Welcome. My resources include CPD self-study units for teachers as well as whole units of work specifically designed for the English classroom. Whole units come with detailed teacher notes, teaching PPTs and all student resources. I hope you enjoy using them as much as I have. Questions are very welcome and I can be contacted at roseandmay2@virginmedia.com.
Best wishes, Sam
Welcome. My resources include CPD self-study units for teachers as well as whole units of work specifically designed for the English classroom. Whole units come with detailed teacher notes, teaching PPTs and all student resources. I hope you enjoy using them as much as I have. Questions are very welcome and I can be contacted at roseandmay2@virginmedia.com.
Best wishes, Sam
AQA English Language GCSE Paper 1: Narrative and Descriptive Writing Tasks
This resource includes fifty creative writing tasks (narrative and descriptive) based on original images and which are presented in the AQA Paper 1 format. It includes 25 original images which can act as inspiration for creative writing or as practice assessments. The photographs belong to the author and I am happy for teachers to use them in the classroom. I have also included planning frames for both narrative and descriptive writing tasks. Hope you enjoy using them.
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AQA English Language GCSE Paper 1: Creative Writing Unit for Mid to High Attainers
AQA English Language GCSE: Paper 1 Creative Writing Unit for Lower Attainers
This half-termly unit is built around the Step Up topic of Charities and is designed to prepare students for their AQA Step Up to English Component 1 Literacy topics assessment. It is aimed mainly at Gold award candidates however many of the activities are also applicable to those doing the Silver award if, like me, you have candidates doing both awards in the same class. It is designed to ensure students develop the skills necessary to complete the assessment tasks which include two speaking and listening tasks as well as responses to reading and a longer piece of writing. It includes a nicely presented, fully editable teaching PPT with lots of engaging activities and extracts from a range of texts including web pages and a poster.
All 10 texts and student resources are included as well as a detailed set of teacher’s notes explaining how I intend to use them.
I have included all resources in PPT, Word and PDF formats.
Please check current list of NEAs with AQA and note that information, guidance, support and resources are available from AQA.
AQA Step Up to English: Component 1 The Next Step Practice Unit
This practice unit can be used to help students build some of the skills required to then complete the assessed Step Up units… It guides students through the skills required for the speaking and listening assessment (group work task and individual interview) as well as preparing them for the reading and writing assessments with lots of opportunities for discussion and engaging activities. I designed it as a half-termly unit for my own year 10 Step Up class and linked it with preparation for their work placements. All eleven resources used in the scheme are included in both word and pdf formats in addition to a well-presented teaching PPT and detailed teacher’s notes based on my experience of delivering the unit.
Please check current list of NEAs with AQA and note that information, guidance, support and resources are available from AQA.Please note that the Next Step unit will not be assessed after June 2023 therefore this is intended as a practice unit only.*
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)
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AQA Step Up to English: Grammar and Punctuation Starters
AQA Step Up to English: Component 2 Creative Writing Unit
This half-termly unit of work is designed to help prepare students for the Edexcel IGCSE First Language English with particular focus on imaginative writing in Components 2 and 3. 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. These can be completed as practice assessments for Component 2 or for the coursework portfolio. The 59 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.
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.
Welcome to a world of black dogs, goblins and boggarts! This practice unit is built around the Step Up topic of Myths and Legends for the AQA Step Up to English Component 2 Creative Reading and Writing assessment. It includes a detailed 78 slide teaching PPT with lots of engaging activities and both fiction and non-fiction extracts to ensure students develop the skills necessary to complete the assessment tasks for reading and writing. The writing section, for example, includes sections on good story openings, writing dialogue, creating character, narrative voice and varying sentences using a ‘visual grammar’ approach.
All 18 resources with all texts and student resources are included in word and pdf formats as well as a very detailed set of teacher’s notes explaining how I have used the resources
Please check current list of NEAs with AQA and note that information, guidance, support and resources are available from AQA. Please note that the ‘Myths and Legends’ topic was last assessed in 2024 therefore is intended to be used as a practice unit.
More Step Up to English Resources
Other individual teaching units and complete courses which include teaching PPTs, all student resources and teacher’s notes can be found at:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/RoseandMay101
All component 1 and 2 units are available including new units on ‘Crime’ and ‘Style’ .
Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 1 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 1 English exam paper. It is built around the topic of the climate crisis.
There are two sections:
Reading section – exploration of three different non-fiction texts including a letter, web pages and a blog.
Writing section – focus on writing a persuasive letter and a blog which can be formally assessed
This includes a well-presented 55 slide teaching PPT (editable PPT format) as well as a set of detailed teacher’s notes and all ten resources in both word and pdf formats. Tasks and texts are relevant, engaging and ideal preparation for the Level 1 exam.
More Edexcel Functional Skills Resources
Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 1 - Complete Course
This is a collection of four teaching units for Edexcel’s Functional Skills in English Level 1 exam. Together they form a complete course which can be taught across one academic year or form the basis of a 2 year course. Each unit comes complete with a teaching PPT, detailed teacher notes and all resources in both word and pdf formats.
AQA Step Up to English: Complete Course
This bundle includes all you need to teach the full AQA Step Up to English course. It contains two practice units (The Next Step and Myths and Legends) plus two component 1 units (Music and Holidays) plus one component 2 topic (Dystopia). Each unit contains a teaching PPT, all resources in word and pdf formats and a set of detailed teacher’s notes. The bundle also includes four self-study CPD units on how to teach entry level English.
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
More 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
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AQA Step Up to English: Grammar and Punctuation Starters
AQA Step Up to English: Component 2 Creative Writing Unit
This resource bundle for teachers of Cambridge IGCSE First Language English includes the following:
Narrative and Descriptive Writing Unit
This highly engaging unit of work is designed to help prepare students for the Cambridge IGCSE First Language English 0500 with particular focus on building skills in descriptive and narrative writing within the context of gothic fiction. This style of creative response is relevant to Cambridge IGCSE Paper 2 Section B Composition where students are given a choice of descriptive and narrative tasks or Component 3 Coursework Portfolio assignment 2 ‘writing to describe’ and assignment 3 ‘writing to narrate’.
Speaking and Listening Teaching Unit
This unit prepares students for their Cambridge IGCSE Speaking and Listening test (individual talk and conversation) on a specific topic agreed with their teacher. It guides students through the whole process by looking at aspects of effective talks such as openings, rhetorical devices, endings, use of cue cards to structure a talk and responding to questions. Strategies include exploring good examples of talks as well opportunities to try out a variety of techniques to help make their own talks lively and engaging .
Student Home Learning Guide
This student-friendly guide is designed to support students in developing their skills in preparation for the Cambridge First Language English IGCSE Paper 2 Section B: Composition exam. It is intended for use at home and includes lots of interactive and practical tasks to help them embed the key skills required at this level. It includes a work booklet as well as accompanying resources in Word and PDF formats including planning frames, narrative extracts and creative writing tasks for exam practice. It will be invaluable for teachers who wish to set revision tasks for their classes or for parents who wish to support with exam preparation.
The aim of this training session is to support secondary teaching assistants in developing a set of key strategies for teaching pupils how to learn and retain spellings. It contains lots of paired activities and could be led by the SENCO or an English specialist. It is designed for a training session lasting approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.
Some pupils find spelling a real challenge - the role of a TA is to reassure them, provide them with spelling rules and strategies and support them with active approaches to learning spelling. This training package will help them to achieve this. It will also help TAs to provide support for pupils in using and developing a subject-specific vocabulary which is vitally important for their writing.
This half-termly unit of work is designed to help prepare students for the AQA 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.
This half-termly unit of work is designed to help prepare students for the WJEC Eduqas GCSE in English Language Component 1 exam with a particular focus on narrative writing. It supports students in actively exploring excellent and varied models of texts and identifying successful features before moving to students planning and composing their own creative responses. A well-presented 51 slide teaching PPT is included as well as a detailed set of teacher’s notes with suggested teaching approaches and all nine 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 Functional Skills in English: Level 1 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 AQA Functional Skills Level 1 English exam paper. It is built around the topic of the climate change crisis.
There are two sections:
Reading section – exploration of three different non-fiction texts including a letter, web pages and a blog.
Writing section – focus on writing a persuasive letter and a blog
This includes a 55 slide teaching PPT (editable PPT format) as well as a set of detailed teacher’s notes and all 10 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 - Leisure
AQA Functional Skills in English: Level 1 Unit - Taking the Next Step
AQA Functional Skills in English: Speaking and Listening Unit
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.
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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 teaching bundle includes a highly engaging and enjoyable unit on narrative and descriptive writing as well as a series of starter lessons on grammar and punctuation which can be delivered in 10-15 minute starter activities at the beginning of each lesson. They are ideal for Years 8-9. The teaching units come with well-presented teaching PPTs as well as all resources for students and detailed sets of teacher notes based on my own experience of delivering these units. The bundle also comes with a self-study professional development unit on teaching creative writing. Both teaching resources are also available as separate units. I hope you enjoy teaching them.
This unit prepares students for their Cambridge IGCSE Speaking and Listening test (individual talk and conversation) on a specific topic agreed with their teacher. It guides students through the whole process by looking at aspects of effective talks such as openings, rhetorical devices, endings, use of cue cards to structure a talk and responding to questions. Strategies include exploring good examples of talks as well opportunities to try out a variety of techniques to help make their own talks lively and engaging . A 40 slide PPT is included as well as all eight resources in both word and pdf formats and a set of teacher’s notes.
**More Cambridge IGCSE resources
Cambridge l IGCSE English Language: Imaginative Writing Unit
This unit of work is designed with a particular focus on Component 2 or 3 Imaginative writing. It explores descriptive and narrative writing within the context of gothic fiction, and includes a superbly presented 104 slide teaching PPT plus all 19 student resources and a set of detailed teacher’s notes.
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.
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 is a 3 week unit which is designed to prepare students for their AQA spoken presentation on a topic agreed with their teacher. The unit guides students through the process by looking at aspects of effective presentations such as openings, rhetorical devices, memorable endings, use of cue cards to structure a talk, delivering the talk and responding to questions. Lessons include exploring good examples of famous speeches and student talks as well as group discussions and opportunities to try out a variety of strategies. A 37 slide PPT is included as well as all six resources in both word and pdf formats and a set of teacher’s notes. I hope you enjoy teaching this unit.
