I went into a session the other day thinking we were going to use some clever-sounding sentence starters to discuss the effects of language. Instead, we ended up having a discussion about politics and the art of rhetoric, linking to what she’d been learning in history. She asked questions like: why did Hitler rise to power? Why did the Nazi Party rise to power in Germany? This lead to a discussion around: what are some of the parallels with modern-day society? These questions were prompted by her, so it was great to give that space and put my own plans on hold, even if the topic felt uncomfortable for me (and I couldn’t necessarily offer answers, as such, but further ways of thinking and notes for inquiry). 

In a tongue-in-cheek sense, I wanted the session to be about “practising sounding clever,” so organically we did meet that learning objective- through throwing ideas around. In a future session, we can layer in more academic language, but today we introduced the term cognitive bias to help understand some of the psychological aspects behind world events.

Often, challenge comes from student-led interests, though not always. Sometimes students need support to feel confident in their interests, or they might want something more structured around exam specifications. For this particular student, interest-led and student-led approaches are fundamental to engagement and emotional safety in sessions.

I have another student who is home educated, and we are currently working through mock exams. Like many teenagers, he has a very high level of critical thinking and does so very naturally. His skills are incredibly well suited to English, but due to a profile of dyslexia, it would be tempting to label him as a struggling learner in this subject. However, through insights from his mum’s advocacy, and while studying George Orwell’s 1984 and its complex themes, it is clear that he is a highly talented student who thrives when given interesting material that unlocks his curiosity- alongside the time, space, and right format to access it.

We spent some lessons reading and analysing extracts together, listened to the radio play to create a more immersive experience, completed quizzes to consolidate understanding, and used a vocabulary booklet to chunk key political concepts and linguistic terminology. It’s been a balance of following his interests while layering in structured challenge. His diagnoses of autism and dyslexia become strengths that allow him to access nuance in a way some students might struggle with, though certain explanations do need clarifying, and some layers of meaning take more time.

The groups I work with are designed for students who have experienced emotionally based school absence, burnout, or are tentatively returning to learning. Getting the culture of the group right is just as important as pitching the content. A colleague recently mentioned that a student she works with doesn’t like being talked down to. We laughed because what teenager does? Young people thrive when they feel respected enough to be challenged, but it needs to be done conscientiously.

What I aim for is flexible learning, where students can dip in and out of interests with enough structure and a clear roadmap- or a ‘success stream’, as I like to call it. Even when working with 10-13 year-olds, I carry that long-term pathway in mind, knowing that when the overarching direction is clear, it allows for adaptability and responsiveness along the way.

I often think of it like a road trip. If you know the route, can read the road signs and have the tools you need to manage obstacles (I.E- tyre pump) you can have the flexibility stop at interesting service stations along the way and travel at the right pace. With that in mind, I’ve put together a booklet of resources centred on inspiring stories under the theme Life’s Rich Tapestry. The aim is to expose students to a breadth of experiences, build empathy, and develop literacy skills for talking about lives, while providing structured support that feeds into their own projects. We don’t directly address the IGCSE exam at first, but because I have the end goals in mind and am working backwards sequentially, it means my students can prioritise what is in front of them, and parents have the peace of mind of knowing they are on the right track. 

The challenge I unapologetically present lies in the richness of the core texts, the thought-provoking ideas they contain, and the questions we explore together. We’ll begin with poetry- short but complex pieces that allow depth without overload. I highly recommend Maya Angelou’s poetry, which models layered meaning and sophisticated language, and The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost, a fitting metaphor for many students who have taken paths less travelled (Angelou, 1978; Frost, 1916).

References:

Angelou, M. (1978). And Still I Rise. Random House.

Department for Education. (2024). SEND and Inclusion in Education Expert Group: government policy and consultation. UK Government. https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/send-inclusion-in-education-expert-group

Frost, R. (1916). Mountain Interval. Henry Holt and Company.

Myatt, M. (2018). High challenge, low threat: Leading for challenge and support in schools. Bloomsbury Education.

Orwell, G. (1949/2021). Nineteen Eighty-Four. Penguin Classics.

Quigley, A. (2020). Closing the Vocabulary Gap. Routledge.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.

Rosenthal, R., & Jacobson, L. (1968). Pygmalion in the Classroom: Teacher Expectation and Pupils’ Intellectual Development. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Becker, H. S. (1963). Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance. New York: Free Press.