Writing

Improving analysis of writing

I don’t know about you, but I have found the AQA English Language, Paper 1, Question 3- commenting on the structure of a text- mighty troublesome this year! As much as I try to help students identify shifts in time, character, location, and find interesting patterns,… Read More

Teach GCSE Writing through Grammar

Spelling, punctuation and grammar is on the agenda again. Not only do our key stage 2 students have to sit the controversial ‘grammar tests’, but most subjects now need to award marks for SPG at GCSE level. So, we need to help our… Read More

World Book Day 2016: What’s Your Favourite Book?

What we read can say a lot about us. Books instil a sense of identity and purpose, exposing us to unique situations and offering insight into areas we would never otherwise encounter. What we read during our time in school – be it for an assignment or pleasure – often determines… Read More

Christmas Activities for Key Stage 1

Activity One: How Many Christmases Are There? Suitable for: Rec to Year 3  Learning Focus: To understand why some countries celebrate Christmas on different days To know about some of the Christmas traditions from around the world  Ask the children how many Christmases they… Read More

Museums

Why do we have museums and do they have a place in a society where today we can look up everything online – even to the extent of enjoying a virtual tour of some museums. One of the best is that of the Smithsonian in the US. Take a look here… Read More

Black History Month

Many people believe that if racism didn’t exist then we wouldn’t need to celebrate Black History Month because all the achievements of these people would be recognised alongside those of their white counterparts. In studying their achievements, we must recognise that their fame was earned in spite of prejudice and,… Read More

Traditional Tales

There’s got to be something about traditional tales for they have stood the test of time, hence the term ‘traditional’ but traditional tales are not just about being old, they have elements of traditions in them and in many cases they are used to impart learning or to consolidate or… Read More

English – Democracy

We all think that the last time Britain was invaded and ruled by a foreign power was after the Battle of Hastings but there have been a number of occasions when a foreign candidate took over or was invited to take the throne. One of the least know is that… Read More

English – Asking the Right Question

It’s twenty years since we were first introduced to the rather wacky sounding Yahoo! internet search engine. Over the years we have come to realise that unless we phrase our questions accurately or succinctly, search engines will throw up millions of results leading to a frustrating time of reading through… Read More

Five Things Your Students Want From Your Marking.

As a follow-up to ‘Ten Ways to Improve your Marking’, here are ‘Five Things Your Students Want From Your Marking’. Regular readers will have noted my school’s current preoccupation with marking. In our endless search for the perfect formula, we have been quizzing… Read More