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Guidance, ideas and examples to support schools in developing their curriculum, pedagogy, enrichment and support for more able learners, within a whole-school context of cognitively challenging learning for all. Includes ideas to support curriculum development, and practical examples, resources and ideas to try in the classroom. Popular topics include: curriculum development, enrichment, independent learning, questioning, oracy, resilience, aspirations, assessment, feedback, metacognition, and critical thinking.

 

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Rethinking Romeo and Juliet: four free resources for GCSE English

Posted By Charlotte Bourne, Globe Education, 12 February 2019
Updated: 08 April 2019
Shakespeare’s tragic tale of young love rarely fails to capture the imagination, but how can you help learners approach it with a fresh perspective – interrogating, comparing, contextualising and analysing in depth? Charlotte Bourne, Deputy Head of Learning at Shakespeare’s Globe, shares four free resources to breathe new life into your English literature lessons…

Every March, Shakespeare’s Globe becomes a cauldron of excitement as our high-octane, flagship education project, “Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank” begins. We provide 18,000 free tickets to a full-scale Shakespeare production tailored for 11-18 year olds. Alongside this, each year we create a dedicated website that complements and tracks the production. Although our free tickets target London and Birmingham state schools, the website is open to all, completely free, and doesn't require any sign-up; it forms part of the Globe's commitment to making Shakespeare accessible for all. This article highlights four resources from our 2019 website on Romeo and Juliet and explains how these could be used to address the needs of more able learners, within a context of challenge for all. Whilst these explanations focus on GCSE English literature, the resources can all be adapted to provide any learner with the opportunity to “[read], understand and respond to texts... and develop an informed personal response.”

1. Language: director's edit

Our “script machines” display the script of five key scenes from the play, but with a twist: you have the option of showing the director's edit. This enables you to unpick AO2 more organically with learners, because the interplay between language (Shakespeare's text) and form (a script to be edited for the stage) becomes apparent. For example:

Juliet: O, sweet my mother, cast me not away!
Delay this marriage for a month, a week;
Or, if you do not, make the bridal bed
In that dim monument where Tybalt lies.

  • What do the cut lines convey in terms of meaning?
  • What does removing them achieve?
  • What meaning is the director drawing our attention towards, or away from, through this edit?

This serves as a reminder that, in any performance text, there is more than one conscious construct at work. Although learners will need to know the whole text, the “meanings and effects” (AO2) has a greater plurality when considered in this light.

Indeed, this can also lead to discussions around the context: the origins of Shakespeare's writing, shaped by the theatre practices of his day, mean that even modern editions of the same, full play-text may differ. What an audience receives, therefore, is already layered with interpretation.

2. Language: literary terms

This part of the resource gives learners the opportunity to identify where certain literary techniques are being used by Shakespeare, across five key scenes. This can be used as a revision tool, but why not use it to model the thought processes in understanding how these techniques work to create meanings and effects? This moves learners away from the fallacy of technique-spotting, and can be adapted for KS3 and KS4.

With this in mind, several techniques in each scene are broken down into a series of questions, on our Teachers’ Notes page. For example:

  • Tybalt describes the servants as “heartless hinds”. How does this metaphor show that Tybalt has a low opinion of the servants? Use the questions below to support your thinking.
  • What possible meanings does the word “hind” have?
  • How about the word “heartless”? Hint: remember that Shakespeare’s audience would have heard the play; “heartless” could also therefore be heard as “hart-less”. How could this link to “hind”?
  • Consider the effect of the alliteration in making this link.
  • How does this contribute to the servants’ definition of masculinity set up in the opening exchange between Sampson and Gregory?

To extend the challenge, learners could then create their own questions to deconstruct other techniques. Creating these questions demands higher-order thinking, as learners need to be at Bloom's level of “analysis” before attempting this. To scaffold them up to this level of challenge, they could look at how the same technique is deconstructed in a different scene. This has the added benefit of highlighting the nuanced effects of the same technique used in different parts of the text.

3. Research articles: Brooke versus Shakespeare

Brooke's 1562 poem, “The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet”, served as a key source for Shakespeare. So far, so bolt-on AO3. However, this resource allows learners to compare the differences between Shakespeare's prologue and Brooke's “argument”. It highlights how Shakespeare’s drama occurs over just five days, whereas Brooke’s poem unfolds over nine months, and that Juliet’s age is lowered from 16 to 13.

Drawing out these differences allows for rich exploration of writer's craft that cannot be separated from context, required for the top bands at GCSE.

  • Have learners compare the time reference in Brooke's “argument” with Shakespeare's prologue, and discuss what effect this might have.
  • Next, ask learners to find all the references to time within Shakespeare's version; what patterns do they spot? Why is it that time seems to pass so quickly in the play? Consider this also in light of Shakespeare's younger Juliet.
  • What meaning is being created through these marked changes to the original source material? If time is compacted and Juliet is younger, what might this suggest about the speed of young love?
  • How does the adaptation of form – from poem to play – affect how it is received?

4. Character interviews

Providing learners with the opportunity to engage with text in performance is a cornerstone of the work we do, and part of this involves providing access to actors taking part in the production.

Although learners wouldn't need to analyse actors' interpretations in their exam, the character interviews provide a window into hearing how someone else arrived at an informed, personal response (AO1). Questions cover: What are your initial impressions of your character(s)? What have you noticed about your character’s language, i.e. the way they speak to others/about themselves?

Characters are interviewed several times across the production, providing learners with opportunities to reflect on the complex nature of interpretation: how this can be revised with each more detailed exploration of the text.

To access these resources, plus a wealth of additional resources to support a challenging curriculum, visit 2019.playingshakespeare.org. Remember: the website tracks the production so please keep coming back to see what else we have added!

Charlotte Bourne is Deputy Head of Learning at Shakespeare’s Globe, with a focus on learners aged 3-18, plus the educators who support them. The Globe’s on-site Lively Action programme welcomes close to 80,000 learners per year, while its international outreach work sends practitioners to China, the US and Europe. A qualified English teacher and AQA examiner for GCSE Literature, Charlotte has worked closely with ITTs and NQTs across multiple subjects.

Tags:  English  free resources  GCSE  KS3  KS4  literature  Shakespeare 

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6 signs your school library is meeting the needs of all learners

Posted By Alison Tarrant, 06 December 2018
Updated: 08 April 2019
Is your school library the chosen enclave of a select few, or does it truly cater for, challenge and engage all learners? Ahead of Libraries Week (8-13 October 2018), Alison Tarrant, Chief Executive of the School Library Association, shares six signs your school library is getting it right…

1. There are (almost) as many people as books

This may sound obvious, but if your school library is characterised by absolute tidiness and ghostly silence… that’s not good. Everyone should be welcome in the school library, and everyone should be busy doing something – whether it’s reading, debating, being part of a club, revising or drawing. This makes sure the space doesn’t become exclusive to a single group, preventing labelling of users. Obviously, it’ll always be quieter on a beautiful summer’s day and always busier when it’s pouring with rain, but everyone should feel like the space is their space.

2. Every part of your collection offers challenge

All the sections within your school library collection should offer a range of levels. For example, when buying graphic novels make sure you choose some that are complex and challenging and others that are easier to access – this stops certain parts of the collection being painted as just for “brainy” or “stupid” children. Each collection should have something to suit a range of reading habits. Short stories work for reluctant readers and for more able readers. Classics can do the same, so don’t label the collection to attract a certain group – this can end up limiting their reading journey. Workshops on certain genres, such as graphic novels or illustration, can widen reading choices and enhance engagement.

3. Your librarian is… not in the library

This may be controversial, but the librarian/library manager should not be in the library all the time. They should be having meetings with subject leaders, more able coordinators, SENCos and so on. The school library should cater for all subjects across all year groups and all cohorts – which means the person running it needs the information about who’s teaching what, who’s struggling with what and what’s going on in school generally. Apparently it takes being told something three times to take it in, so make sure the school library is supporting the messages you are teaching or talking about in assembly. Talking about censorship? Ask for a “banned books” display. Discussing mental health? Ask for a visual resources list on this topic.

4. Library clubs are driven by learner demand

Clubs that run in libraries can be brilliant, but they can also be demanding and (as with everything) they take time from something else. Make sure they cater to a variety of students and are based on students’ interests. Following the Carnegie Medal might work well for Years 9-10; so then try the Excelsior Award or follow the Blue Peter Award. An illustration club may attract yet a different range of students. If possible let them select the best time for the club to run – try breakfast meets before school or brief lunchtime clubs as alternatives to after school. If you notice a cohort isn’t using the space, ask them why and talk to the librarian about running a club or event that would appeal to this group.

5. Your resource lists really do have something for everyone

All resource lists should fulfil a range of needs. All resources can be complex or easier in cognitive ability or composition, so you need to know the resources and know the pupils. One learner may be better with a more complicated written piece but a simpler video resource. Another may prefer an audio book as opposed to an e-resource. Resource lists should be about range – the right material for the right child in the right format at the right time.

6. Learners are empowered to be discerning readers

Always try to offer a range of levels when suggesting books. Within all genres there’s a range of reading and cognitive abilities required, and learners will also need different types of book at different times. Consider Year 6 transition – a primary school library may not have the range a secondary school library can offer, so learners need to know there are still new places to go on their reading journey. At other times, a learner might want a “reading rest” – a gentle book that doesn’t strain them but is engaging. A good habit is to recommend three books and ask the learner to read the first chapter of each to get a flavour, then ask them what they thought about each one. This will help you get it right in future, and help them consider their likes and dislikes. Each young person needs to become discerning in their reading, choosing a path and establishing the reasoning, and articulating it for each book selection. The conversations are important, as well as the reading itself.

Alison Tarrant is the Chief Executive of the School Library Association (SLA), and a Bookseller Rising Star 2018. She previously worked as a school librarian, and was on the Honour List for the School Librarian of the Year in 2016, as well as serving as a trustee for the SLA. The SLA is committed to supporting everyone involved with school libraries, offering training and resources to promote high-quality reading and learning opportunities for all. Launched this year, the Great School Libraries campaign is a three-year campaign dedicated to raising the profile of school libraries.

Tags:  English  enrichment  libraries  literacy  literature  reading  transition 

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3 ways to step up the challenge in Key Stage 3 English

Posted By Tracy Goodyear, 05 November 2018
Updated: 22 December 2020

Ahead of her workshop “Challenging more able learners in English (KS3-4)”, NACE Associate Tracy Goodyear shares three steps to review and improve the quality of challenge provided in your KS3 English lessons…
 
Shortly before the half term break, I asked a number of Year 13 students if they could remember the moment that solidified their decision to study English at A-level. The responses were interesting: some of them said it was a particular teacher whose passion for their subject had inspired a love of literature; some said it was one particular lesson that had given them that all-important lightbulb moment.
 
One student recollected an individual lesson that she recalled quite vividly: “It was Year 9 Shakespeare, Miss – we were debating who decides literary value.”
 
This was the response that interested me most. I asked what she valued about that experience and she said that it felt like she had really been forced to think for herself – that she felt unsure at first, but soon found the confidence and the words to argue her point of view on a topic she hadn’t really given much thought to in the past.
 
This conversation was another reminder for me about the importance of the Key Stage 3 diet. It reminded me that KS3 is indeed what some on EduTwitter are dubbing “The Wonder Years” and that key decisions and attitudes towards subjects are decided during this crucial time. It is, therefore, pivotal that the KS3 curriculum is a balanced one – providing a rich and diverse set of experiences that nurture a love for learning and a love for literature.
 
Here are three strategies to step up the challenge in KS3 English:

1. Start by defining the “end product”  

Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool have both conducted extensive research on what defines success and what makes the world’s most successful people achieve extraordinary things. In their book Peak[1] the authors discuss the “virtuous circle” in which “honing the skill improves mental representation, and mental representation helps hone the skill”.
 
This got me thinking about the mental representations teachers have of learners. Are we always clear about where we want our students to “be” at certain times in their school career, beyond reaching centrally determined target grades? Do we always hold a clear vision of what “success” looks like for an individual learner/group of learners?
 
Over the past year, my department has spent quite a lot of time defining a vision for our KS3 “end product”. We met as a team to list attributes we wanted for our learners by the end of the key stage – an opportunity to vent about things they “couldn’t do” and skills they appeared to lack when it came to the start of GCSE. This discussion was about much more than examination criteria or working towards assessment objectives; our ideas about “progress” needed to delve much deeper. We wanted to be clear on the attributes we wanted learners to craft and hone, and we used this information to identify learning opportunities we would habitually offer to ensure success.
 
After some discussion, we decided that our aim for KS3 is to cultivate students who:

  • Have a critical eye, so they do not blindly accept things;
  • Openly welcome feedback, criticism and differing views and interpretations and do not feel threatened by these;
  • Are skilled in planning, showing evidence of deep thinking;
  • Will take risks, knowing that the learning they will experience is more valuable than the fear of failure;
  • Actively listen to and reason with the ideas and expertise of others;
  • Construct meaningful arguments, supporting their ideas with confidence and conviction.

This activity gave us clarity in terms of what we wanted to achieve at KS3 and we were able to action these recommendations when designing a new programme of study. This was well-spent development time – I thoroughly recommend taking the time to define the characteristics you value in your own department, for both your teachers and your learners.

2. Encourage oracy and debate 

I have always been an advocate for the “if you can say it, you can write it” mantra, but in English this is crucial. It’s important to create an environment where talk is both celebrated and expected – and there are several ways to encourage this in lessons and schemes of learning. Some of the best thinking that happens in English occurs when learners have had the opportunity to work with an idea, noticing its flaws/pitfalls and appreciating its various facets. Only then will they be able to show a profound depth of understanding.
 
Here are some ways in which oracy can be promoted in the KS3 English classroom:

  • Make thinking visible in your lessons[2] (in the words of Dylan Wiliam, play “basketball”, not “ping pong”[3]). There’s real power in passing an idea around the room; this avoids learners needing to seek your approval of an answer and models thinking “live” in the lesson.
  • Model high-level talk: explicitly teach vocabulary and make its various contexts clear. This can be achieved through “word of the week” displays or simply taking some time to discuss vocabulary choices in certain texts.
  • Don’t accept mediocre verbal responses – keep expectations high. Give learners time to formulate a strong verbal response. This may include a “think, pair, share” visible thinking routine, or developing purposeful “think time” after a question has been posed.

3. Engage with academic research

One of the most exciting challenges in teaching more able learners is knowing that you have to be several steps ahead in terms of your own knowledge and understanding – I have always enjoyed the intellectual thrill of this. As well as staying up to speed yourself, engaging with research and academic publications is also a great way to show learners the wider relevance of the programme of study and ensure that it also models high-level thinking and reasoning.

  • Find academic works/essays that provide alternative views of your topic and work with these as extracts. These could then be useful sources for further investigation and debate. Students will go on to approach their set texts through a different lens. (Recently I experimented with an essay on madness and insanity in Victorian England, and we used this to help gather information for a debate on Dickens’ presentation of Miss Havisham.)
  • Make time in department meetings to discuss new learning. Could members of the department take the lead on a certain aspect and be tasked to share updates at team meetings? An expert on 19th century literature perhaps? Or Shakespearean tragedies?
  • Encourage learners to engage independently with available materials. For example, there are some excellent resources on The British Library website with scans of original sources, which are invaluable. Last year we introduced an extension activity called “Universally Challenged”, where learners were tasked to research a related topic and to produce a small resource/elevator pitch for others in the group. The activity aims to broaden students’ literary understanding and strengthen their ability to make pertinent links between what they are studying and the contexts within which other texts were produced.

Tags:  English  gcse  KS3  language  literacy  oracy  writing 

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7 ways to challenge more able readers

Posted By Judith Mason, 08 October 2018
Updated: 15 July 2019

As schools across the UK celebrate Libraries Week (8-13 October), NACE Associate Judith Mason outlines seven approaches to ensuring more able readers are effectively challenged and supported.

Reading provides a wide range of opportunities to challenge more able learners and there’s certainly an abundance of wonderful books to share and explore. In my visits to schools I’ve been able to see some great teaching that has really inspired children to read and challenged their thinking. Here are my thoughts on some of the strategies that seem to work well in providing challenge in reading…

1. Cultivate independent reading for pleasure

For all children, it’s important to foster a love for reading. Children who enjoy reading are more likely to read well. And developing reading for pleasure and positive attitudes to reading is part of the English National Curriculum. There are lots of ways to encourage readers – and some ways that can put them off! Even our more able readers might sometimes enjoy re-reading an old favourite that seems rather easy for them. Of course, there can be enjoyment in tackling something harder and we need to encourage that too. Give them some choice – but also give them recommendations to extend the range of reading and try something new.

2. Select quality texts to teach reading

Choosing the right texts is really important. Again, we need to consider texts that will appeal to the children and provide motivation for reading, especially if they have to dig deeper into the meaning. Select texts with multiple challenge opportunities – through the theme or subject matter (which may be outside the children’s direct experience), the complexity of the sentence construction, unfamiliar vocabulary, narrative style, the organisation of the text or the visual features. By recognising the potential to explore these different opportunities, we can provide challenge for our more able readers – and also ensure that we give the right support for all readers to make sense of more challenging texts. Think about the different opportunities for learning, not only what must be learned.

3. Ask authentic questions

In discussion about a text, there is an opportunity to explore different ideas and views and to ask children to give their reasons for them. It can help to start the discussion with a really good, genuine question. Value and encourage different responses – though you can challenge them too.

4. Develop dialogue about reading

Encourage children to think about the ideas and views of others. Act as a “conductor” to build exchanges between them that develops thinking. Ask one child to respond to another, to add a comment or to ask another question. As teachers, we can add information into the discussion to develop knowledge and understanding, as well as asking our own questions in response to children’s comments. Deeper comprehension is more likely to be developed in this way than through written answers to a list of questions with little discussion.

5. Develop independent reading strategies

To read more challenging texts independently, children need to use a range of strategies and even more able readers may need to be taught how to use them. For example, it may help them to visualise what is happening where there is a lot of different information, to summarise to make sense of longer passages or to use prediction to develop the skill of inference.

6. Provide different ways to explore and respond to reading

Drama is often a great way to explore texts in depth, for example a character’s feelings or motivation at different points in the narrative. It can also be a great way to try using unfamiliar language. It can also be helpful to give children some choice in the way they respond to a text, through their own art, creative writing, film or on-screen presentation. 

7. Provide guidance for parents/carers

We often provide guidance for parents/carers to help their children when they are first developing as readers. Older and more able readers are then sometimes left to read on their own. This of course can be fine and it’s a joy to see children engrossed in a book, laughing to themselves at the humour or turning the pages as quickly as they can to find out what happens next. But just as dialogue about reading is good in the classroom, it can also be helpful at home. Providing some discussion points for parents – or for the children to use with their parents – is another helpful strategy.

Finally, be ambitious for all children. Present challenge opportunities that they can all access. They may surprise you!

NACE is proud to be supporting the School Library Association (SLA)'s Great School Libraries campaign – a three-year campaign dedicated to raising the profile of school libraries. Find out more here.

Tags:  English  libraries  literacy  literature  oracy  questioning  reading 

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5 fresh perspectives on teaching and learning in primary English

Posted By Stefan Pearson, 04 April 2018
Updated: 07 August 2019

Stefan Pearson, Teacher and Challenge Coordinator at Bradford’s Copthorne Primary School, shares five key takeaways from this year’s English for the More Able conference…

 Last month I attended the English for the More Able conference in York, run by NACE in partnership with Rising Stars. The conference explored a range of approaches to support, engage and challenge more able learners in primary English, with an opening keynote from author Anne Fine, interactive workshops, and opportunities to share ideas with fellow primary teachers, coordinators and school leaders.

Like most delegates, I left the event with a pile of notes and a head buzzing with ideas – some of which I’ve already begun to test out in my own classroom. Here are five of my main takeaways from the day – offering fresh perspectives to keep primary English relevant and engaging for learners of all abilities.

1. Oracy skills can – and should – be taught in schools.

Among the keynote speakers for the day was Neil Mercer, Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Cambridge and Director of Oracy Cambridge. Professor Mercer’s talk reinforced my belief that oracy skills are an essential foundation in learning and life, which can – and should – be taught in schools.

To communicate successfully, young people need to develop language and skills to reason and reflect, express ideas clearly and confidently, listen carefully, and talk and work well in a group. Most children’s home experiences will not provide opportunities for them to develop all the oracy skills they need, making it even more important that oracy is taught in schools.

The aim, Professor Mercer believes, should be to engage children in “exploratory talk” – characterised by active listening, asking questions, sharing relevant information, challenging ideas and giving reasons for doing so, and building on what has already been discussed. In exploratory talk, all participants are encouraged to contribute, ideas and opinions are treated with respect, and the group works within an atmosphere of trust and with a shared purpose, seeking agreement and joint decisions.

2. We need to talk about listening…

Just like skills for effective talk, listening skills also can and should be taught in schools and discussed with learners from an early age. For me, a key takeaway from the conference was the decision to talk more about listening in my classroom. The most effective types of listening are attentive listening – in which the listener is interested, takes in facts, and checks information – and active listening – in which the listener responds with questions and relevant comments, gathers facts and ideas, and attempts to understand the feelings of the speaker.

3. … and provide effective Talking Points.

Dr Lyn Dawes, also a member of Oracy Cambridge, shared her work on Talking Points – thought-provoking statements that encourage children to talk about a topic, promoting discussion, comparison, analysis, reasoning and negotiation. Through participation in Talking Points discussions, learners explore a curriculum topic in depth, generating shared understanding and establishing areas for further investigation. Most importantly, they develop skills for effective group discussion, practising sharing their opinions and giving reasons, listening and responding to others, and collaborating to ensure everyone has a chance to contribute.

Talking Points can be used across any curriculum area and can be created by both teachers and learners – a fantastic resource to support effective learning and develop oracy skills, which can then form the basis of written work.

4. Grammar really can be fun!

NACE associate Christine Chen ran a workshop on grammar games, sharing lots of practical ideas. One of these involved writing a six-word sentence and numbering the words 1-6. Learners are then asked to roll a dice, identify the word class of the corresponding word, and replace the word so the meaning of the sentence alters.

I’ve already tried this with my class and the children really enjoyed it. This kind of game also builds in differentiation, providing scope for challenge while reinforcing learners’ understanding of the different parts of language.

Another idea from this session which I’ve also tried out is the challenge of writing descriptively without using adjectives – meaning other word types must be carefully selected to convey mood, pace, emotion and so on. This prompted my more able writers to rethink their approach to description, and they really relished the challenge.

5. Engaging parents can be as simple as this.

My fifth and final key takeaway from the conference is in fact a resource developed by my own school. During her plenary talk, headteacher Christabel Shepherd mentioned our reading mats for parents. These proved in-demand amongst conference delegates, with many schools recognising the importance of engaging parents in developing children’s reading and comprehension skills.

We give the reading mats to parents and carers as laminated resources to use at home. They provide explanations and examples of different question types – for example, questions to retrieve information, to comment on language choices, or to relate texts to wider contexts. The sheets include question frames, which can be adapted for any book.

At Copthorne, where 98% of our learners are EAL and many families speak little English at home, we’ve found these reading mats very effective in supporting parents. In addition to encouraging shared reading at home, the mats enable parents to make effective use of questioning to develop their children’s understanding.

How does your school support more able learners in primary English? Contact us to share your approach.

Tags:  English  free resources  KS1  KS2  literacy  oracy  parents and carers  reading 

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10 books to engage and challenge young learners

Posted By Victoria Burrill, 09 March 2018
Updated: 09 April 2019
Next week NACE and Rising Stars are hosting the English for the More Able conference in York, bringing together educators, researchers and advisers from across the country to explore strategies to challenge more able learners in primary English. In this blog post, Victoria Burrill, author of Rising Stars’ English for the More Able activity book series, picks out 10 texts with a lasting power to engage, inspire and challenge young learners – plus recommendations of what to read next…

The Twits by Roald Dahl

I am yet to meet a child who doesn’t love Roald Dahl’s stories and I think it’s because they make you laugh, cry, grimace, cower and cheer all at once. You will meet characters like none you’ve met before and you will want to read this book over and over again.

If you like this, try: Fizzlebert Stump: The Boy Who Ran Away from the Circus (and joined the library) by A. F. Harrold

A Boy and a Bear in a Boat by Dave Shelton

This is a simple tale of adventure and friendship. The relationship between the eponymous child and his ursine companion will enchant you and teach you that not all adventures are the same.

If you like this, try: Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J. K. Rowling

If you want to experience the power of imagination, this almanac of wondrous beasts will whisk you away and hopefully encourage to create your own incredible creatures.

If you like this, try: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Di Camillo

This charming tale will take you around the world, both under and over the sea. The protagonist, Edward, will enchant you and show you how some characters can capture your imagination and your heart.

If you like this, try: Because of Winn Dixie by Kate Di Camillo

Oranges in No Man’s Land by Elizabeth Laird

This is a story to make you think, to make you feel grateful and safe, and to help you understand that good can come from tragedy. It will open your eyes to the lives of others.

If you like this, try: The Garbage Kid by Elizabeth Laird

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

A story like no other. Told from a number of perspectives, this is a story of facing difficulties and finding friends. This book will make you feel something that you won’t forget.

If you like this, try: One by Sarah Crossan

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Prepare to be spooked! This book is beautifully written and will teach you the power of words in creating atmosphere.

If you like this, try: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde

An old story with a message which remains current and important. This simple tale is full of storytelling power. It has a moral to which we can all relate, whether we are the children or the giant.

If you like this, try: The Little Prince by Anton de Saint-Exupéry

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

This story offers its readers the ultimate “What if?” It will make you think and wonder about things you may have never wondered about before. Join the protagonists in making the ultimate life or death decision.

If you like this, try: Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie

The Unforgotten Coat by Frank Cottrell Boyce

This book uses words and pictures in an usual way to tell a very human story and one which is very relevant to our modern, global society. It will make you think and might open your eyes to the experiences of others.

If you like this, try: Coming to England by Floella Benjamin

Victoria Burrill is Head of English at Newton Prep School in Battersea, London. She teaches Years 5 to 8, preparing children for pre-tests and entrance exams for London day schools at both 11+ and 13+ and Common Entrance at 13+. She has written for both Rising Stars and Galore Park for the past four years and her catalogue includes the English for the More Able series, 11+ Practice Papers and Revision Guide, and the Galore Park English textbook series for Years 3 to 6. Her particular passion is to instil a love of literature in her students and she plans her lessons around whole novels, using them to teach key skills and to evoke a love of a good story.

Tags:  English  KS1  KS2  KS3  literacy  literature  reading 

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5 reasons to use grammar games in your classroom

Posted By Christine Chen and Lindsay Pickton , 18 January 2018
Updated: 22 December 2020

NACE associates Christine Chen and Lindsay Pickton are experienced primary English advisors, with a specialisation in supporting more able learners. In this blog post, they explain how grammar games can help to foster creativity, engagement with the composition process, and a lasting love of language.
 
If you’re not already using grammar games in your classroom, here are five reasons to start now…

1. They set a high bar for all learners

The great thing about grammar games is that they enable a “low threshold, high ceiling” approach to learning, enabling all learners to experience the possibilities of language manipulation. While some games offer potential forms of differentiation, the key – as with any learning – is having high expectations of all.

2. They’re fun!

There’s a common misconception that grammar is intrinsically boring and dry. Grammar games help to break this down, providing opportunities for teachers and learners alike to have fun with grammar, through activities including dice games, physical manipulation of sentence structures and simple drama strategies.

3. They put grammar in context

Grammar teaching and learning is commonly approached through isolated exercises, which may help some children with test preparation, but do little to support composition. Grammar games can be used to explore grammar in the wider context of language usage, making it more likely that learners will apply new learning and continue to experiment.

4. They encourage risk-taking

Collaborative grammar play transforms what could be a purely internal process into an enjoyable shared learning experience. When children experiment with application in writing following these collaborative games, they are more likely to take risks and to feel in control, in a joyful way.

5. They nurture a love of language

Playing with language fosters a love of it. This is important for all learners, including more able writers and communicators. Even if they don’t know the terminology, these learners are able to adapt sentence structures and vocabulary choices to achieve a desired impact on their readership. Grammar games further encourage them to take pleasure in exploring and developing their skills as young writers.

One to try: “Every word counts”

This is a dice game for manipulating meaning and exploring nuance through vocabulary choices. It’s one of the most popular and adaptable games we’ve invented; as children play, they experience tangibly the descriptive power of every word in a sentence. 
 
Create a six-word sentence, in which no word class is repeated, and list the word classes in order.

e.g. They played in their tiny garden.

  1. Pronoun
  2. Verb
  3. Preposition
  4. Determiner
  5. Adjective
  6. Noun

 

Throw a dice. With each throw, children must change the corresponding word in the sentence, and discuss (as a group or whole class) what has changed about the scene or story.
 
e.g. Throw a 4 – change the determiner:

  • They played in their tiny garden.
  • They played in her tiny garden.
  • They played in the tiny garden.
  • They played in this tiny garden.

 Learners discuss how changes made affect the meaning. With each change, how does the word choice affect the story?

Tags:  creativity  English  language  oracy  vocabulary 

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6 reasons to bring mastery to primary English

Posted By Sarah Carpenter, 16 January 2018
Updated: 03 November 2020

Getting to grips with mastery doesn’t have to be hard work – far from it. In this blog post (originally published on schoolsimprovement.net), NACE associate Sarah Carpenter outlines a simple but effective use of mastery to improve primary English provision for all learners, including the more able…

While teachers and schools are at different points in the maths mastery journey, it’s now fairly clear what that looks like and what’s expected. When it comes to English, however, there’s relatively little guidance on how to use mastery effectively.

Inspired by Michael Tidd’s advocacy of longer literacy units, covering fewer texts and focusing on writing for a social purpose, over the past three years I’ve worked with schools to develop a mastery approach for primary English. This is certainly not the only approach to mastery in English, but it is an approach that I and the schools involved have found effective.

The concept is simple: each half term the teacher selects a central “driver text”. This is paired with a range of supplementary texts, including fiction, poetry, non-fiction, multimodal texts, and cross-curricular links. The unit is planned around the driver text, building in curriculum requirements and a broad range of writing opportunities.

This approach gives all learners the opportunity to develop a secure understanding of the driver text, subject matter and key skills – as well as the scope to work in greater depth and to explore and showcase their creativity and writing abilities.

Here are six reasons to try this mastery approach in your primary English provision:

1. It works for learners of all abilities

First and foremost, mastery is about providing support and opportunities for learners of all abilities to develop at their own pace. This approach allows time for all learners to become familiar with the central text and subject matter, and to practise specific skills such as predicting, comparing, making connections and synthesising.

For learners working below age-related expectations, you’re not moving on too quickly, and there are opportunities to consolidate skills through repetition. At the other end of the spectrum, more able learners have opportunities to broaden their knowledge and understanding of the writing purpose, bring together multiple texts, and deepen their subject knowledge.

The inclusion of poetry in each unit helps to expand learners’ vocabulary and get them thinking creatively about the choices they’re making. The use of non-fiction and cross-curricular texts provides opportunities for the more able to make clever use of sources, and to play with their writing styles, taking the audience and purpose into account. They have a bigger toolbox to draw on, allowing them to really show off their finesse as writers.

2. It engages even reluctant writers

When choosing a driver text, I try to choose one that will capture the interest of everyone in the class, particularly keeping boys in mind. Then I plan the unit to incorporate a wide variety of writing opportunities – short, medium and long – so even reluctant writers face something manageable and interesting, that breaks the mould in terms of what they’re usually asked to write.

3. It develops deep subject knowledge

Bringing in supporting texts with a shared theme allows learners to develop a deep sense of subject knowledge, so they can write as experts in the field. Just as a published author wouldn’t start writing without doing their background research first, we’re setting the same expectation for our pupils. This approach resonates very much with highly able learners in English.

4. It makes more effective use of time

This approach takes up no more or less time than would already be used for literacy sessions, but makes more effective use of that time. Covering fewer texts in a more focused way means more time to get deeply into the full range of curriculum requirements – in terms of reading, writing, drama and spoken language. You can even use the driver text or an accompanying text for guided reading sessions, so everything is working together.

In terms of planning, you do need to allocate more time at the beginning, because you’re essentially planning out the full half term in skeletal form. You can adapt as you go along, but you need to plan ahead to ensure you extract everything you can from the driver text and stop at the right points, building up that sense of mystery and anticipation, and allowing for reading and writing opportunities along the way.

Once you’ve chosen the driver text, you’re looking for those opportunities to bring in non-fiction, and searching for appropriate poetry connections. Once you’ve done this groundwork, you should find you spend less time on weekly planning, because you’ve got the framework in place.

5. It works for all types of text…

…even (or especially) picture books! I often choose picture-based story books or graphic novels, such as David Wiesner’s Flotsam or Shaun Tan’s The Arrival – which can be interesting when you tell people the unit is going to improve children’s vocabulary and grammar! Other driver texts I’ve used include Robert Swindells’ The Ice Palace, Rob Biddulph’s Blown Away, Helen Cooper’s Pumpkin Soup and Alexis Deacon’s I am Henry Finch.

Essentially, you’re looking for a text where you see lots of potential to go off at all sorts of different angles, and bring in cross-curricular links. For example, with I am Henry Finch, there are lots of links to be made with PSHE.

6. It’s fun!

Last but certainly not least, this mastery approach is fun. I’ve developed units for KS1, lower KS2 and upper KS2, with positive feedback from all. Not only have schools got some fantastic writing and reading responses from learners, but the children have really enjoyed it. They appreciate the opportunity to get deeply into one particular text – but not to the extent where they get bored, because they’ve got the addition of other texts of different types, and the scope to show off just what they can do.

Tags:  creativity  English  KS1  KS2  literacy  mastery  reading  writing 

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Reading in schools: “pitch it right, take it deeper”

Posted By Anne Fine OBE, 15 December 2017
Updated: 09 April 2019
The UK’s recent rise in the PIRLS tables has been accompanied both by praise for schools’ success in boosting reading levels, and by calls to remember that the pleasure of reading is just as important as the mechanics.

The coalition behind the ROGO Index, launched today, has highlighted research linking enjoyment of reading to better educational outcomes and improved life chances, while the index itself suggests young people’s enjoyment and frequency of reading are lagging behind their cognitive reading skills.

In this context, second Children’s Laureate Anne Fine OBE – a longstanding advocate of the wide-ranging benefits of reading – shares advice to help schools encourage learners of all abilities to read more, and to get more from their reading…


Even in today’s digital, multimedia age, good books remain essential in helping young people develop – not only their literacy, but their ability to understand themselves, those around them and the wider world.

This is true for learners of all abilities, including the more able. The challenge for teachers is in helping them access the right books – books that will speak to their interests, engage their curiosity, open up new ideas and possibilities.

So even as schools come under growing pressure to invest in computer labs and tablets, they should renew efforts to stock up their bookshelves, and equip teachers to support all learners in becoming wide and avid readers.

Raise the bar

In my visits to schools around the country I’ve encountered huge disparities in the number of books read by children – including the more able – on a weekly or termly basis. This is often about expectations; there should be an expectation that everyone is reading, regardless of whether this is reflected at home.

While more able learners may not appear to need much support with their reading, the challenge is in helping them access the right books. When a child enjoys a book, teachers should think laterally to identify others they’re likely to enjoy – by the same or a similar author, covering a related subject matter, with a similar tone or perspective.

There are also authors who are well-known for raising the sorts of topics that are fascinating to an intelligent child – such as Geraldine McCaughrean, Hilary McKay or Philip Pullman – and teachers should be able to point their more able learners towards these writers.

Reading for life

Young people are not kept wrapped in china on a shelf, as we know. They worry about things – especially bright children, in my experience. Books remind them that they are not alone. Their worries are not just theirs; they’re shared by many others, and people approach them in different ways.

No story starts with a happy family, followed by 150 pages in which nothing bad happens; that’s just not interesting. Even if it’s a comedy, there’s always something going wrong. But most children’s books do offer some light, somewhere to go, some way to think about things in a more positive way – and that’s very important in helping children develop ways to cope when they feel overwhelmed.

Children who read a lot have a deeper understanding not just of other people’s behaviour and how they think, but of their own. Self-knowledge is the most valuable of the virtues. We all see people who make the same mistakes over and over again – and it’s because they don’t actually know themselves.

But aside from the many benefits, what a waste of time not reading, when there’s so much absorbing pleasure in it!

Tags:  English  libraries  literacy  reading 

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Storytelling with Shakespeare

Posted By Georghia Ellinas, 01 December 2017
Updated: 08 April 2019
Georghia Ellinas, Head of Learning at Globe Education, explains how Shakespeare’s stories can be used from an early age to develop engagement with oral and written narrative – and a whole lot more…

Narrative is a central element in the National Curriculum – for good reason. Storytelling is at the heart of human identity, communication, and our understanding of the world. Through the telling and interpretation of stories, learners develop not only their vocabulary and command of language, but also their cognitive skills, empathy, sense of self, and engagement with moral and emotional issues.

Good stories also prepare learners for engaging with the range of literature they will encounter throughout their school careers and in their personal reading. That is why it is important to offer them interesting stories from the start.

And what greater storyteller than Shakespeare to engage learners of all ages and abilities?

The power of performance

There’s a common misconception that Shakespeare is too challenging for young children or for those coming to English as a second language. In fact, the perceived difficulty of Shakespearean language is irrelevant when children are motivated to learn and use it, through immersion in role play and oral exploration of the plays.

Inviting learners to act out the stories – putting themselves inside the minds and predicaments of Shakespearean characters at key moments in the narrative – provides a first-hand immersive experience which means they use language in a much more powerful way.

This performative, oral phase is an essential precursor to developing learners’ writing skills. The written work they go on to produce is much more creative and confident, grounded in a real emotional engagement with the story, characters and language. Having had that immersive experience, learners are motivated to challenge themselves, and you get that wonderful language development that takes place when children hear and use very rich language.

Shakespearean philosophy for children

Beyond the development of speaking and writing skills, Shakespeare challenges learners to grapple with moral and emotional issues. By choosing the right plays, and presenting them in an engaging way, this can be made accessible to learners of all ages and abilities, starting right from the early years.

For very young children, consider a play like The Winter’s Tale. This is about jealousy – irrational jealousy – exploring the counterproductive and destructive side of being possessive of your friends. For slightly older children, a play like Twelfth Night looks at bullying – the way that, when we don’t like somebody or think they need taking down a peg or two, we gang up on them – and how unfair that is, no matter how difficult that person may be.

All of this gives learners a foundation they will build on throughout their education, up to GCSE and beyond – understanding story structure, analysing characters and their motivations, describing contexts, assessing moral dilemmas. It also gives them tools for life, developing attributes such as empathy, which are essential for a happy life.

Children as Storytellers

These goals and principles underpin Globe Education’s Children as Storytellers project, launched in 2012 to support primary schools in developing learners’ storytelling skills using Shakespeare. Running over a course of 10 weeks, the project offers interactive workshops for learners, CPD for teachers, and an interactive storytelling session in their school. Hearing the story together is the best way to build a shared understanding of the characters and what happens to them.

In the first half of the course, Globe Education Practitioners use role play-based workshops to inspire learners to start using the language of the play, exploring the characters’ motivations, and thinking about the structure of the story. The second half of the course is led by school teachers, building on the use of performance and oral storytelling to develop learners’ reading and writing skills, with support from the Globe team. Over the last year we’ve also extended the project to run sessions for family members, engaging them in telling stories, asking questions, and developing their child’s critical thinking.

Headteachers and teachers involved in the project highlight its capacity to stretch and challenge not only their learners, but themselves as well – giving them fresh tools and approaches with which to unlock Shakespeare, and prompting them to rethink what they can offer even their youngest learners.

How to get involved

NACE is delighted to be working in partnership with Globe Education this year, to support NACE members in providing challenge through all phases of the English curriculum. To access free resources to support teaching and learning using Shakespeare – including lesson plans, revision guides, videos and interactive online tools – visit The Globe’s Teach Shakespeare website.

To find out more about the Children as Storytellers project, and to discuss running the project at your own school, contact the Globe Education team on +44 (0)20 7902 1435 or email learningenquiries@shakespearesglobe.com.

Tags:  CPD  English  free resources  Shakespeare 

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