The English Teacher Feature

Can video gaming be harnessed for reading engagement? (With Sharna Jackson)

In this fascinating episode of The English Teacher Feature, Sam Denno speaks to children's author and video game writer, Sharna Jackson, about the worlds of print publishing and game development. 2026 is the National Year of Reading. As part of the government's ambition to raise literacy levels and to increase reading engagement, there is an imperative to reconsider the definition of what reading is for our rapidly evolving, digital-literate society. As part of this, multi-modal text has to be considered. Sam and Sharna delve into the relationships between the two forms and consider the ways in which educators, creatives and writers might play a role in signposting connections between text. Sharna speaks passionately and enthusiastically about the world of creativity and storytelling in all of its forms.

Could we do a better job of engaging parents with English? (With the Kitchen Table Teacher)

Sam Denno and Nicola Romaine welcome their first guest onto the show. Caroline Hudson, aka the "Kitchen Table Teacher", joins Nicola to talk through her own first-hand experiences of going deeper with parental engagement around literary concepts and the English curriculum in primary settings. Following the interview, Sam contemplates the implication of Caroline's ideas for secondary schools.

The writing framework unpacked (5): Why some pupils thrive in writing

Sam Denno and Nicola Romaine look at the case of Jamal, a confident, competent writer in year 6, who has had a positive experience during his primary schooling and is about to embark on his secondary school journey with a robust set of writing skills. They look at where things went right for Jamal and consider the application for classroom teachers of English and writing up and down the key stages. Music by Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos License code: RYJOR8WMSINGNIXA Artist: Benjamin Tissot

The writing framework unpacked (4): What the simple view of writing means for your classroom

English teachers, Sam Denno and Nicola Romaine examine the "simple view of writing" model as presented in the 2025 writing framework and consider its implications for primary and secondary teachers. Should pupils be literally plotted onto an SVW graph or is it more of a metaphorical tool for educators. And, what can be done with pupils who fall into the respective quandrants. Join Sam and Nicola as they discuss transcription, composition and everything in-between! Music by Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos License code: RYJOR8WMSINGNIXA Artist: Benjamin Tissot

The writing framework unpacked (3): How reading and writing actually work together

In this packed episode of The English Teacher Feature, Sam Denno and Nicola Romaine dive into the next section of the DfE's 2025 writing framework. Their focus is on the interaction of writing and reading - how it is imperative that we treat them as distinct disciplines, but how they can be used alongside each other to create a feedback loop that raises literacy levels across the board. As usual, stay to the end for some practical reflections on classroom implementation. Sam and Nicola come from different ends of the educational phases in England, as secondary and primary specialists respectively. They are passionate about exploring concepts and methods that can be used up and down the key stages, and developing an appreciation of how the two phases can interact with each other more effectively. Music by Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos License code: RYJOR8WMSINGNIXA Artist: Benjamin Tissot