Heather Doherty is an English and sociology teacher in her first year at Cheney School in Oxford, having completed the Teach First programme in Birmingham. Here are her top tips for the summer term:

Get students comparing themes at KS3 — you'll be amazed at how insightful they can be! I'm currently using a First person narrative from a scene in Oliver Twist with Sleeping rough, (a Stone Cold resource) to compare modern homelessness with Dickens' experiences. 

Why not get your students out in the fresh air this spring? My students will be Directing a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream. They will then film the scene and assess each other while having fun at the same time! 

Having studied war poetry, my year 9s will be writing their own poems, expressing their own views of war. They will then be performing them in a Poetry slam to add a sense of competitiveness.