English
Below are details of some of the latest initiatives and resources, and you can take a look at a further list of useful links available for teaching English. Of course, on TeacherNet you will also find general information relating to Key Stages and current policy.
Writers in Schools: promoting new writing throughout the South
East
Would you like to have a writer in your school? New Writing South is
an Arts Council-funded organisation that aims to identify and nurture talent
and encourage creative development. Through its Writers in Schools programme,
professional writers (from playwrights to journalists and screenwriters) with
experience of working with young people are placed in
schools. Sessions can be one-off or last a whole term.
To find out more, visit the New Writing South website. You can also email education@newwritingsouth.com or telephone 01273 735353.
Boys into Books
The School Library Association (SLA) has prepared a new booklist which
gives details of 170 in-print books with strong appeal to teenage boys. Every
publicly-funded secondary school will be able to select twenty books free from
the list, together with posters and other presentational materials for their
library. You can find further information here, or
visit the SLA website
itself.
Shakespeare at Key Stage 3
In 2006, the QCA conducted a consultation
to gather stakeholders' opinions on which plays are suitable for inclusion
in the future Key Stage 3 programme. This consultation received a large
number of valuable responses from teachers and other stakeholders. The plays
set for study for 2007 and 2008 are Much Ado About Nothing, Richard
III and The Tempest. Download a report summarising
the responses for plays for 2009 onwards.
You can now download an MP3 audio recording of Much Ado About Nothing being performed at the Globe Theatre to use as a classroom resource. As well as the play, there are interviews with the directors and several actors, providing insights into the play's themes, characters and language.
Star Reads campaign for Black History Month, October 2006
Actors, presenters and singers are among the celebrities promoting
reading on a new set of posters to celebrate Black History Month. The stars are
taking part in the Passionet Star Reads campaign to help encourage young
people to read — particularly those from black and ethnic minority
communities. The posters, which have been produced in partnership with the
National Literacy Trust, are available in a set of six. The set comes with
recommended reading lists of urban and multicultural books designed to appeal
to 5 to 8-year-olds, 9 to 11-year-olds and 11to 14-year-olds. For more
information visit the National Literacy Trust website.
Teaching poetry
Poetry plays a significant role in the National Curriculum and has a range of
specific objectives related to it in the Framework for teaching English:
Years 7, 8 and 9. For poetry-related sites and ideas for teaching poetry,
visit the TeacherNet poetry page.
ICT in English teaching
For practical help with using ICT in your teaching, visit Learning and
Teaching Using ICT — Practical Support Pack, a TeacherNet website
which has lesson plans, multimedia resources, video case studies and ICT
support materials.
More ideas for how to integrate ICT into your teaching can be found at the National Curriculum's 'In Action' site.
Why do children read?
The National Literacy Trust published new research in December
2005 into children's and young people's attitudes to reading.
The report, Children's and Young People's Reading Habits and
Preferences: The Who, What, Why, Where and When, highlighted the
breadth and diversity of reading interests of over 8 000 children from 98
schools in England.
Find out more about how the various strands of the Read On campaign, run by the National Literacy Trust, support young readers and their teachers.
Teachers TV
Don't forget that Teachers TV offers a wealth of resources for teachers,
including curriculum-based programmes for use in the classroom.
Teacher-training resources
The National Association for the Teaching English (NATE) has
information on resources
being developed for teacher training.
Teachers' recommendations
Forums and chat rooms are a great way to share ideas with fellow
English teachers and pick up tips, but keep an eye out for other sources, such
as lists of favourite or popular websites.
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The Education Forum hosts discussions on all curriculum subjects. Join the English forum to chat about English curriculum issues, pick up useful site suggestions and ask for advice.
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Teachers magazine regularly asks teachers to name their favourite sites. For example, one teacher's top five websites for teaching English included a site for developing writing skills, help with writing a whole-school literacy policy and two sites for tackling the GCSE poetry anthology.
Thematic approaches
Looking for a topical issue to tackle during your English
lessons? Resources showing how to integrate anti-bullying messages at primary level and secondary level, and sustainable development activities into your lessons are
available.
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National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE)
NATE is the UK subject teacher association for all aspects of English. NATE supports effective teaching and learning, keeps teachers informed and provides them with a voice at a national level. -
Centre for Language in Primary Education (CLPE)
The Centre for Language in Primary Education (CLPE) is a major resource for primary schools and caters for teachers and teaching assistants who work with children from ages 3 to 11.
Supply teachers' study materials
Supply teachers will find guidance here on keeping up to
date with current practice in the classroom and educational initiatives. The
material is organised by core subject in primary and secondary schools and
includes study approaches.
Teaching in England
Overseas teachers looking for a primer on the education
system in England and guidance on how to deliver the curriculum will find it
all here. Each Key Stage is looked at in detail. Teaching resources
relating to core subjects are signposted.
Don't forget you can also search for resources by subject in TeacherNet's useful sites directory.
Last updated: 22 May 2007
