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"Reflections of a language teacher.
Always learning."
Why students underperform in GCSE writing – and how over-scaffolding and misunderstandings about “complex language” make it worse
From a GCSE examiner’s point of view, I believe most students do not underperform in writing because they lack ideas, motivation or effort. Much more often, they underperform because they have been taught a version of GCSE writing that does not reflect how writing is actually assessed. Year after year, the same issues surface in exam papers. Students rely heavily on scaffolds , they misunderstand what “complex language” really means and accuracy at sentence level is sacr
Silvia Bastow
Jan 47 min read
Writable plastic folders – so many ways to use them!
This blog post was written by Esther Mercier. About the author of the post: Esther Mercier - My name is Esther Mercier, I am originally...
Silvia Bastow
Jul 6, 20244 min read
Empowering voices: strategies for encouraging pupils to speak
This blog post was written by Jennifer Wozniak-Rush. About the author of the post: Jennifer Wozniak-Rush is an Assistant Headteacher for...
Silvia Bastow
May 6, 20247 min read
'Read aloud' - Utilising engaging activities that spark excitement
As the 'newish kid on the block' in terms of the new GCSE MFL specification in England, incorporating read-aloud activities in the modern...
Silvia Bastow
Apr 21, 20247 min read
Unpicking Engagement: Strategies for Reaching Middle-Attaining, Disengaged Boys in the Language Classroom
In the domain of language teaching, teachers often find themselves faced with the challenge of engaging students who seem disinterested...
Silvia Bastow
Mar 17, 20245 min read
The Privilege of A-Level Teaching
This blog post was written by Lucy Dreznin. About the author of the post: Lucy Dreznin is a former Head of German and Curriculum lead at...
Silvia Bastow
Mar 3, 20245 min read
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