AQA GCSE Language students will benefit from these revision activities, encouraging students to recap all fifteen poems and revise their content, language and themes. This activity is easily accessible for more able students as independent work, and it would be simple to run through these as class activities for less able students. This 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 or blog: http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/

These are transactional writing tasks based on the power and conflict cluster of poems. All fifteen poems are covered, with an exemplar response for ‘Bayonet Charge’. These follow the format of 200 word challenges, though they could be used in other ways quite easily. Each includes an appropriate task for AQA GCSE English Language paper two, section b. These tasks are varied so all text types and purposes should be covered. Feel free to use these as a lesson or as cover to set if you are absent. More able students should be able to approach these independently whilst you may wish to go through them more slowly, step by step with less able learners. Please do c heck out my other resources and my blog: https://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/author/idealisticteacher/

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/

These resources seek to redress imbalances in most English curricula, containing writing challenges, unseen poetry analysis and non-fiction analysis by LGBTQIA+ writers and writers who are black, asian and from other ethnic groups often, wrongly, omitted from canon. Where possible, intersectionality has been considered too as we are more than one label… It is SO important that our children/students hear a range of voices and know that the world should value each of us equally. Thank you for taking the time to view these resources. Any mistakes or clumsy phrasing is my own - please let me know politely if I should change anything.

This is a KS3 resource for those studying ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, involving a short extract (taken from the end of Act 2, scene 1) and an exemplar explanatory paragraph. As a stretch resource, it focuses on how to structure the paragraph and language analysis. Space is provided for students to write their own second paragraph. Additionally, this resource has been created with layout ideas taken from ‘The Learning Scientist’, which should help students with accessing the text, processing its contents and remembering the work.

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. They may be useful if students are failing to understand the impact of context on the writing of a poem. 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!

This is a great start of year lesson. Getting to know our students straight away is essential if they are going to feel valued and, if we are going to be able to work well with them, a questionnaire is a great way. Whilst this is a simple sheet, it is essential to run through it with students so that they give detailed, helpful responses to the questions. For me, when I do this every year, the most important answers are the final questions, asking students about themselves. If I give potential answers, like “I’m lazy” or “I struggle with anxiety”, the answers are really helpful. I’ve even had students reveal significant information with the final question. If you’re unsure how to run through it, check out my blog: http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/2018/09/17/smashing-the-start-of-term-are-questionnaires-the-answer/ I’ve included two different colours to enable for colour and black and white photocopying… Thank you for your time!

This writing challenge focuses on ‘La Famille’, encouraging students to write accurate French for themselves by using certain criteria to provide a stretch. KS3 students would benefit most from this writing activity which could be done as a stand alone lesson or as homework to support lessons on the topic. 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. This is due to the reflective nature of the task, in that it expects students to redraft and improve their work. As a teacher, decide whether this will be individual work or whether peer-assessment would help. For students who are just coming across writing challenges 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. 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 and blog: http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org

These are posters I’ve used for my classroom. They can be divided into two types - classroom communication and BfL. They seek to communicate with students, allowing them to receive messages and top tips as well as enabling further behaviour for learning. Rewards based, these posters encourage effort and producing work of the highest quality. Whilst the specific class names may not apply in your school context, I have included a blank class communication poster that could be adapted. Any comments, please do get in touch! Check out my other resources or take a look at my blog where I talk about these… https://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/author/idealisticteacher/

This writing challenge focuses on persuading the reader to do more to help the environment - it might be worthwhile showing students excerpts from programs like Planet Earth to help them visualise what life is like for polar bears or other animals affected by pollution and global warming. 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 two 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 transactional writing 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’s 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 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 year, I had a student in my year 11 class who had given up. That’s not an exaggeration. He was refusing to write anything at all. The issue was nerves and this simple sheet, made just for him, really was the solution I never expected it to be. Useful as a basic scaffold for any Literature questions or reading questions in the Language exam, this enables those students who are struggling or who have given up to access anything. I gave my student a stack of them to keep in his book and he just whipped them out whenever he had to choose and explain quotes. This really did enable him to get a five in Literature. I was genuinely astounded. I’ve included the handwritten sheets I made for him too, in case they’re of any use. All resources are inspired by the principles of ‘The Learning Scientists’.

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!

Here you’ll find three different worksheets: one running through the first text on slavery; the second running through a second text on ancient Egyptian slavery; and a worksheet running through the different questions, one to four. Both of these texts are 19th century to provide increased stretch. The aim here is that the worksheets provide a structure for a series of lessons, giving students time to learn how to approach a non-fiction text before then answering exam style questions. The texts could be used separately or could build up to writing full exam answers. Questions one and three could be done when studying the separate texts. Take at look at my other resources and blog! http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org

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!

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. They may be useful if students are failing to understand the impact of context on the writing of a poem. 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!

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!

AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example ‘An Inspector Calls’ question using the latest question styles (May 2019). It includes a lower ability example. 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.

Here, every poem from the power and conflict cluster is titled and summarised. Additionally, significant phrases from each poem are selected. These should be a handy revision aid for students or as posters to put up outside classrooms. They could also be cut up, becoming useful revision cards. These have become a real bible for my classes as we write essays based on the poems and a handy reminder for my less able students who struggle to remember what each poem is about… Do check out my other resources!

AQA GCSE Language students will benefit from these example fiction reading questions using the latest question format (May 2019). These texts will 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. :)