AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example ‘‘Power & Conflict’ essay using the latest question styles (May 2019). This would be useful as an independent stretch activity for more able students, and it would be possible to run through it as separate, timed class activities for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to explain the writer’s language in depth. For students who are just coming across comparative poetry essays for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan as a class, modelling how to answer before encouraging students to write their own essay. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my other resources.

AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example ‘power and conflict’ exam style question for the current examination series (May 2019). This would be useful as an independent stretch activity for more able students, and it would be possible to run through it as separate, timed class activities for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to explain the writer’s language in depth. For students who are just coming across comparative poetry essays for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan as a class, modelling how to answer before encouraging students to write their own paragraph. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my other resources.

AQA GCSE Language students will benefit from these example fiction reading questions using the latest question format (May 2019). This text would provide stretch activities for more able students, and it would be possible to run through these as class activities for less able students. For students who are just coming across the fiction exam for the first time, it would be useful to run through question by question, culminating in question four as an amalgamation of the previous questions. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Difficult words are translated and there is some planning space provided. Take a look at my other resources. :)

AQA GCSE Language students will benefit from these example fiction reading questions using the latest question format (May 2019). This text would provide stretch activities for more able students, and it would be possible to run through these as class activities for less able students. For students who are just coming across the fiction exam for the first time, it would be useful to run through question by question, culminating in question four as an amalgamation of the previous questions. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Difficult words are translated and there is some planning space provided. Take a look at my other resources. :)

AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example ‘An Inspector Calls’ question using the latest question styles (May 2019). This would be useful as an independent stretch activity for more able students, and it would be possible to run through it as separate, timed class activities for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to explain the writer’s language in depth. For students who are just coming across ‘An Inspector Calls’ essays for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan as a class, modelling how to answer before encouraging students to write their own paragraph. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my other resources. :)

AQA GCSE students will benefit from these example unseen poetry questions using the latest question format (May 2019). These poems would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through these as class activities for less able students. For students who are just coming across unseen poetry for the first time, it would be useful to run through question one and poem one separately, before focusing on language comparison and poem two. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Difficult words are translated and there is some planning space provided. Take a look at my other resources!

With assessments moderated and marked, one thing screamed out to the English department I’m a part of:students aren’t confident about how to approach and structure each questions’ answers. It wasn’t that student hadn’t tried, often they had. The issue was that they just couldn’t remember what to do for each question. How could they structure it to get the most marks? How could they remember the exam technique? Considering these issues, I realised that it might be worthwhile creating a set structure for each question. More than that, I thought it would be useful to set them out as a potential display for my classroom. Perhaps more usefully, I have these printed out to give to students when they’re struggling with how to approach a question so they can see them as a guide while they write their own responses. Do check out my other resources. :)

These are all paired AQA Language section B tasks, one for paper one and one for paper two. I’ve been using two per week throughout this academic year! Recently, our school has altered its behaviour policy and is running after school detentions. I’ve created these as purposeful writing tasks for our students to complete during these detentions. The aim is to develop students’ planning and writing abilities whilst getting them to consider the nature of their behaviour and the value of education. This means that all of these are about character development and SMSC in addition to exam preparation. There is a simple layout, inspired by ‘The Learning Scientists’ though I’m not sure that Oliver Caviglioli would approve of the boxes used in the design! Planning space is provided and, I would advise, should be used to ensure that students develop a structure prior to actually writing. I would print this on A3 paper for it to be most useful. Do get in touch with any feedback! I may well add more as time goes on… If you like these, check out my other resources, follow me on instagram/twitter or pop over to my blog: https://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/author/idealisticteacher/

Given the heavy markload of English teachers and the need to communicate clearly and rapidly with students, I decided that stickers with an abbreviated mark scheme would allow for both faster communication with students regarding their work and faster marking. This resource covers every question for AQA Literature and AQA Language. With this in mind, I’ve created mark schemes which are adaptable and image-based for ease so that they can be resized and stuck into books. I would advise A5 stickers but they do work at half of that (four to a page). These mark schemes work by showing the quality of the work at the side (four bands for Language and six for LIterature). They then have a column with the necessary skills listed. I’ve taken these from the highest band I felt all students could understand (bands five and three). The final column leaves space for students to complete any feedback or, indeed, for the teacher to do so. I use these with whole class feedback sheets and ask students to fill them in themselves. The simplest use lies in highlighting the quality and skills evident, once students have stuck the sticker in themselves. There is a space for the mark in the bottom left hand corner. This has been created with the concepts of The Learning Scientists in mind. Please do check out my other resources. :)

AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example ‘An Inspector Calls’ question using the latest question styles (May 2019). This would be useful as an independent stretch activity for more able students, and it would be possible to run through it as separate, timed class activities for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to explain the writer’s language in depth. For students who are just coming across ‘An Inspector Calls’ essays for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan as a class, modelling how to answer before encouraging students to write their own paragraph. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my other resources.

AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example ‘power and conflict’ exam style question for the current examination series (May 2019). This response focuses on Remains and The Charge of the Light Brigade. This would be useful as an independent stretch activity for more able students, and it would be possible to run through it as separate, timed class activities for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to explain the writer’s language in depth. For students who are just coming across comparative poetry essays for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan as a class, modelling how to answer before encouraging students to write their own paragraph. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my other resources.

AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example ‘power and conflict’ exam style question for the current examination series (May 2019). This focuses on Exposure and Bayonet Charge. This would be useful as an independent stretch activity for more able students, and it would be possible to run through it as separate, timed class activities for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to explain the writer’s language in depth. For students who are just coming across comparative poetry essays for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan as a class, modelling how to answer before encouraging students to write their own paragraph. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my other resources.

AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example ‘An Inspector Calls’ question using the latest question styles (May 2019). This would be useful as an independent stretch activity for more able students, and it would be possible to run through it as separate, timed class activities for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to explain the writer’s language in depth. For students who are just coming across ‘An Inspector Calls’ essays for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan as a class, modelling how to answer before encouraging students to write their own paragraph. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my other resources.

AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example ‘An Inspector Calls’ question using the latest question styles (May 2019). This would be useful as an independent stretch activity for more able students, and it would be possible to run through it as separate, timed class activities for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to explain the writer’s language in depth. For students who are just coming across ‘An Inspector Calls’ essays for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan as a class, modelling how to answer before encouraging students to write their own paragraph. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my other resources. :)

AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example ‘An Inspector Calls’ essay using the latest question styles (May 2019). This would be useful as an independent stretch activity for more able students, and it would be possible to run through it as separate, timed class activities for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to explain the writer’s language in depth. For students who are just coming across ‘An Inspector Calls’ essays for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan as a class, modelling how to answer before encouraging students to write their own essay. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my other resources.

AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example ‘power and conflict’ exam style question for the current examination series (May 2019). This would be useful as an independent stretch activity for more able students, and it would be possible to run through it as separate, timed class activities for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to explain the writer’s language in depth. For students who are just coming across comparative poetry essays for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan as a class, modelling how to answer before encouraging students to write their own paragraph. Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my other resources.

This writing challenge focuses on describing a slum - it might be worthwhile showing students 'Slumdog Millionaire from 06:30 to 09:30 minutes to help them visualise what life is like in a slum. KS4 students would benefit most from this writing activity which could be done as a stand alone lesson or to support the teaching of English Language paper one in general. This activity would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through it as a class activity (perhaps planning together) for less able students. For students who are just coming across writing description for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan and write it up separately, before focusing on editing and improving. The Writing Revolution would suggest that approaching it through describing as a teacher (modelling how it’d done), then in pairs and then indvidually would lead to better responses too. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my other resources. :)

This writing challenge focuses on describing the festival Holi - it might be worthwhile showing students a video of a paint fight during the festival. KS4 students would benefit most from this writing activity which could be done as a stand alone lesson or to support the teaching of English Language paper one in general. This activity would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through it as a class activity (perhaps planning together) for less able students. For students who are just coming across writing description for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan and write it up separately, before focusing on editing and improving. The Writing Revolution would suggest that approaching it through describing as a teacher (modelling how it’d done), then in pairs and then indvidually would lead to better responses too. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my other resources!

This writing challenge focuses on narrating the beginning of a story about an orphan - it might be worthwhile showing students short video extracts from ‘Oliver Twist’ as they enter the room as a bit of inspiration. KS4 students would benefit most from this writing activity which could be done as a stand alone lesson or to support the teaching of English Language paper one, section B in general. This activity would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through it as a class activity (perhaps planning together) for less able students. For students who are just coming across writing narrative for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan and write it up separately, before focusing on editing and improving. The Writing Revolution would suggest that approaching it through describing as a teacher (modelling how it’d done), then in pairs and then indvidually would lead to better responses too. In terms of writing narrative, writing the beginning means that students should have an idea of where the story is going but are not required to race through it an write the entire thing. Using something like a ‘story mountain’ to plan it quickly and then circling the beginning section that they will actually write is often useful. Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible. Take a look at my blog and other resources! http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/