English literature

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

By Naomi Hursthouse Anita and Me is a funny, irreverent and poignant ‘coming of age’ novel. It is so much more than the sum of its parts. It could just be a 1970s, Brummie To Kill a Mockingbird, but what makes this novel… Read More

With the renewed push on reading for pleasure in schools, come many exciting opportunities for enthusing our students about books. But what do we do with those really reluctant readers? You know- those ones who try to get away with only reading the Guinness Book of Records or with flipping… Read More

Want to get your English Literature class talking about books? Get the dice out, says Naomi Hursthouse - read on for a brilliant activity idea for your Secondary English classroom. Read More