Study Sessions: STG English Revision

In this episode, we recap the essential plot points, ideas, quotations and themes from Macbeth . Listen to this episode to support and reinforce your understanding of the play as we complete our study of the text in class.

In this episode, we review 12 essential quotations from Lord of the Flies , ahead of your Paper 2 English Literature exam! Featured quotations: Jack: “We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages.” — Ch2 Roger: “Roger stooped… threw it to miss.” — Ch4 Roger/civilisation: “Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life.” — Ch4 Jack: “The mask was a thing on its own...

In this episode, we explore one of the most central themes in Lord of the Flies : the tension between civilisation and savagery. Given the centrality of this theme, today's short, accessible episode is essential revision ahead of your Paper 2 English Literature exam!

In this episode, I explore the theme of family in A Christmas Carol . From Scrooge's early experiences as a 'solitary child' to the Cratchits at Christmas, this episode is designed to support your revision of an under-assessed area of the text. Best of luck for the 11th May Paper 1!

In this episode, we examine gender in Macbeth . Moving beyond simplistic statements like 'masculinity is presented as violent' and 'femininity is weakness', we look at gender across the play, from Macbeth, to Lady Macbeth and Macduff. Listen to this episode to support your revision and understanding of the play ahead of your Paper 1 exam on Monday 11th May!

In this episode, we look at the debates around smartphones, social media access and young people. Our new series, The Knowledge , is designed to give you the key information needed for topics that might come up as the focus for English Language Paper 2, Question 5. This episode is designed to be listened to alongside the supporting listening sheet - ask for this from your class teacher.

In this episode, we explore four models of kingship and leadership in Macbeth: Duncan, Macbeth, Edward and Confessor and Malcolm. With detailed quotation analysis and comment, this episode covers a topic yet-to-be assessed in the exam. Make sure you use this episode to revise such a central theme!

In this final episode on minor characters in Macbeth , we turn our attention to King Duncan. Kind, generous and benevolent, certainly - but also naïve and far too trusting in a corrupt world. Use this episode, and the previous two, to ensure you have a good understanding of characters many students wrongly overlook.

In the second episode on minor characters in Macbeth, we turn our attention to Banquo, Macbeth's foil and moral counterpoint. However, is Banquo as straightforward as he first appears? Are there criticisms we can make of Banquo, especially around moral inaction? From his first meeting of the witches, to his ghostly reappearance at the banquet, listen to this episode to learn all you need to know a...

This is the first in a series of three short episodes on the 'minor' (but still very important!) characters in Macbeth . We're starting with Macduff, the man responsible for Macbeth's death at the very end of the play, but who plays a subtly important role throughout. The episode covers a series of key quotations, along with detailed analytical comment and links back to the play's central themes o...

This episode explores Golding’s central message that human beings possess an innate capacity for evil and that civilisation is fragile. We examine how the island functions as a “laboratory” to test human nature, tracking the breakdown of order through symbols like the fire and the conch, and the rise of savagery through Jack’s leadership. We analyse the Beast as a representation of internal human...

This episode explores Dickens’ central messages, focusing on social responsibility, poverty, and inequality. We track Scrooge’s transformation through key quotations, analyse how Dickens uses Christmas as a symbol of generosity and reflection, and examine characters like the Cratchits, Tiny Tim, and the allegorical figures of Ignorance and Want. The episode shows how Dickens combines emotional sto...

In this episode, we explore what Macbeth is really saying about human nature, power, and morality. Key Ideas: Unchecked ambition leads to destruction Power corrupts, even the noble Disrupting the natural order creates chaos Tyranny vs kingship – leadership must be just, not violent Guilt is inescapable and psychologically destructive Core Message: Shakespeare warns that the real danger lies not in...

In this special episode of Study Sessions, we briefly recap the plot of Northern Lights and look ahead of the remaining two books in Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy: The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass . Listen to this episode, reinforce your understanding of Book 1 and come back after our Easter break ready to take out a copy of The Subtle Knife from our wonderful school library!

Ralph’s final breakdown in Lord of the Flies is one of the most powerful moments in the novel. In this Baughcut, we explore what Ralph is truly grieving. While Piggy’s death is central, Golding presents a much deeper sense of loss: the end of innocence, the collapse of civilisation, and the recognition of “the darkness of man’s heart.” Through close analysis of key language choices, we examine how...

In this episode, released just before your Paper 1 mock tomorrow (4th March), we work through 12 essential quotations from across A Christmas Carol . As with the equivalent episode for Macbeth , these are 12 high-value quotations that can be used in virtually any essay question. Each lends itself to detailed, work-level analysis and links to other quotations and moments across the novella. Listen...

In this episode, we turn to the A Christmas Carol task in your half-term homework/revision Paper 1. The episode provides you with a clear thesis or argument around Dickens' exploration of the suffering of the poor, linking this to the novella's broader message of social responsibility and charity. Use the episode in conjunction with Mrs Colson's video to help you be as successful as possible!

In this episode of Study Sessions , we turn to the half-term Lady Macbeth task: 'Lady Macbeth is a female character who changes'. Using the work of literary critic Marjorie Garber as inspiration, we consider her 'loss of affect' and attempts to eliminate her capacity for feeling, a capacity that ultimately returns with destructive power in Act 5. Use this episode to support your completion of our...

In this episode, designed to tie in with our weekly exam preparation homework, we discuss Wordsworth's poem Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802 and how we can turn thinking into insightful reading and analysis. This episode isn't about telling you what the poem means, but focuses on the questions confident and successful students ask of an unseen poem to make it meaningful.

In this episode, we turn to Week 15 in your exam preparation booklet and the poem Eating Poetry . The episode focuses on how to approach the task, how to think like a successful student and then apply this thinking within our generic structure. Use the episode in conjunction with your teacher's guidance and scaffolds to ensure your response is the best it can be!

In this episode, we break down a clear, repeatable approach to the single-poem unseen poetry task in AQA English Literature Paper 2, Section C. Using Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken as our unseen poem, we model how to move from first reading to conceptual understanding, analyse the title, and track meaning across the beginning, middle, and end of the poem. The episode also explains how to select...

In this short episode, we explore An Inspector Calls and its central theme: social responsibility. Designed to be listened to in a single sitting, we look at key characters, quotations and how Priestley articulates his message of social responsibility, human connection and the wider consequences of our individual actions. Use as part of your broader English exam preparation and revision.

In this episode, we explore how Piggy’s belief that “life is scientific” reveals his faith in reason and progress, and how that belief leads him to deny responsibility for Simon’s death. By linking this quotation to Piggy’s claim that Simon “asked for it,” the episode shows how rational thinking can be used to excuse violence, and how Golding challenges modern confidence in civilisation throughout...

In this episode, we explore the chilling character of Roger in Lord of the Flies and tackle the central question: Does Roger change, or is his cruelty simply revealed? Through close analysis of five key moments — from calling for a vote to the murder of Piggy — we argue that Roger doesn’t descend into savagery… he’s simply unmasked. This is essential listening to support your completion of this we...

In this episode of Study Sessions, we take a clear, structured look at Imtiaz Dharker’s  Tissue : an overview of the poem’s ideas, an analysis of the title, and a close reading of three key quotations. Designed to support Week 9 of your Exam Preparation booklets, the episode ends with some helpful points of comparison to Shelley’s  Ozymandias  — another powerful poetic exploration of identity.