This series of four lessons on Roald Dahl’s ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ breaks the story into four extracts and four distinct but interconnected lessons. Lesson 1: 16 slides Lesson 2: 16 slides Lesson 3: 14 slides Lesson 4: 16 slides Each lesson contains key questions and tasks relating to the story. Students are encouraged to think about Dahl’s suspense, characterisation, and use black humour. Key vocabulary is introduced and Dahl’s structure is dissected, with students making predictions and debating what might happen next as the story progresses. The nature of Mary Maloney’s marriage is discussed, as is the significance of her pregnancy, and the symbolic use of the leg of lamb in her infamous crime. At the end of the fourth lesson, we think about how Dahl uses the story symbolically and allegorically to comment on attitudes to gender in the 1950s. Questions, discussion points, and tasks are included for students. There are multiple tasks to strengthen analytical writing (with clearly structured model paragraphs included), and more creative tasks are featured, too, including diary entries and newspaper writing. Copies of all four extracts are included in this resource. There are at least 4 lessons here, but - depending on the pace of your classes - this could be stretched into more. This series of lessons is ideal for KS3. PowerPoints and extracts are saved as PDFs.

This resource includes a booklet containing 10 extracts from 10 works of dystopian fiction by 10 different authors. The booklet contains imaginative and thought-provoking explorations of dystopian worlds - and each is ripe for analysis. Authors featured include Suzanne Collins, E.M. Forster and George Orwell. Also included is a PowerPoint with a brief introductory lesson to the dystopian genre. This explains the key features of dystopian literature and introduces the key vocabulary associated with the genre. This is perfect for a KS3 module or unit of work on dystopian fiction. It works well in conjunction with creative writing tasks. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

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 worksheet is great for revising the key themes of AQA’s ‘Love & Relationships’ poetry anthology. In the right-hand column, students can write all of the poems in the collection which they think match the theme in the left-hand column. Encourages students to think thematically and comparatively about the poems.

This 28-slide lesson is a thorough and comprehensive exploration of Seamus Heaney’s poem ‘Follower’. This PowerPoint unpicks key themes of admiration, childhood and identity with close analysis of the poem’s language, form and structure. Attention is paid to the demands of AQA’s GCSE Literature, through which this poem is studied in the ‘Love & Relationships’ anthology. Questions and discussion points are included for students, as well as a ‘mock’ essay question in which students must compare ‘Follower’ to another poem, just like in the real AQA exam. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

Introduce students to the basic geography of Afghanistan with this informative map and fact-sheet. Understanding Afghanistan’s geographical position is vital to contextualising ‘The Kite Runner’. Students can then be encouraged to complete their own further research into the country.

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 includes an extract from Madeleine L’Engle’s ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ as well as four exam-style questions based on Paper 1 of AQA’s English Language GCSE. This extract is an ideal mock or practice paper for those studying the AQA GCSE, or it could be used in class to develop understanding of the requirements of the exam. Also included is a PowerPoint with ‘top tips’ for answering each of the four questions.

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 29-slide lesson analyses Simon Armitage’s poem ‘Remains’, deconstructing its language, structure, imagery, context, message and more. Critical-thinking questions and tasks are included, as well as the option of two exam-style essay questions at the end of the lesson. The lesson is ideal for those studying AQA’s ‘Power and Conflict’ poetry cluster in the Literature GCSE (especially high-attaining groups), where the poem is featured. It could also be taught to GCSE groups as an ‘unseen’ poem or even KS5 groups as a poem of political and social protest. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

Explore Blake’s ‘The Ecchoing Green’ from the ‘Songs of Innocence’ as a poem of social/political protest with this comprehensive lesson aimed at A level students. For those studying the AQA Political and Social Protest Writing course, this lesson deconstructs Blake’s imagery, language and ideas to consider how ‘The Ecchoing Green’ fits in with his vision for the ‘Songs’ as poems of protest.

This 27-slide lesson on William Blake’s ‘The Garden of Love’ from the ‘Songs of Experience’ deconstructs the poem as a tool of political and social protest. The lesson explores Blake’s context as a radical Dissenter, his use of the pastoral genre, and considers in detail his use of language and imagery. The poem’s themes of sexual restriction, corrupt authority, and shattered innocence are considered through a variety of questions and tasks for students. At the end of the lesson, an extended essay question is included. This lesson is ideal for those studying Blake’s ‘Songs’ through AQA’s ‘Political and Social Protest’ paper at A level. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

Enhance your learning environment with this poster of J.B. Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’, designed by Mr. Gradgrind.

Enhance your learning environment and encourage reading with this poster, designed by Mr. Gradgrind.

Explore elements of political and social protest in this extract from Ralph Ellison’s ‘Invisible Man’. Excellent practice for those studying AQA’s Political and Social Protest Writing A level syllabus. This extract is particularly effective for studying how writers protest against racism.

This top-band descriptive writing exemplar is a perfect model for those studying AQA GCSE English Language. Based on Question 1B, where students must complete a 40-mark piece of creative writing, this exemplar on a dark forest and a mysterious man is ideal for teaching structure, narrative, language, vocabulary, punctuation, and much more.

This is a complete mock paper 2A for those studying AQA GCSE English Language. Four questions (as per the exam) are included. The paper contains two sources (one from the 19th century and one from the 21st century) on the topic of Presidents of the United States. One concerns the election campaign of Donald Trump; the other concerns the death of Abraham Lincoln.

Explore William Blake’s ‘The Lamb’ as a critique of organised religion and child exploitation with this comprehensive lesson. Perfect for those studying Blake’s ‘Songs of Innocence and Experience’ for AQA’s ‘Political and Social Protest Writing’ paper.

Explore Jessie Pope’s famous jingoistic poem ‘Who’s For The Game?’ in this comprehensive and engaging 20-slide lesson. Perfect for KS3 students with some introductory knowledge of World War I, but this could just as well work for a KS4 group who are analysing poetry. Questions, key vocabulary, and tasks are included, as well as some biographical information on Pope and context on the First World War. Exemplar analytical paragraphs on the poem are also included. PowerPoint saved as PDF.