Marxist theory * Feminist theory * Jungian archetypes * Freudian theory * Aristotelian theory * Structuralist theory * Nietzschean philosophy * John Locke's theory of 'tabula rasa' (nature vs nurture) and is geared towards use with more-able students so that they can make conceptual interpretations of the literary texts studied to access the highest bands in the exams.

The idea for the 200 Word Writing Challenge originates from @Xris32 on Twitter. Inspired by a set of 200 Word Challenges shared by Twitter via @Team_English1, I have produced a number of 200 Word Challenges in the style of writing task typical of the new AQA English Language Paper 2B. You can see a couple of the slides as examples. UPDATED AUGUST 2017: Now includes 50+ slides, created using Adobe Spark Note, each containing a statement to which students are asked to respond, in a particular form and for a particular purpose, AQA-style Language Paper 2B, with some examples of how it can be adapted to other areas of the GCSE exam papers for both Language and Literature! The challenge is provided by the fact students cannot write more than 200 words, encouraging concision, and the response must include specific rhetorical devices listed on the slide as well as a particular word (if given: it's on some slides, not others!) The software package used is Adobe Spark: it's FREE and very simple to use. If you like these, have a go at creating some of your own! Matt :)

A practice exam paper for the new AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2: Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives, using two non-fiction texts based on the same theme or topic: here, it is the theme of CHILD LABOUR across the centuries and in different cultures. Extracts used here are Lord Shaftesbury's Parliamentary speech in 1842 about the working conditions of children in British coal mines and a newspaper article from 2014 regarding child labour in India. Section B: Writing task (linked by theme to the topic of the texts in Section A) is also included. The 5 exam questions adhere to the format of those published by AQA in their specimen exam papers. (NOTE: I have, on occasion, tweaked the vocabulary or sentencing of Shaftesbury's parliamentary speech ever so slightly, simply to make it more accessible for classroom use.) NOTE: I've uploaded LOADS of Practice exam papers for Paper 1 and Paper 2. They are all FREE at my 'shop' so please help yourself - just leave a review! Thanks. I hope it is of some use to you. Matt :)

A practice exam paper for the new AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2A: Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives, linked by the theme of 'Fires in London', using Pepys' 17th C journal entry of the Great Fire of London and a Guardian newspaper article from the King's Cross tube station fire in 1998. The texts and the format of the exam Qs follows that published by AQA in the approved specimen materials. Please note: I have produced only Qs 1 to 3 (there are 4 Qs on the exam paper) as these resources were originally designed for use by pupils at Key Stage 3, introducing the format and the skills tested by the new GCSE. NOTE: I've uploaded LOADS of practice Paper 1s AND 2s to my 'shop', ALL FREE of charge. Please help yourself - just leave a review. Thank you! I hope it is of some use to you.

A Practice GCSE Paper 1 Section A exam paper, using an extract from Hound of the Baskervilles. This is an ALTERNATIVE extract to the other Hound of the Baskervilles practice exam resource I have uploaded (no longer available here at TES as it has been published by www.teachit.co.uk where you can now access it, alongside other resources I've had published there.) In this extract, the narrator – Doctor Watson – and Sir Henry Baskerville are trying to solve the mystery of what the butler, Barrymore, is doing in the middle of the night. UPDATED APRIL 2017: included is a REVISED set of SMART Notebook slides to assist you in teaching the 4 exam Qs, question by question. I've also added a Q3 key terminology matching starter activity, Q3 modelled response and a new Q4 slide. The Notebook slides can be unlocked and the content easily amended to suit any other text and Qs you might wish to use in the future. NOTE: I have uploaded LOADS of AQA practice exam paper 1s AND 2s to my 'shop', ALL FREE of charge. Help yourself - and leave a review! Thanks! I hope this is of some use to you. Matt :)

Designed for less able students at Key Stage 3 or 4, this is a practice exam paper for the NEW AQA English Language Paper 1A: Reading 20th C Fiction texts. I have used an extract taken from David Almond's novel, 'Skellig', published in 1998. I've also designed a series of SMART Notebook slides for whole-class interactive teaching of the workbook, Q by Q. The format of the paper is as follows: Q1 - the same Q2 - cloze exercise focusing on how the writer uses language Q3a - sequence a series of statements to show understanding of narrative events / structure Q3b - cloze activity, modelling Q3 response, for pupils to complete. I know that the new GCSE paper is untiered and students will not be given this level of support in the exam. However, this resource is intended to provide an appropriate point of access and opportunities for students whose literacy is a barrier to learning to practise the reading response skills demanded by this exam - and to support the teachers who have to deliver it! I hope that it is of some use to you. I have produced other resources just like this one using extracts taken from Frankenstein, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Monkey's Paw, The Hobbit, A Christmas Carol, War of the Worlds, The Sniper, Z for Zachariah, Dracula, The Pearl, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Machine Gunners and Buddy. NOTE: I've also uploaded loads of specimen new AQA Language Paper 1 and 2s to my 'shop', all available free of charge. Please leave a review and help yourself! Matt :)

This resource comprises 16 posters, created using Adobe Spark, each containing key terminology for exploring narrative structure with precision and sophistication. Each poster contains a graphic, the term and a definition. There are 16 in total, and the folder also contains a Word document for students as a glossary, with terms, definitions and examples from various, popular GCSE Literature texts. I turned my classroom wall display into a Freytag's Pyramid and affixed the first 7 to it. The others are structural features for reference by students in class. Enjoy!

Designed for less able students at Key Stage 3 or 4, this is a practice exam paper for the NEW AQA English Language Paper 1A: Reading 20th C Fiction texts. I have adapted an extract taken from JRR Tolkein's "The Hobbit" (1937), simplifying some of the vocabulary and sentencing to make the text a little more accessible for students whose reading age might be lower than their chronological age. I've also designed and included a series of SMART Notebook slides for interactive whiteboard teaching of the resource, Q by Q. The format of the paper is as follows: Q1 - the same Q2 - cloze exercise focusing on how the writer uses language to describe the dragon and its lair Q3a - sequence a series of statements to show understanding of narrative events / structure Q3b - cloze activity, modelling Q3 response, for pupils to complete. I know that the new GCSE paper is untiered and students will not be given this level of support in the exam. However, this resource is intended to provide an appropriate point of access and opportunities for students whose literacy is a barrier to learning to practise the reading response skills demanded by this exam - and to support the teachers who have to deliver it! I hope that it is of some use to you. I have produced other resources like this one using extracts from Frankenstein, War of the Worlds, Skellig, A Christmas Carol, The Monkey's Paw, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Dracula, The Pearl, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Machine Gunners, Buddy and Z for Zachariah. I've also uploaded loads of typical specimen AQA 9 to 1 Language exam Paper 1 and 2s to my shop, all available free of charge. Please leave a review and help yourself! Matt :)

Using an extract from Washington Irving's 'Old Christmas', published posthumously in 1886, and a newspaper article written in 2016, these non-fiction texts present contrasting viewpoints and attitudes to the festival of Christmas. The Qs adhere to the format used by AQA and the section B writing task has also been uploaded as a 200 Word Challenge, where students must strive to include the three rhetorical devices listed on the image. Thought this might be useful to explore contexts if teaching A Christmas Carol, or just use as a Christmas themed practice exam paper. Hope it's useful. Matt :)

A practice exam paper for the new AQA Language Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing UPDATED: APRIL 2017 -included is a REVISED series of SMART notebook slides to teach Q by Q in class, which can be unlocked and adapted for other Paper 1A practice exam papers I have uploaded to the TES site, all available free of charge, including a new Q3 key terminology matching starter; a modelled response to Q3 structure and a new Q4 slide. This extract is taken from Ray Bradbury’s short story, 'The Whole Town's Sleeping', written in 1950. In this extract, a woman is walking home alone after watching a film at the cinema with friends. She fears that she is being followed and descends into a state of paranoia and terror. Is someone really following her, or is it just her imagination? The text and the format of the exam Qs 1 to 4 follows that of AQA's approved specimen papers. NOTE: I've uploaded LOADS of practice papers for Paper 1 AND 2 to my 'shop', ALL FREE of charge. Please help yourself and leave a review. Thanks! I hope this is of some use to you.

Designed for less able students at Key Stage 3 or 4, this is a practice exam paper for the NEW AQA English Language Paper 1A: Reading Fiction texts. Here, I have adapted an extract taken from Charles Dickens' classic novella, 'A Christmas Carol', simplifying vocabulary and sentencing so that the text is more accessible for pupils whose reading age is significantly lower than their chronological age. (I know it's a 19th C fiction text but it's just to practise the exam skills!) I've also designed a series of SMART Notebook slides for whole-class interactive teaching of the workbook resource, Q by Q. The format of the paper is as follows: Q1 - the same Q2 - cloze exercise focusing on how the writer uses language Q3a - sequence a series of statements to show understanding of narrative events / structure Q3b - cloze activity, modelling Q3 response, for pupils to complete. I know that the new GCSE paper is untiered and students will not be given this level of support in the exam. However, this resource is intended to provide an appropriate point of access and opportunities for students whose literacy is a barrier to learning to practise the reading response skills demanded by this exam - and to support the teachers who have to deliver it! I hope that it is of some use to you. I have produced other resources just like this one using extracts from Frankenstein, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Monkey's Paw, The Hobbit, The Sniper, The Pearl, Z for Zachariah, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Machine Gunners, Buddy, Skellig, Dracula and War of the Worlds. NOTE: I've also uploaded loads of specimen new AQA Language Paper 1 and 2s to my 'shop', all available free of charge. Please leave a review and help yourself! Matt :)

A practice exam paper for the new AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2A: Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives, linked by the theme of 'PARANORMAL', using an extract from an autobiographical account written by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle in 1930 and a 21st C Discovery Channel online news article entitled, 'Do Ghosts Exist? Exploring the Paranormal' where the authors present contrasting viewpoints and attitudes to the subject matter. The texts and the format of the exam Qs follows that published by AQA in the approved specimen materials. Please note: These resources were originally designed for use by pupils at Key Stage 3, introducing the format and the skills tested by the new GCSE. Also, Conan-Doyle's account, taken from 'The Edge of the Unknown' was published in 1930 but for the purposes of introducing contrasting viewpoints and attitudes at KS3 is suitably challenging. I hope it is of some use to you.

Using part of a Parliamentary speech by Lord Shaftesbury, given in 1842 to the House of Commons and a newspaper article from 2014, both of these texts deal with the topic of CHILD LABOUR in different cultures and in different centuries. I have adapted the 19th C text slightly, simplifying some vocabulary and sentencing to make it more accessible to students whose reading ages are significantly lower than their chronological age, to provide an appropriate point of access to the skills demanded by the new AQA GCSE Language Paper 2A exam paper. To follow is a set of SMART Notebook slides for whole-class interactive whiteboard teaching of the resource. UPDATE: To view the SMART Notebook slides, simply download the SMART Notebook Express viewer, FREE online. It is a piece of software published by SMART Technologies and is completely safe to use. (express.smarttech.com) I have adhered to the phrasing of the exam questions, but the tasks are differentiated thus: Q1 - same as the actual exam paper Q2 - cloze exercise of the summary (this could be easily tweaked to sentence stems) Q3a - highlight and write down 3 relevant examples of language used to convey viewpoint Q3b - cloze exercise of use of language to convey viewpoint and attitude Section B writing task is included, but it is not differentiated. I have not included the Q4 'comparison of methods to convey attitudes' task as it is currently beyond the ability of the students for whom I have produced this resource. I hope that it's of use to you and your students. I've produced ten of these highly differentiated papers for Paper 2A now and all are available FREE at my 'shop' with accompanying SMART Notebook resources, too. Please help yourself and leave me a review! Matt :)

Designed for less able students at Key Stage 3 or 4, this is a practice exam paper for the NEW AQA English Language Paper 1A: Reading 20th C Fiction texts. I have adapted an extract taken from WW Jacobs' classic ghost story, "The Monkey's Paw" (1902), simplifying some of the vocabulary and sentencing to make the text a little more accessible for students whose reading age might be lower than their chronological age. I have also produced SMART Notebook slides for whole-class interactive teaching of the workbook, Q by Q. The format of the paper is as follows: Q1 - the same Q2 - cloze exercise focusing on how the writer uses language to create suspense for the reader Q3a - sequence a series of statements to show understanding of narrative events / structure Q3b - cloze activity, modelling Q3 response, for pupils to complete. I know that the new GCSE paper is untiered and students will not be given this level of support in the exam. However, this resource is intended to provide an appropriate point of access and opportunities for students whose literacy is a barrier to learning to practise the reading response skills demanded by this exam - and to support the teachers who have to deliver it! I hope that it is of some use to you. I have produced other resources like this one using extracts from Frankenstein, War of the Worlds, Skellig, A Christmas Carol, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Hobbit, The Sniper, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Pearl, The MAchine Gunners, Buddy, Dracula and Z for Zachariah. I've also uploaded loads of typical specimen new AQA 9 to 1 Language Paper 1 and 2s to my shop, all available free of charge. Please leave a review and help yourself! Matt :)

Using an excerpt from Roald Dahl's autobiography, 'Boy' - The Great Mouse Plot - a booklet of highly differentiated activities which address skills tested by Qs 1 to 3 of the new AQA Language Paper 2A exam paper, but for students whose reading age is significantly lower than their chronological age. It's a good way to introduce the focus of each question, and to get students responding in appropriate ways at a level that is appropriate to their ability. I hope this is useful to you and your students. Matt :)