For KS 2 and 3. Suitable for use alongside the teaching or reading of 'Harry Potter' or as a one off activity, for example end of term of days that you are celebrating and promoting reading. Sold for the price of a single activity but is actually a whole lesson with all the resources (my charge is for the activities I have put together not the images or the sections of text that I do not have copyright of and only use as excerpts). In this lesson students: Learn about the sweets and foods on offer in J K Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ series Explore how Rowling uses descriptive devices to bring her foods to life in the imaginations of her reader Plan their own invented food Name the food and invent a slogan Write some owl post to describe the food they have invented/tried in 'Honeyduke's' or at a 'Hogwart's feast'

A high grade exemplar for ‘The Darkness Out There’ and ‘Chemistry’ that not only supplies content for students but shows a possible style for high grade answers. There are activities to lift Grades 5 and 6 into the uber grades of 7, 8 and 9. Two hour’s worth of teaching and learning included here.

An anthology of extracts, each between one and three A4 pages, with a focussed reading task exploring 19th Century Gothic and Science Fiction Writing (note that the extracts are more Gothic in focus but the research tasks allow for working on Science Fiction writing). Used as a KS3 introduction to 19th Century Literature in preparation for KS4 English Literature and the GCSE set texts, this workbook can be used as an anthology to offer range of reading and coverage of all the assessment objectives for English Literature study. Authors covered are Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte, Robert Louis Stevenson, Bram Stoker, Wilkie Collins, Daphne DuMaurier. Other cultures (though not 19th Century) is covered by two tales from the Arabian Nights. It also has spelling lists to broaden vocabulary in Latinate terms to help with the reading of 19th Century texts. There are a set of research tasks that can be used during class or set as a series of homework over a half term. Easily edited up or down - I haven't included pictures for copyright reasons here - for shorter or longer terms or units of work covering 19th Century Literature. I've used this both in class for guided reading, as a homework booklet and as a Drop Everything and Read and Shared Reading resource. In the workbook, there is potential to compare the description of Dracula to the Cullens from 'Twilight'. For copyright purposes, I haven't included the Meyer's extract but it is easily googled as a PDF and I've included where from and to that are good start and end points.

Great for making descriptive writing more engaging and figurative. Would suit descriptive task on the AQA English Language exam or a KS 3 lesson - Yr 8 most able or Yr 9. The techniques are more uncommon in their use but very easy to use. Will make students' writing engaging, imaginative and original in description. Easy for them to travel forward with these techniques.

One grid, a myriad of applications to improve your students' creative writing skills for Key Stages 2, 3 and 4. the grid focuses on those areas that are evaluable in the grading of creative writing - such as the quality of charcterisation and description and use of sentence structure and sentence types but does so in such a way that real creativity flourishes. Your students will be able to create descriptive pieces and creative prose pieces beyond what they thought they could. The resource is a 6x13 grid of ideas that can be dipped into as writing is created or when creative writing is edited. The grid can be edited down into bookmark type strips to personlise editing or writing production for students. It is also easy to make a 6x6 grid to use with dice to ensure students keep in mind all the disciplines to gain marks for their creative writing. The grid also makes 78 cards that can be turned over every few sentences or during paragraph writing to ensure that students don't just lapse into telling the action in a story without reference to description, emotion or conscious crafting of sentences and language. Developed from my experience as a writer and creative writing tutor and from my time studying for my MA in Creative Writing, I have brought that expertise to bear in the secondary classroom for teachers who have often been literature or language trained rather than creative writing trained.

Developed in creative writing workshops from my professional creative writing life and transferred to outstanding classroom practice, this learning sequence helps students deal with the tricky middle parts of descriptive writing when things can get a bit flat and students run out of steam. The learning sequence broadens descriptive writing skills beyond the use of ‘regular’ linguistic and structural devices to lift their achievement through the GCSE grades. Plenty of quick delivery and small practice to build a piece of descriptive writing of exam length. All techniques are easily memorable and fully transferable across any piece of descriptive writing. Learning mat embedded into the powerpoint. Hugely methodical in delivery. Students will have a developed piece of writing with opportunities to consolidate learning through a practice task that can be done in class or at home for independent consolidation. Really suits the AQA English Language paper but also sufficiently generic for improving all descriptive writing. Available as a bundle alongside writing great descriptive openings and endings. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/descriptive-writing-move-to-higher-grades-creative-writing-11848472

A short anthology and workbook of 19th Century non-fiction with accompanying practice questions from the locate and retrieve, thoughts and feelings, how does the writer (writer's craft) style questions with quick and easy to understand tips for students on how to achieve. The workbook would suit a series of twenty minute slots in lessons or a set of homework. Helps build confidence in reading 19th Century non-fiction and exam style questions on the single texts set for the Eduqas English GCSE Component 2 Section A.

Over 30 PPT slides, students gain an introduction to, review or renew knowledge of Macbeth as a tragic hero following tragic form. General resource for all GCSE study and a great quick look at tragedy for the start of A Level. For the AQA English Literature GCSE, discussion of tragic form can gain marks for AO1, 2 and 3 (tragic form is regarded as a context or perspective with which to consider the text). Memorable 'anchoring' images that support concepts in the PPT as well as 30 second think tasks to keep students engaged. Also considers the role other characters and imagery play in the tragic form. Concludes by asking the question 'Why is the play not called The Tragedy of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth'?

20 PowerPoint slides to train secodary and middle school staff in seven Whole School Literacy reading techniques - one for each week of an average half term. When time for fitting in Whole School Literacy CPD is tight, this pack will enable secondary or middle schools to refresh and extend their staff’s teaching of Literacy Across the Curriculum. Each piece of CPD takes about a minute to present so will fit into staff briefing time, as a starter to whole staff meetings, curriculum meetings or weekly mailing bulletins. This pack is based on a model of reading that looks at each aspect of comprehension from spelling to how whole texts are perceived. Each piece of training is given rationale, a technique that is quick to learn, adapts to all curriculum subjects, has suggestions for stretch and challenge and differentiation and has been developed by an outstanding Whole School Literacy Co-Ordinator. The Literacy Boom Moments is certainly a favourite with my SLT and Governors!

A second pack of 25 PowerPoint slides to train secondary and middle school staff in seven Whole School Literacy reading and writing techniques - one for each week of an average half term. When time for fitting in Whole School Literacy CPD is tight, this pack will enable secondary or middle schools to refresh and extend their staff’s teaching of Literacy Across the Curriculum. Each piece of CPD takes about a minute to present so will fit into staff briefing time, as a starter to whole staff meetings, curriculum meetings or weekly mailing bulletins. This pack is based on a model of reading that looks at each aspect of comprehension from spelling to how whole texts are perceived. Low risk writing is also a focus in this pack. Each piece of training is given rationale, a technique that is quick to learn, adapts to all curriculum subjects, has suggestions for stretch and challenge and differentiation and has been developed by an outstanding Whole School Literacy Co-Ordinator. The Literacy Boom Moments is certainly a favourite with my SLT and Governors!

A short sequence of lessons lasting up to 4 hours in which students understand what makes a great Gothic villain description from Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' and then use a range of techniques to develop a first person narrative for creative prose in which the lead character meets the Gothic villain. Focuses on sentence structure and noun phrases in the writing. Features the amazing 'Noun Phrase Generator Machine'!

A 42 page booklet aimed at students targeted Grade 5 - 9, this course or revision booklet provides everything you and your students need to revise for EDUQAS Component Two Section B Transactional Writing. It includes the way to time the exam, how to plan, how to write detailed developed paragraphs, modelled examples of each of the writing formats, a guide on how to write each text type successfully and two practice questions for each text type. You and they need look no further. I have also included a revision ppt for the day of the exam that concisely reminds students of the approach to this section of the paper. Includes a no-frills ppt worth £2 for quick revision for those students you fear will do little or no revision or as a booster just before the examination.

This learning sequence is your ‘one-stop shop’ for finally getting them to plan a short story for success. By the time the plan is done, all the events in the story have been worked out and tested for efficacy and so the pitfalls of short story writing are mainly avoided. The whole narrative arc is planned for using ‘The Rule of One’ with each step in the planning being afforded time and practice through this 40 slide PPT. All task sheets for students are embedded in the slides for convenience and quick location. Hugely methodical to use with no great bridges for the teacher to make between slides. How often do student’s short stories get out of control and end up being of epic proportions? How often do students set off with a vague idea then lose their way? How often does a one sheet written plan end up NOT helping them to write a successful story and you are left scratching your head as to why? I am both a professional and award-nominated creative writer and a Lead Practitioner in English. This resource combines both of my practices and, it is my belief, that it offers a pertinent insight into how a professional writer’s strategies translate to outstanding classroom practice in teaching and learning.

Developed in creative writing workshops from my professional creative writing life and transferred to outstanding classroom practice, this learning sequence helps students broaden descriptive writing skills beyond the use of ‘regular’ linguistic and structural devices to lift their achievement through the GCSE grades. Plenty of quick delivery and small practice to build a piece of descriptive writing. All new techniques are easily memorable and fully transferable across any piece of descriptive writing. Learning mat embedded into the powerpoint, Hugely methodical in delivery. Students will have a developed piece of writing with opportunities to consolidate learning through a homework.

Powerpoint learning sequence to enable students at KS3 to succeed at creating a chapter of a gothic/mystery/ghost story through blending character action and setting. New techniques to describe that your students may not have thought of before that really lift their creative prose work and secure progression. They plan, draft and edit before assessment and so follow the National Curriculum for the writing process. Easy to follow throughout and uses low threshold, high ceiling differentiation. Lots of scaffolding in the planning stage for those students who need it. Included is Powerpoint and the editing learning mat for them to self-edit their work to a higher standard. Also available as an economical bundle that includes the Improving Creative Writing Grid. See my bundles to locate the additional resource and save money.