Embedding vocational areas in English lessons
Integrating literacy development for all, improving: expert learning skills and resit grades.
Available in-person or online. Next open, online session:
- Location Zoom
- Date tbc (please contact for bespoke options)
- Time
- Cost
Typical inspection issues
- Teachers in vocational areas do not routinely develop learners’ English skills so that they fully understand the importance of these skills and how to apply them.
- Too many teachers do not link the development of English skills to their vocational subjects. As a result, students do not improve their English knowledge, skills and confidence quickly enough.
Duration
Embedding vocational areas in English lessons is offered in two formats: 2 hours and 3 hours.
Information for providers
How must it feel for resit English teachers to be working with ‘failed’ learners from the vocational areas on wholly inappropriate texts? The symptoms? Disengaged learners, increased requirement for classroom management, poor attendance and punctuality, and, of course, seemingly hopeless resit pass rates.
As with its sister training course, Embedding English in Vocational Lessons, this training is something of a revolution. I’ve taken 24 qualifications from across the 15 sector-subject areas and produced bespoke texts for each:
- Paper 1 source text – a relatable experience as an apprentice
- Paper 1 inspiring image
- Paper 2 linked 21st and 19th Century texts
- Paper 2 provocative discussion question
And all of them relate specifically to a vocational area, for example: Nail Technicians, Performing Arts, Carpentry, Automotive Maintenance, Uniformed Services, Business, etc..
Accompanying the new source texts, are question papers and detailed mark schemes. There’s even a mark scheme for learners to use to assess their own work and/or that of their colleagues.
Now you can imagine that mixed English lesson, where every learner works on something that not only engages them, but fascinates them too.
Let’s inspire our resit learners. And let’s make the lives of our English teachers a little easier.
Information for delegates
We have decades of data that show the FE System’s approach to GCSE English resits does not work. In Summer 2026, results are at an all-time low of 19.8%. Something must change, otherwise we’ll be guilty of Einstein’s definition of madness.
For vocational teachers, this means learning how to embed the development of English in every unit, every session. For English teachers, this means a fresh look at the approach needed to make every session relevant, interesting and inspiring to each specific vocational area.
It’s all too easy to say there simply isn’t the time available to achieve this. This session is designed to show you how you can.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the session, delegates will be able to:
- see where English skills can be developed in every unit and sub-unit of their qualification
- hypothesise about the root-cause issues behind learners’ underperformance
- explore and evaluate a range of strategies with which to embed the vocational areas in discrete English lessons
- select an upcoming lesson on which to experiment with this approach.
Linked training
This session is aimed at specialist English teachers. It is accompanied by a sister session aimed at vocational teachers. Imagine if every unit and every learning outcome of their qualification had a bespoke English embedding activity already written for them.. But there’s much more to it than that. More details here:
Contact
To discuss your requirements in detail, please phone or drop us a line.