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English Teaching Resources for All

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I am an English specialist and I am passionate about supporting all students to access the English curriculum, to achieve at the highest possible levels in their exams and to love the subject. I currently teach AQA and have created lots of full schemes of work which develop exam skills and independence. All my resources have been tried and refined in the classroom; I hope that you will find them useful.

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I am an English specialist and I am passionate about supporting all students to access the English curriculum, to achieve at the highest possible levels in their exams and to love the subject. I currently teach AQA and have created lots of full schemes of work which develop exam skills and independence. All my resources have been tried and refined in the classroom; I hope that you will find them useful.
Othello A Level Detailed Plot Knowledge Test
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Othello A Level Detailed Plot Knowledge Test

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A 74-question test on the plot of Othello, designed to help A Level students to secure the knowledge required as a foundation for good performance in the exam. The answers are provided separately so that students can check their own responses and repeat the test at home as many times as needed.
Knowledge Organiser: Power & Conflict Poetry AQA
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Knowledge Organiser: Power & Conflict Poetry AQA

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A detailed knowledge organiser for AQA Power & Conflict Poetry Anthology, with chunked up knowledge designed to be easily digested and learnt while challenging students at the highest level. Images are used as cues to support memory. Each poem has sections on: Key ideas on power and/conflict Key quotations Key ‘soundbites’ of language analysis that can be easily digested and learnt Form, structure and perspective Context Suitable poems for comparison, with a brief summary comparative points At the end, there is space for students to practice: Retrieval of key quotations from memory Retrieval of key points of comparison for each recommended pair of poems.
24 Lesson SoW -AQA GCSE English Language: Fiction Texts
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24 Lesson SoW -AQA GCSE English Language: Fiction Texts

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• 8 Week, 24 Lesson Scheme designed for teaching or revision of GCSE-level fiction reading skills. The scheme was created specifically for AQA English Language GCSE Paper 1, but may be useful for schools doing other exam boards. It aims to develop whole-text reading skills from the outset. • The scheme predominantly focuses on responding to reading questions, but there are some linked writing lessons in which students plan/create their own fiction texts. • Week 1 and 8 are set aside for baseline and final testing using exam-board papers of your choice, hence the resources included start at Week 2 and finish at Week 7. • The texts are taken from the AQA Anthology ‘Telling Tales’ and the AQA Paper 1 Reading Support Booklet, or are included as individual extracts. I cannot include the AQA Anthology or Reading Support booklet here for copyright reasons, but the anthology is available for order free of charge here for schools doing AQA. The reading support booklet is available online as a PDF here: https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/AQA-87001-RSB.PDF • The texts/extracts covered are: 1. My Polish Teacher’s Tie (Helen Dunmore); 2. Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha (Roddy Doyle). 3. Goldfinger (Ian Fleming); 4. Bring Up the Bodies (Hilary Mantel); 5. Remarkable Creatures (Tracy Chevalier). 5. I’m the King of the Castle (Susan Hill). 6. The Thirty-Nine Steps (John Buchan); 7. Chemistry (Graham Swift); 8. Birdsong (Sebastian Faulks). 9. Spies (Michael Frayn). 10. The White Tiger (Aravind Adiga). 11. The Awakening (Kate Chopin – Extra Challenge Reading). • Assessments: Baseline Paper 1 assessment (your choice); 2 teacher assessments with 2 D.I.R.T lessons; 2 peer/self-assessments; final Paper 1 Exam (your choice) • The D.I.R.T lesson is planned into the scheme for the lesson after the teacher assessment; however, this is a ‘floating’ lesson and there is flexibility in when it is delivered to accommodate marking. It should be delivered within 4 lessons of the assessment to ensure timely feedback. The D.I.R.T lesson will include both structured and independent tasks. • There is a focus on mastery of whole-text reading skills and technical writing skills. Interleaved activities are planned to prepare students for the independent reading requirement, the creation of their own non-fiction texts, as well as the SPaG element of the AQA GCSE qualifications. There are a number of fluency activities. • Homework is inbuilt but is called Independent Study and is designed to be challenging. It is an essential element of the scheme and linked class activities are based upon independent study tasks. The aim is to improve students’ independent study skills, reform their view of ‘homework’ so that they understand its central role in their learning and significantly improve the rate and quality of completion. • Teaching instructions & differentiation suggestions are contained within the notes of the PowerPoint slides.**
48 Lesson Animal Farm AQA GCSE Scheme of Work - Fully Resourced
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48 Lesson Animal Farm AQA GCSE Scheme of Work - Fully Resourced

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• Fully-resourced 12 Week Animal Farm Scheme. • 48 lessons including fully-planned and resourced assessments. Includes 8 peer/self-assessments, 4 teacher assessments and 4 structured D.I.R.T lessons. • The content is deliberately designed to be challenging, in terms of concepts, vocabulary and context. An illustration of activities includes: Mini Lectures, frequent assessment and opportunities for extended writing, research lessons, contextual source material drawn from GCSE History, high level modelling materials and frequent use and repetition of sophisticated vocabulary. • There is a focus on mastery of key technical writing skills. Writing skills lessons & activities are interleaved to prepare students for the SPaG element of the AQA GCSE qualifications. There are a number of fluency activities. • A ‘language through literature’ approach is taken, with the inclusion of reading and writing tasks clearly linked to AQA English GCSE Language Papers 1 & 2. • Homework is inbuilt and is called Independent Study; it is designed to be challenging. It is an essential element of the scheme and linked class activities are based upon independent study tasks. The aim is to improve students’ independent study skills, reform their view of ‘homework’ so that they understand its central role in their learning and significantly improve the rate and quality of completion. The level of challenge increases over the course of the scheme. • D.I.R.T lessons are planned into the scheme for the lesson after the teacher assessment; however, this is a ‘floating’ lesson and there is flexibility in when it is delivered to accommodate marking. It should ideally be delivered within 4 lessons of the assessment. The D.I.R.T lessons will include both structured and independent tasks. • All resources are included with the exception of the following, which I cannot include for copyright reasons: 1. The OCR GCSE Russian History Source Pack which is required for some Independent Study and 2. The article required in Week 5, Lesson 1, ‘The Ghosts of Yalta Still Haunt The World’ by Richard Ebbing. Both resources can be found on Google. • Detailed teaching instructions & differentiation suggestions are contained within the notessection of each PowerPoint slide. • For referencing and page number purposes, the Penguin Classics 2000 edition of the text has been used.
Macbeth Character Knowledge Organiser - Detailed
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Macbeth Character Knowledge Organiser - Detailed

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A 24-page detailed and interactive character revision resource for Macbeth covering key characters in depth and twenty-two characters in total. This booklet is designed to give students the thorough and complex knowledge required by the new GCSE. The character profiles for major characters contain: Key Facts, covering their role and relationships in the play Character Function & Development, focusing in detail on how each character functions at a symbolic level, linking to relevant context, and how they develop over the course of the play Characteristics Key Quotations section, including space for students to do their own analysis of each quotation Summary of themes linked with the character Key summaries are also provided for minor characters, e.g. Lennox, Angus and Ross . Although the focus is on character, the resource also provides much detail on key events, themes and context. At the end of each section there is a space for students to make their own revision notes. At the end of the resource, there is a character development activity focused on how key characters evolve over the course of the play - the first of these is completed as an example and students should complete the others themselves when they have completed their character revision from the booklet. I have used this resource to: Provide staggered revision homework and followed up with tests on each character As a support resource for essay-writing As a way to introduce characters or explore them in more depth as a class. As a research resource for jigsaw learning activities, dividing the class into groups and assigning a major character to each group. To help students understand how to think about character function and development. Differentiation can be done in a number of ways - through the character assigned to a student, the sections they are asked to work on, and the number and length of quotations they are expected to revise. This is a particularly useful resource for a high-ability group with high target grades. It gives them the level of detail and breadth of knowledge that will allow their essays to stand out, and is designed to get them thinking at a functional and symbolic level considering the whole of the play. Any questions, please ask.
GCSE English Non-Fiction Writing Models
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GCSE English Non-Fiction Writing Models

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Four non-fiction model writing responses that I created to help students prepare for the non-fiction writing section of GCSE English Language. The models are as follows: A persusasive letter from a teacher to the school Principal about changes to the school canteen (398 words - suitable for middle or lower ability groups). A letter to a friend who is coming to stay describing the things they can see and do in the area. This is a hybrid of letter writing and travel writing, combining the skills of writing to describe, explain and inform (945 words - this is a lengthy, high level response suitable for middle or higher ability groups). A travel-writing article about Isafjordur in Iceland (452 words - suitable for a range of groups). A stop-smoking leaflet, aimed at persuading teenagers to quit smoking (381 words - suitable for a range of groups). Any questions, just ask!
Key Stage 3 English Language Exams
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Key Stage 3 English Language Exams

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Two English Language exams suitable for Year 7 and Year 8/9 respectively. Each exam has a reading section (Section A) and a writing section (Section B). There are two versions of the Year 8/9 exam, one of which has extra scaffolding to help students structure their essay response. The reading sections are both based on responding to the articles named below, which I cannot include here due to copyright issues but can easily be found on Google. Year 7 exam: Section A Reading - 8 comprehension and analysis questions based on the article ‘Remember When: Memories of Childhood Holidays in Mombasa’ by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. There is a glossary of challenging vocabulary in the article. The first four questions are based on comprehension and information retrieval and the last four focus on language analysis. Questions 6, 7 and 8 require longer responses and offer students the opportunity to demonstrate extended analytical responses without requiring a full essay response which students at this stage might not yet be ready for. (Google the title of the article to find it on The Independent website). Section B Writing - Students have a choice of three writing questions. They should respond to one of these. The options are a descriptive piece based on a choice of two images, a creative piece and writing to inform the reader about a personal experience. Year 8/9 exam: Section A Reading - An extended essay question based on the extract from ‘Taking on the World’ by Ellen MacArthur. (Google the title of the extract to find it in the Edexcel IGCSE 2012 Anthology). There are two versions of this question, one of which has extra scaffolding to help students to structure their essay response. This is useful for students who are not yet confident in formulating independent essays. Section B Writing - Students have a choice of three personal reflective writing questions. They should respond to one of these. The options are a descriptive piece based on a choice of two images, a creative piece and writing to inform or explain. Any questions, please ask!
IGCSE English Language A Paper 1 Mock Exam
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IGCSE English Language A Paper 1 Mock Exam

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A full Paper 1 Non-Fiction Texts and Transactional Writing mock exam for the new Edexcel IGCSE English Language A 2016 specification, to be first examined in Summer 2018. I designed this to mimic the sample material provided by Edexcel so it includes all the question types you would expect to find in Sections A and B of the exam. The booklet is 19 pages in total, providing space for students to write their answers. The two extracts that Section A is based on are from the 2012 specification - ‘Taking on the World’ (Ellen MacArthur) and ‘Explorers, or Boys Messing Around?’ (Stephen Morris - also in the updated 2016 anthology). For copyright reasons, I can’t include these extracts, however they are easily found on the Edexcel IGCSE website in the 2012 anthology (green cover). Any questions, please ask!
Sentence Stems Display - For speaking and writing - 65 Slides
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Sentence Stems Display - For speaking and writing - 65 Slides

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A display of sentence stems to help students verbalise their ideas using academic language. 65 slides in total - two 'title' slides which works well at the centre of the display and 63 different sentence stems. The sentence stems range from straightforward (e.g. 'This quotation suggests...') to complex (e.g. 'The dichotomy between [civilisation and savagery] underpins the novel'.) Lots of examples from a range of literary texts including Lord of the Flies, Macbeth, Of Mice and Men, Romeo and Juliet. Ellipses and square brackets show students where they can insert their own relevant text/character/theme. There are also definitions of key words on many of the slides, e.g. 'quotation', 'inference', implies' etc. I have had this display in every classroom I've taught in and use it every day in discussions and writing with students, to help them verbalise complex ideas and use more formal language. This translates really well into essay writing and my students also use the display as a reference point when writing. *The preview doesn't display properly - the slides are formatted properly but for some reason this isn't showing in the preview.*
IGCSE Anthology Teacher Notes for Touching the Void, Passage to Africa and Your Guide to Beach Safety.
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IGCSE Anthology Teacher Notes for Touching the Void, Passage to Africa and Your Guide to Beach Safety.

3 Resources
Detailed teacher notes resources for the following Edexcel IGCSE English Language Anthology texts: - Touching the Void - A Passage to Africa - Your Guide to Beach Safety I created these as a teaching guide for myself but also gave them to students for revision purposes. They achieved very highly in their exam so these notes were effective. Please see individual resources for further details.
Anne Frank Diary Analysis Model Answer - for Edexcel IGCSE or other GCSE boards.
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Anne Frank Diary Analysis Model Answer - for Edexcel IGCSE or other GCSE boards.

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This model answer responds to the June 2013 paper of the Edexcel IGCSE English Language, which contained two extracts from Anne Frank's diary. The exam paper can be accessed on the Edexcel website if you wish to use the extracts with your students. Although this was created specifically for the IGCSE, it is a useful example of analysis for use with any GCSE English class. I created this model to demonstrate sophisticated and in-depth analysis to my top set students. The response is detailed - 635 words - and provides students with high target grades with a good level of challenge. Any questions, just ask!
Your Guide to Beach Safety - Detailed Notes for Teachers or Students
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Your Guide to Beach Safety - Detailed Notes for Teachers or Students

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Detailed 2-page resource of analytical notes on 'Your Guide to Beach Safety' plus past questions on the extract - for use with Section B of the Edexcel IGCSE in English Language. I prepared these notes for first-teaching of the extract but also ultimately gave them to students who found them very useful for revision purposes. The notes begin by focusing on purpose, audience and tone and then focus in close detail on key linguistic and structural choices made by the writer. This helped my students to gain the in-depth and high level knowledge and skills required to score well on this section of the IGCSE exam.
Touching the Void - Detailed Notes for Teachers & Students
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Touching the Void - Detailed Notes for Teachers & Students

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Detailed 3-page resource of analytical notes on 'Touching the Void' plus a list of past questions on the extract - for use with Section B of the Edexcel IGCSE in English Language. I prepared these notes for first-teaching of the extract but also ultimately gave them to students who found them very useful for revision purposes. The notes begin by focusing on purpose, audience and tone and then focus in close detail on key linguistic and structural choices made by the writer. This helped my students to gain the in-depth and high level knowledge and skills required to score well on this section.
A Passage to Africa Detailed Notes - For Teachers or Students
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A Passage to Africa Detailed Notes - For Teachers or Students

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Detailed 2-page resource of analytical notes on 'A Passage to Africa' by George Alagiah - for use with Section B of the Edexcel IGCSE in English Language. I prepared these notes for first-teaching of the extract but also ultimately gave them to students who found them very useful for revision purposes. The notes begin by focusing on purpose, audience and form and then focus in close detail on key linguistic and structural choices made by the writer. This helped my students to gain the in-depth and high level knowledge and skills required to score well on this section.
Dark Matter Resources
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Dark Matter Resources

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A selection of resources for teaching the novel Dark Matter to Key Stage Three. The resources included are: 1. A one-page set of analysis questions for Chapters 3 & 4, with a point, evidence explain model to show students how to write analytical paragraphs. 2. A creative writing lesson focused on using pathetic fallacy inspired by Dark Matter, including a group carousel activity. There are three resources for this: Lesson Slides, A3 carousel resources for printing and a 3-page handout for students including two extracts from Dark Matter in which Michelle Paver uses pathetic fallacy and a guidance page to help students start writing. 3. A sentences lesson which uses Dark Matter to teach students how to identify and use simple, compound and complex sentences - includes lesson slides and a 3-page worksheet of sentences exercises for students to practise. 4. A whole-text analytical essay writing activity to be completed once you have finished reading the novel. This one-page handout introduces the essay to students, gives them question options to choose from and models how to plan the essay. If you have any questions, please ask!
Romeo and Juliet Bundle
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Romeo and Juliet Bundle

4 Resources
Four Romeo & Juliet resources, suitable for revision or other activities. Bundle includes: - Detailed character profiles knowledge organiser (32 pages). Focuses on character role, function, development, links to themes, and key quotations. Designed to give students the rigorous knowledge they need for the new GCSE specification. - Key Motifs quotation resource - a 2-page resource with 27 quotation organised by key motifs including light & darkness, stars and religion. Perfect for focused revision. - A3 double-sided themes & characters quotation revision resource. Contains over a considerable range of quotations, demonstrating the crucial links between theme and characters and also leaving space for students to add their own additional quotations. - Treatment of women workbook, giving key contextual knowledge on women’s roles and space for students to complete tables about key female characters plus Lord Capulet and his attitude to women.
The Penelopiad - Power, Sexuality and Weaving e-Book for iBooks
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The Penelopiad - Power, Sexuality and Weaving e-Book for iBooks

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A detailed, 22-page e-Book on the background, key themes and characters of Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad focusing on historical context, power, sexuality and weaving. Also provided in a powerpoint in case of any compatibility issues. Created to give A-Level students the necessary background on The Odyssey and the roles of Penelope and Odysseus in Homer’s text, it looks at themes of power and sexuality in the original text, throughout history and the ways in which Atwood explores, challenges and expands on these. The e-Book is divided into the following sections: - Aristotle’s philosophical conceptions of power. - Male power in The Odyssey, focusing on Odysseus, Telemachus and The Suitors, followed by a detailed analysis of how male power is represented in Homer’s text, looking in particular at storytelling as a male prerogative. - Female power in The Odyssey, focusing on Penelope, the Maids, Circe and Calypso, and the threat of female power and sexuality. - Context on the Virgin-Whore Dichotomy and the Femme Fatale in 20th Century Culture. This is developed into a discussion on the cultural conception of two Penelopes; the virgin and the whore. - Detailed section on the Maids in both texts and their connection to Artemis and her 12 Moon Maidens. - Does Penelope sleep with the suitors? An exploration of this question in Homer and Atwood’s texts. - What other forms does female power take?: A look at inaction and weaving as key forms of female power. - Penelope throughout History - An overview looking at Penelope in Ovid’s Heroides, 16th and 17th Century poetry and 21st Century film and theatre. - How far does Atwood reject and rewrite the limiting portrayal of Penelope? - An exploration of what Atwood’s Penelopiad achieves. Contains critical quotations from Cixous, Stein and Gregersdottir. Please note, the file will need to be opened and read in iBooks, which can be done on any iPad or iPhone, so works well for student revision on the go.
Romeo & Juliet Key Motifs Quotations Revision
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Romeo & Juliet Key Motifs Quotations Revision

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A 2-page quotation revision resource on key motifs and symbolism in Romeo & Juliet. The quotations are grouped as follows: - Fire & Heat Imagery - Light & Dark Imagery - Stars Motif - Infection & Disease Motif - Religion & Pilgrimage Imagery - Graves, Death & Corruption Imagery Includes 27 quotations in total so is useful for focused revision; each quotation is briefly contextualised within the play. It is designed to engage students and make them feel that quotation-learning is achievable. This could be used as a homework or in-class resource as part of exam preparation or as an essay-writing prompt. It provides a realistic number of quotations for middle and lower ability students to focus on for these key motifs. For higher ability students, it can form part of a wider quotation revision programme. Revision can also be differentiated by the number of sections that students are given to learn.
Romeo & Juliet Quotations Revision Table
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Romeo & Juliet Quotations Revision Table

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A double-sided A3 quotations revision resource for Romeo and Juliet, organising key quotations by theme and character. Characters run down the side of the table and themes run across the top. Where a quotation is relevant to both a theme and a character, it is included in the relevant square. 44 of the 88 squares are filled with one or often numerous quotations. The other squares are blank for students to fill in their own additional quotations as part of the revision process. The characters covered are: Romeo, Juliet, Lady Capulet, Lord Capulet, The Nurse, Friar Lawrence, The Montagues, Mercutio, Benvolio, Tybalt and some quotations from minor characters and the Chorus. Themes covered are: Love & Sex, Fate, Death, Conflict & Reconciliation, Parent/Child Relationships, Friendship, Youth & Age, Marriage (linked to women's roles). My students said that they found this a useful and detailed overview of key quotations which helped them to make connections between themes and characters in their revision.