An Inspector Calls: Target 9 for GCSE

Explore challenging themes, such as: socialism vs capitalism, social class, the public vs the private sphere, wealth, power and influence … and more!

Priestley’s post-war literary heroics are as relevant today as they have ever been. Prompt high-level discourse with challenging activities and guidance that require students to be analytical, exploratory and conceptual, encouraging them to think and work at the top end of the GCSE assessment criteria.

A fantastic resource which would benefit teachers and students alike

L Ashford, English Teacher & Peer Reviewer

The resource covers the key areas of the book, all referenced to AOs, including: context, setting, characters, language, structure, form, motifs, ideas and interpretations.

Engaging and thought-provoking activities aim to:

  • prompt the recall of important points
  • aid comprehension and reinforce clear, advanced understanding
  • enable students to apply their knowledge of the novella to a new situation or an unseen extract
  • support implicit and explicit analyses
  • encourage individual interpretations and stimulate new, creative and individual ideas

I liked the huge variety of student-led and teacher-led activities in the pack.... It is a brilliant variety of high-challenge tasks, sources and information.

L Ashford, English Teacher & Peer Reviewer

A close focus on exam success demonstrates the best ways to achieve top marks:

  • Exam hacks, key terms and essay questions throughout
  • Essay planning and academic writing skills guidance
  • Annotated grade 9 sample essays

Plus! Key terms glossary

What do teachers say about this resource? (10932)

Put together well and includes a range of really interesting, thought-provoking questions that stretch and challenge the most able - the key objective of this resource... I liked how the questions, although clearly aimed at top end, had elements of differentiation and scaffolding which will enable perhaps more students to access the learning. There is a good breadth of activities, some of which build upon each other or students previous contextual knowledge...
Clearly the resource is intended to stretch and challenge the most able and it successively hits this objective... Lovely analysis throughout to exemplify to students how a play should be deconstructed and picked apart for writers intentions... Lovely activities for the opening parts of the novel, particularly the microcosm task and contextual studies into class and Capitalism... [This resource] gives me loads to consider for future delivery of this unit to my GCSE students.

D Soltysik, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

A great resource which is versatile. It can be used as a homework booklet for independent study by students; it could be used as a supplementary resource for high-ability students in a mixed-ability class or it could be used solely for the teaching of a high-ability class in lessons.

It was very useful that the resource was universal in that it was not exam board-specific.

Great student-friendly breakdown of the things required to hit each AO.

I liked the huge variety of student-led and teacher-led activities in the pack. The lists of additional resources that students can look at at their own accord is great for enhancing independence.

Super focus on high-level vocabulary for example ‘microcosm’ to reach the top grades.

It is a brilliant variety of high-challenge tasks, sources and information. I think it would particularly benefit any teacher lacking experience in teaching the high-ability GCSE as it provides all the content to work around.

Regardless of experience, an NQT for example could read the pack and know what challenging content to teach.

I like how the pack allows for students to have some thinking questions and pointers on what they need to focus on, but predominantly it enhances independent thinking and writing.

This resource matches the specification well and accurately targets the high achieving demographic with some excellent tasks for those aiming for grades 7-9.

It is a fantastic resource which would benefit teachers and students alike.

L Ashford, English Teacher & Peer Reviewer

A well-written, well thought-out, comprehensive resource that encourages independent study and thought. This will benefit all students, but particularly those aiming for the higher levels. It is great that it is applicable across all exam boards. It is similarly a resource teachers could use within lessons, and to set for homework and revision.

I liked its thoroughness and the engaging use of contexts. It will really help students to bring the era to life, to see its relevance to them, now, and will make it more memorable due to the humanising treatment of traditionally faceless events such as the Titanic. I have no doubt that this will encourage deeper and more evocative analysis.

This resource supports learning by making revision engaging and memorable in regard to context in particular, and supporting students in analysing a key text at a high level in an independent way. It is a resource that teachers can also use to stretch their higher level students, which will save a lot of time and planning. Parents equally could use it with their children in home/distant learning study and to assist with revision.

C Nicoll, English Teacher & Peer Reviewer

I thought the resource was a good supplementary resource. It could support lessons with additional challenge.

I particularly liked the 'hacks'; this very clearly focussed on the aiming for a grade 9 and what the examiner would be looking for.

The presentation was clear and logical. I did like the initial three sections e.g. pre-reading, reading, post-reading.

K Jagger, Head of Department / Examiner & Peer Reviewer

An excellent resource to support students with stretch and challenge. I’ve taught the play many times to high ability students but still found ideas which made me think about developing my teaching methods.

I like the academic writing ideas because students sometimes find it very difficult to relay insightful ideas in an academic way.

Great questions for Grades 7-9 at the beginning of the resource.

I especially like the way the characters, themes and ideas are linked to context – students have a tendency to treat context as a separate entity which results in AO3 being bolted on. These questions will help them to understand how the AOs need to be blended.

There are many aspects of the resource which would stretch and challenge more able students.

C Harvey, KS4 Co-ordinator, English & Peer Reviewer

There are some excellent questions which target higher modes of thinking.

I like the section on microcosms.

There are some excellent questions to stretch students such as ‘audience reaction’ and ‘time’.

The use of secondary sources is brilliant – I certainly learned some new things!

The range of activities is brilliant.

There are a lots of questions which will help students push to achieve the top grades and trigger them to think differently about the text and the language of the text.

The resource is comprehensive in the areas it covers and will help students produce excellent notes.

T Hollins, Consultant in English & Peer Reviewer