english

Connecting with unseen poetry

Any examination is a contained and isolating space, the examinee on their own, having to rely on themselves to navigate their way and manage their time. The unseen poetry section is often considered the place containing the highest degree of challenge because of the unfamiliarity of the poem(s) presented. And… Read More
Martians from The War of the Worlds tower over a city

Creative approaches to teaching The War of the Worlds

Over 120 years ago Wells’ science fiction novel The War of the Worlds (1898) presented Victorian readers with a frankly terrifying answer to the question of whether there is life on Mars. Now in 2020, with wonderful synchronicity, the team behind the latest NASA Mars space mission have made it… Read More
yes you can cover

Do you think you can revise for GCSE English?

Students regularly tell teacher Mark Roberts that they find it hard to revise for their GCSE English exams. His new book, You Can’t Revise for GCSE English! Yes you can, and Mark Roberts shows you how explores why that common belief is wrong – and how all you really need… Read More

Dealing with Poetryphobia

Students often express negative perceptions about poetry. They feel intimidated; they think it’s difficult; they ‘can’t get on with it’. Such perceptions can be self-fulfilling if we’re not careful. How do we get them to appreciate that poetry might be worth reading or even something from which… Read More
Christmas Music Sheets

Lesson: Write your own Christmas carols

‘I’m offering this simple phrase to kids from one to 92. Although it’s been said many times, many ways, Merry Christmas to you’. A lively, musical, festive and fun lesson on writing your own Christmas carols. Whether you have finished your lessons for the term or just want to… Read More

Welcome to Gatsby’s kaleidoscopic carnival!

In the 1920s, when ‘morals were looser and liqueur was cheaper’, society parties were the be-all and end-all of life. A good party made you a good person. Like Gatsby, Hemmingway loved a cocktail party but they are not all about frivolity and fun, there is etiquette and conversation to… Read More

Considering Macbeth’s Soliloquies

Crime drama is one of the most popular genres on television and one that students are familiar with. Just look at the success of shows like Sherlock, Line of Duty and Luther, which attract massive audiences and clouds of online comment. One of the features of such shows and key… Read More

GCSE 9-1 English: Two Years In

Naomi Hursthouse It is two years into the cycle of teaching and examining the GCSE 9-1 English course, but what have we learned in that time? In education, we are used to a high turnover in specifications. In my 15 years of teaching, this is the third reinvention of GCSE… Read More

GCSE 9-1 English: Two Years In

Naomi Hursthouse It is two years into the cycle of teaching and examining the GCSE 9-1 English course, but what have we learned in that time? In education, we are used to a high turnover in specifications. In my 15 years of teaching, this is the third reinvention of GCSE… Read More