Previous Chapter Chapter 7: Teaching English 16–18: Advanced Level Next Chapter

For most English teachers, teaching A level is the ‘icing on the cake’ as it is one of the most satisfying and intellectually stimulating aspects of their work. Working with a smaller group of students than at GCSE who have chosen to study English alters classroom dynamics in important ways. From the teacher's perspective, having a timetable with some periods of sixth-form teaching provides a welcome contrast to working with children lower down the school. Yet, while there are important differences from teaching younger children, many of the innovative and imaginative teaching strategies developed with other classes can be put to good use in the A level lesson.

Recently, post-16 education in the UK has been revised. ...