GCSE

Here's a thought experiment: what current books will be read in the future? What movies and TV shows will they watch a century from now? What songs from 2015 will they listen to in 2215? I don’t mean this in an academic or archival sense; I'm talking about the works people pick up and enjoy on their own — the way Pride and Prejudice and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes still grip us despite being over a century old. Read More

What can be done in Year 9 to ease students into the new demands they will face? The Collins GCSE Core book includes a suggested scheme of work for the year which highlights three different phases over the school year. The Teacher’s Guide spells out a range of ideas, but I want to deal with elaborating on one from the first term in the scheme - ‘Building skills and sharing stories’ Read More

The re-introduction of the 19th century novel onto the GCSE English Literature syllabus is one of the greatest challenges for teachers today. This isn’t because we haven’t taught it before, or because we don’t believe that students will benefit from reading novels from the Literary canon. It is because, all students, of all abilities will now be tested on their knowledge of these novels in exam conditions. They will not only need to have read, understood and analysed these texts, but remember them well enough to refer to them, unaided, in the exam. As I see it, there are five key challenges facing teachers. Here are my ideas on how to overcome them. Read More

Here are our top tips on how to get your students engaged in nineteenth-century literature and excited for every lesson! Read More

The re-introduction of the 19th century novel onto the GCSE English Literature syllabus is one of the greatest challenges for teachers today. This isn’t because we haven’t taught it before, or because we don’t believe that students will benefit from reading novels from the Literary canon. Read More

An analytical look at the figures for this year's GCSE and A-level Science results. Read More

Ed Walsh looks at the impact the assessment of practicals in the new GCSEs may have on the level of practical work done in the classroom. Read More

Comprehensive article, plus activities, on the development of Kekule's benzene ring - ideal for GCSE and A-level students, Read More

Ed Walsh gives an overview of the 2016 GCSE Science specifications and what to consider when choosing an exam board. Read More

Education reform has been a defining feature of the Coalition, as the election race hots up, Ed Walsh suggests a few things the next Education Secretary should bear in mind. Read More