Finding ways to help pupils engage with pre-1914 fiction can be a challenge. In this programme, we follow teacher Bridget Johnson and her mixed-ability Year 9 class at Battersea Technology College, as they get to grips with the Sherlock Holmes short story, The Red-Headed League. The programme follows the planning, delivery and 'post-match' analysis of two key lessons. The first lesson focuses on pre-reading activities to get the pupils interested in the plot and characters, before they begin to read the story; while the second lesson looks at after-reading strategies to help pupils start to interrogate the text more closely, in preparation for their GCSE coursework. Advisory teacher, Kate Oliver, from the English and Media Centre, is on hand throughout, to lend Bridget support and offer advice.

Video Series: KS3-4 English
Release Date 2006