With exams for the new AQA specification looming, we sat down with teacher, coach, and former AQA principal examiner Jo Heathcote to get her advice on how to best help post-16 GCSE English Language students achieve grade 5. Q. Is it possible, do you think, to keep young… Read More

Have a go at this exercise that takes students through analysing a book extract, including opportunities to develop reading and writing non-fiction.  This one is about Lady Gaga’s book, Extreme Style and is suitable for students working towards a Grade C.  Here’s the first bit and then you can download… Read More

Jo Heathcote is a teacher, coach, former AQA principal examiner for GCSE English/English Language, and author of  multiple Collins English resources, including the new Reimagine Key Stage 3 English. In this article, Jo explores why it’s time to re-think KS3 English and how you can use her nine knowledge-rich… Read More

Unlike many 19th century novels, students are likely to already have some idea of the central premise of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde before they read the novel – the concept of duality and the sinful double life. However, they are less likely… Read More

On the approach to the exams for the new AQA GCSE (9-1) English Language specification, we sat down with teacher, coach, and former AQA principal examiner Jo Heathcote who’s provided practical advice on how best to enable your students to secure a pass. Jo has broken down her advice for… Read More

The impact of the disrupted nature of the last few years is perhaps most felt on the continuity which is key to progression. It is surely harder than ever to get a sense of just what level students transition with from the primary phase, given the gaps in learning and… Read More

As we come to the end of what has been a fantastic GCSE English Festival, we round up some the week’s highlights. If you missed any of the week’s festivities, you can find links to all of our blog posts, videos and exclusive resources here, so you don’t miss a thing! Read More

Like many of us, I was surprised and a little bit scared to see the inclusion of a Spoken Language element to the Controlled Assessments for the new specifications. Having taught AS and A2 English Language for many years, the terminology didn’t daunt me and I had a plentiful supply… Read More