Study Sessions: STG English Revision

Hosted by Mr Baugh, this series will support you with both English Literature and English Language. Each week we’ll tackle some of the trickiest aspects of your set texts — including Lord of the Flies, A Christmas Carol, Macbeth, and the poetry anthology — while also developing the key reading and writing skills you need for success in the Language exams.

AQA GCSE English Descriptive Writing | Underwater Scene | Study Sessions Week 4

In this episode of Study Sessions, we turn to Week 4 and the description of an underwater scene. The episode takes our typical approach to idea generation from the stimulus image, before moving onto the AQA descriptive cycle. Use this episode, in conjunction with your teacher's gold dust on Google Classroom, to produce a highly-successful descriptive response!Handout link here.

10-03
22:22

The Key Three: Ambition in Macbeth

In this episode of Study Sessions, we explore how Shakespeare presents ambition as a dangerous and destructive force in Macbeth. Linking directly to your homework for Week 4, we examine “vaulting ambition” in detail and connect it to three more key quotations across the play: “Stars, hide your fires” (Act 1 Scene 4), “To be thus is nothing” (Act 3 Scene 1), and “Signifying nothing” (Act 5 Scene 5). Together, these moments reveal how ambition tempts, corrupts, and ultimately consumes Macbeth.

09-29
17:39

AQA GCSE English Descriptive Writing | Celebration Street Scene | Study Sessions Week 3

In this episode of Study Sessions, we explore Week 3 of the GCSE English homework booklet. You are tasked with writing a description of a celebration, inspired by a bustling street scene packed with people leaning from balconies and watching a parade below. We use our metacognitive framework — Observe, Associate, Sequence, Tone — to unpack the image and model how to turn it into a vivid piece of descriptive writing. You’ll also hear sentence-level scaffolds following the AQA descriptive cycle (Inform → Describe → Reflect → React → Connect), giving you a clear structure to shape four powerful paragraphs: Wide view of the street – first impressions and atmosphere. Balconies and people – faces, flags, anticipation building. Street level and the parade – rhythm, sound, colour, energy. Quiet hush afterwards – the aftermath, silence, reflection. By the end of this session, you’ll have the tools to create a polished, exam-ready piece of writing! 👉 For more support, check your Google Classroom page for resources and scaffolds.

09-24
25:27

The Key Three: William Blake's 'London' and the abuse of power

In this Key Three mini-episode of Study Sessions, we explore how William Blake’s London exposes the abuse of power – linking directly to Week 3 of your exam preparation booklet.This episode focuses on three essential quotations – plus a close reading of the title – to show how Blake attacks abuses of power in the city:The title London → the whole city as a symbol of corruption“Charter’d street” → those in power control even what should be free“Mind-forg’d manacles” → people are chained mentally and physically“Marriage hearse” → institutions that should bring hope instead bring despairThe power word for this episode is oppression, explored as the abuse of power. By the end, you’ll see how Blake uses language to reveal how the rich and powerful in London crush ordinary people.Perfect support for your homework and exam preparation.

09-22
11:14

From Plan to Paragraph: Mastering Descriptive Writing for AQA GCSE English Language

In this Study Session, we break down exactly how to approach AQA’s descriptive writing task. Learn how to avoid common errors (like sentence fragments and tense shifts), why third person is your best choice, and how to generate and organise ideas. We’ll plan a descriptive piece step by step using the AQA cycle — Inform → Describe → Reflect → React → Connect — and turn it into a crafted response with forward movement.The handout to accompany this episode is available via this link.

09-17
29:05

The Key Three: Focusing on Social Responsibility in A Christmas Carol

In this Key Three mini-episode of Study Sessions, we explore the theme of social responsibility in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.Designed to help you tackle the homework task with confidence, this shorter episode focuses on three essential quotations – one from the beginning, one from the middle, and one from the end of the novella. We’ll look at:Scrooge’s cold dismissal of the poor as “surplus population”The Ghost of Christmas Present’s warnings, including the figures of Ignorance and WantScrooge’s final promise to “honour Christmas” and live a life of generosityBy the end of the episode, you’ll see how Dickens uses Scrooge’s journey to argue that society has a duty to care for its most vulnerable members.Perfect for quick, focused revision – one theme, three key quotations, and a clear path to exam success.

09-15
12:25

A Christmas Carol — Stave Four: The Last of the Three Spirits

In this episode, we explore Stave Four of A Christmas Carol to support Year 9 students reading the novella independently. We follow Scrooge’s encounter with the silent and terrifying Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, who reveals a bleak and lonely future if Scrooge does not change. From the callous treatment of a dead man’s possessions to the tragic death of Tiny Tim, this stave confronts Scrooge — and readers — with the consequences of a life without compassion. This episode will strengthen your understanding of tension, symbolism, and Dickens’ powerful message about personal responsibility and moral choice.

07-17
06:34

A Christmas Carol — Stave Three: The Second of the Three Spirits

In this episode, we explore Stave Three of A Christmas Carol to support Year 9 students reading the novella independently. We follow Scrooge’s encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Present, who reveals scenes of warmth, hardship, and generosity — from the Cratchit family’s humble feast to Fred’s festive party. We also unpack the significance of Tiny Tim and Dickens’ use of Ignorance and Want to criticise social neglect. This episode will strengthen your understanding of character development, symbolism, and Dickens’ powerful messages about compassion, poverty and the consequences of indifference.

07-17
07:34

A Christmas Carol — Stave Two: The First of the Three Spirits

In this episode, we explore Stave Two of A Christmas Carol to support Year 9 students reading the novella independently. We follow Scrooge’s encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Past, who guides him through painful and joyful memories — from his lonely schooldays to his lost love, Belle. We explain how Dickens uses these scenes to reveal the roots of Scrooge’s misanthropy and hint at his potential for change. Perfect for strengthening your understanding of character development, memory, and the theme of redemption in Dickens’ powerful Christmas tale.

07-05
05:42

A Christmas Carol - Stave One: Introducing Scrooge

In this episode, we explore Stave One of A Christmas Carol to support Year 9 students reading the novella independently. We unpack Dickens’ powerful introduction of Scrooge as a cold-hearted misanthrope, highlight his harsh attitudes to poverty, and examine his chilling encounter with Marley’s ghost. Perfect for helping you build confidence in understanding the opening of the novella and clarifying key moments as you read a stave per week.

07-01
06:23

Redemption and Responsibility: The Characters and Themes of A Christmas Carol

In this second episode supporting your independent reading of A Christmas Carol, we take a close look at the key characters and the novella's essential themes: social responsibility, inequality and the possibility of redemption. Make sure you listen to the historical context episode before moving onto this one!

06-26
33:41

A Sledgehammer Against Injustice: Dickens and the context of A Christmas Carol

In this episode, we turn to Charles Dickens’ iconic moral tale of poverty, greed, and the transformative power of redemption. Use this episode alongside your reading of the novella to place A Christmas Carol within its broader historical context — helping you understand why Dickens hoped it would strike, in his own words, like a “sledgehammer blow” against social injustice and the moral blindness of the Victorian elite.

06-25
15:56

Grenfell: Eight Years On

In this special episode, a number of Year 8 students share their poetry responding to the Grenfell Tower fire on 14th June, 2017. Thank you to everyone involved and particularly to those students who shared their responses.

06-11
05:50

Year 9 End-of Year Exam Preparation: The Road to Derry by Seamus Heaney

In this episode, we explore Seamus Heaney’s The Road to Derry, tracing its depiction of political and personal conflict after Bloody Sunday. Through powerful imagery and restrained anger, Heaney transforms grief into quiet defiance. Use this episode to support your revision of conflict poetry ahead of your end-of-year exams.

06-10
20:02

Year 7 End-of-year Exam Preparation: Knowledge Quiz Time!

🎙️ Ready to test your knowledge? This interactive revision quiz covers key Year 7 English topics — mythology, symbolism, inequality, and literacy skills. Listen, think, and answer — then check how you did! Perfect for practising generative revision and boosting long-term memory. Grab a pen or just listen along!

06-09
17:09

Year 9 End-of-year Exam Preparation: War, Trauma and Care in 'The Manhunt' by Simon Armitage

In this special episode of Study Sessions, we delve into Simon Armitage’s The Manhunt, a poignant exploration of the enduring impact of war on both soldiers and their loved ones. Narrated from the perspective of a soldier’s partner, the poem unfolds as a delicate journey through physical scars and psychological wounds, revealing how trauma reverberates beyond the battlefield. Make sure this episode features in your exam revision ahead of your end-of-year English exams in June.

05-22
25:56

The Mask, the Knife, the Sharpened Stick: Jack’s Journey into Barbarism

In this episode, we explore Jack Merridew’s transformation in Lord of the Flies, tracing his evolution from head boy to savage chief. Through close analysis of key quotations, we uncover how Golding uses Jack to examine power, violence, fear, and the fragility of civilisation.

05-16
35:14

Year 7 End-of-year Exam Preparation: the workhouse description

In this episode, focusing specifically on Year 7's end-of-year assessment, we look at Section C of the paper: the Victorian workhouse description. Use this podcast in conjunction with your exam preparation booklet and Mrs Fallon's in-person deconstruction of the task to ensure effective, successful revision!

05-15
15:47

Year 9 End-of-year Exam Preparation: Who's for the Game? – Jessie Pope, Propaganda, and the Poetics of Persuasion

In this episode, we delve into Jessie Pope’s 1915 poem "Who's for the Game?", a piece that epitomizes early World War I propaganda. We explore how Pope's use of sports metaphors and rhetorical devices served to encourage enlistment, presenting war as an exhilarating challenge. Through a detailed analysis of the poem's title and key lines, we examine the persuasive techniques employed and the poem's impact on its contemporary audience. Make sure this episode forms part of your revision and preparation for your end-of-year exams in English!

05-14
15:27

Baughcuts: sacrifice and the consequences of war - Kamikaze by Beatrice Garland

In this episode of Baughcuts, we explore Beatrice Garland's Kamikaze, delving into themes of duty, identity, and the profound human cost of war.

05-13
12:54

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