I'm currently the head of English and raising standards leader at a secondary school in Birmingham. I'm passionate about my subject and passionate about ensuring that the young people we serve leave education with a high competency in English.
Prior to teaching I worked in the radio industry as a presenter for 7 years and so when I became a teacher I enjoyed the opportunity to teach Media studies.
You'll find hundreds of English and Media studies resources.
I'm currently the head of English and raising standards leader at a secondary school in Birmingham. I'm passionate about my subject and passionate about ensuring that the young people we serve leave education with a high competency in English.
Prior to teaching I worked in the radio industry as a presenter for 7 years and so when I became a teacher I enjoyed the opportunity to teach Media studies.
You'll find hundreds of English and Media studies resources.
Fully differentiated (by colour) resources to support the teaching of Q1 and Q2 of the AQA new specification 9-1 GCSE examination - paper2.
Differentiation:
purple = lower ability
blue = middle ability
yellow = higher ability
Resources prepare students for answering Q1 and Q2 and cover the following:
- introduction to paper 2 - expectations and timings
- identifying key information in 19th century and modern texts
- identifying the point of view of a writer
- inferring
- exploring how language creates tone
- complete true or false tasks (as per the exam) for the texts read
- explore the term synthesis
- synthesise information from 2 texts
- work in pairs and groups
- explore model answers
- investigate these of connectives to synthesise
- self and peer assess
- develop vocabulary and analyse vocabulary in texts using inference
- explore audience and purpose
Regular assessments are included to assess students ability in true or false and synthesis tasks.
Texts covered:
- Queer stories for a queer age - tattoo article (19th century) text included
- Making my skin crawl - article about tattoos
- Extract from Girl of the period (19th century)
- A letter from Jenni
- Inside the supermarket's dark stores
Not all texts are included - but can easily be found in the text book below:
AQA GCSE English Language: Developing the skills for learning and assessment (turtle on the cover)
Revision resources in preparation for the new specification 9-1 examination.
- context revision
- character revision
- theme revision
- practice answers
- formulas for answering the question
- Quotation revision
- opportunities for carousel tasks
- MTP included with assessment Question opportunities for the literature paper and also the language papers.
Fully differentiated (by colour) resources to support the teaching of An Inspector Calls for the new specification 9-1 GCSE.
Included:
- Power points to support teaching of act 2 and 3
- Context exploration
- Medium term plan (MTP) with skills for language papers embedded
- 6 exam assessment questions (2 lit, 4 lang)
- homework opportunities
- revision power points and activities for after teaching
Differentiation:
purple = lower ability
blue = middle ability
yellow = higher ability
Resources to support the revision of Victorian context including:
- gentlemanly behaviour
- Victorian women
- Victorian society
- Victorian Holidays
- Victorian England
Differentiation:
purple = lower ability
blue = middle ability
yellow = higher ability
Video clip links included to support student revision.
Medium term plans that prepare students for 9-1 AQA English language paper 1 and paper 2 reading and writing.
The medium term plans attached are highly detailed and include:
- weekly homework tasks
- clear explanation on what should be covered and analysed
- weekly assessments
These updated medium term plans have been created to interleave the literature texts. Specific links are made to Jekyll and Hyde, An Inspector Calls and Jekyll & Hyde.
E.g. - students will read articles on arranged marriage for their paper 2 study which creates links to Juliet. They will also explore the gender pay gap to create links to AIC.
Most extracts are included. Some extracts are taken from the literature texts. Any missing texts and extracts are available in the Oxford University press AQA text books 1 and 2.
MTP for paper 2 also included the new speaking and listening component.
Resources also available.
Resources to support the exploration of research techniques.
Over 70 power point slides and activities to support students through the process of conducting research. Resources will support students in doing the following:
- explore the effectiveness of and create questionnaires
- understand the difference between primary and secondary research
- use the NRS website (secondary research) to investigate print media audiences
- gather qualitative and quantitative data
- explore mass and niche audiences
- conduct audience research, market research and production research
- research attitudes and preferences in TV
- Use the BARB website (Secondary research) to investigate viewing figures
- Gather research to gain data ahead of creating a new media product
- present the results of research
Differentiation by points. Tasks have a varying number of points attached. The higher the number of points: the more complex the task.
Over 8 fully differentiated lessons (by colour) to support the teaching of TV News. These lessons are ready to go and are differentiated for ease of use.
These resources could be useful as an English or enrichment project. Students investigate TV news and then create their own TV news broadcast following the codes and conventions.
Differentiation:
purple = lower ability
blue = middle ability
yellow = higher ability
Resources provide opportunities to:
- research the variety of TV news programmes and channels & their target audiences
- investigate visual techniques
- investigate verbal techniques
- investigate selection, composition and combination (structuring news broadcasts)
- create own news broadcast
- script news broadcasts
Over 15 fully differentiated lessons (by colour) that support the teaching of magazine covers. These lessons were planned in line with the AQA Media studies assignment 1 coursework but could also easily be used as a project with KS3. All lessons are ready to go and are numbered for ease of use.
Differentiation:
purple = lower ability
blue = middle ability
yellow = higher ability
Resources provide opportunities to:
- explore representation of mag covers
- explore colour theory
- explore Blumler and Katz theory
- explore magazine conventions and cover features (wide range of titles)
- explore audiences if magazines using the NRS website
- explore demographic, geodemographic & psychographic
- explore the language of magazines
- analyse the effectiveness of covers in appealing to audience
- create own magazine cover for a specific audience
- evaluate own production work
Fully differentiated (by colour) resources to support the teaching of a one - two week Media based English project on advertising.
Differentiation:
yellow = higher
blue = middle
purple = lower
Resources provide opportunities to:
- explore target audience for advertising campaigns
- explore existing advertising campaigns
- explore the use of persuasive language
- explore the use of presentational features
- analyse the effectiveness of advertising campaigns
- explore the narratives of advertising campaigns
- design a new soft drink and develop the advertising production plan
- peer and self assess
- explore representation
- justify own design choices
These resources could also be useful as part of an enrichment day/activity.
Resources to support the development of Accelerated Reader programme and DEAR sessions which are dedicated to reading. (DEAR) In my school students read for 20 minutes daily.
Resource bundle includes:
- a presentation for staff on Accelerated reader including purpose and benefits - including educational research regarding the importance of reading
- a presentation for students on Accelerated reader and DEAR
- templates for book and library passes
- example book marks
- an example student planner page to log reading
- a presentation on reading engagement strategies
CPD resources including power point presentations, evaluation forms and tasks to support the development of teachers in whole school literacy.
The first CPD power point covers:
- Pedagogy and research
- Ofsted - removing the barriers to literacy
- What literacy is
- How it is different to English
- Blooms taxonomy and 3 level questions
- Inference and deduction
- Ways of reading
- Reading exam questions
- Active reading strategies including cloze and restructuring
The second CPD power point covers:
- Note making skills
- Reading critically
- TAP analysis
- critical literacy
- interrogating and deconstructing texts
- research skills
Following the CPD session the idea is that staff go away and trial using one of the strategies to improve literacy in their subject areas and bring feedback to the next session.
Included:
- Connectives display materials
- Figurative language display materials
- Multi cultural greetings
- Classroom learning posters
- Literary techniques posters
- Where the attention flows the energy goes -posters
- Thesaurus display materials
Example LTPs and curriculum plans that outline specifically how parents can help support their child through their child's study of English.
The long term plans map out where students will develop the skills necessary to access the new specification 9-1 GCSE English language and literature papers.
A handy pack of documents and proformas for a head of department.
Included:
Deep dive documents that will be useful for inspection including work scrutiny and learning walk templates as well as Middle leader ofsted questions
- Lesson observation / learning walk document in line with latest Ofsted
Work scrutiny / pupil voice document in line with new Ofsted
An example English department vision which takes into account pupils’ reading, writing and speaking & listening
- Department report templates
- Department detention letter templates
- Departmental moderation and standardisation templates
- English department presentation policy template
- Questions to prepare of Ofsted inspection
- A template for assessing the English department against the Ofsted ‘Good’ criteria
These documents outline what makes a student a HAP, MAP or LAP now that curriculum levels have been removed.
HAP = High achieving pupil
MAP = Middle achieving pupil
LAP = low achieving pupil
The documents outline the skills required (in both reading and writing) for each student in year 7 through to year 11 to be categorised as a HAP, MAP or LAP in English language. The skills are bullet pointed to allow ease of use for all department members.
For KS4 this information is separated into both language and literature.
For literature this is broken down even further so that teachers can determine whether students are a HAP, MAP or LAP in specific components of English such as:
- poetry
- 19th century literature
- Shakespeare
- modern novel
These documents would be ideal for teachers to use when assessing student progress in specific components of their English studies be it language or literature. Once used, the student work can then be compared to their target in order to track progress.
A variety of resources to support the teaching of anti bullying as part of English context or as part of PSHE.
Resources include:
- national anti bullying week ideas
- Who wants to be a millionaire anti bullying game
- pledge cards
- analysis of anti bullying posters
- create own anti bullying speeches/posters etc.
- forms of bullying
-research lesson ideas
Resources to support the teaching of speech writing.
Resources provide opportunities to:
- structure speeches using the 6 part structure
- develop persuasive skills
- write speeches on the theme of the increase in legal driving age
- write speeches on the theme of TV talent shows
Students will study speeches by the following people as a stimulus:
- Winston Churchill
- Elizabeth I
- Earl spencer tribute to Diana
- Barack Obama
- George Bush
- Martin Luther King
- Nelson Mandella
Resources to support the teaching of letter writing.
The lessons take stimulus from the following:
- Children in need
- Comic relief
- Pimp my ride
- Holidays from hell
Resources provide opportunities to:
- structure formal letters
- use the 6 part structure to form letter content
- write persuasively
- write emotively
Resources to support the teaching of 'twisted' for lower ability.
Homework project also included.
Differentiation:
purple = lower
blue = middle
yellow = higher
Resources provide opportunities to:
- explore stage directions
- understand and create monologues
- explore characterisation
- develop empathy skills
- explore and create flash backs
- create narratives
- develop speaking and listening skills through role play
- create tableau
- explore the theme of bullying
- analyse anti bullying posters and create own
- write letters to an agony aunt
- performs scenes
Resources that provide students with a fun exploration of English as an introduction to KS3 or KS2.
Students develop a variety of English skills through the theme of going on a quest. Along the quest students must negotiate a number of labours which will each help them to develop necessary skills such as:
- descriptive writing
- formal letter structure
- planning skills
- narrative writing
- solving riddles
- creating characters