English and literacy resources for GCSE, Functional Skills and SEN support
My English and literacy resources help learners understand how reading and writing work through clear explanations, worked examples and manageable steps. They draw on over twenty-five years of teaching experience, particularly with autistic and other neurodivergent learners.
Here you’ll find printable worksheets, focused lesson sequences and longer teaching programmes for classroom teaching, intervention, tuition and supported home education. Materials range from early literacy and sentence-building to GCSE English Language analysis and extended writing.
Browse my complete collection
For the fullest picture of my teaching resources and published books, visit Kate Coldrick – Teaching Resources and Books. The site brings together GCSE English, Functional Skills, literacy and phonics, SEND resources and inclusive music education, organised by subject.
You can explore the collection there, then follow links to individual downloads on TES or books on Amazon. The guide below offers starting points for particular teaching needs.
Browse all teaching resources and books at katecoldrick.store →
Find a resource for your learner
Use this guide to choose a starting point. Each link takes you directly to the resource on TES, where you can view its description, previews and current price.
| What would you like to work on? | Suggested resource |
|---|---|
| Planning and writing a complete description | GCSE Descriptive Writing – Paper 1 Question 5 |
| Organising arguments and developing a viewpoint | GCSE Transactional Writing – Paper 2 Question 5 |
| Understanding vocabulary and explaining quotations | Understanding Writers’ Language |
| Developing comprehension, inference and analysis through a teaching sequence | English Language Foundations |
| Understanding and constructing different sentence types | Sentence Types Teaching Pack |
| Building Functional Skills Level 1 writing skills | Functional Skills Level 1 Writing Workbook |
| Practising evaluation and comparison for an AQA GCSE resit | Question 4 Resit Worksheets – Papers 1 and 2 |
GCSE and KS3 English Language resources
GCSE Descriptive Writing – Paper 1 Question 5
An 18-page teaching sequence that makes the organisation of a descriptive response explicit. Students explore a model image and a fully worked response before using planning frameworks and sentence-level guidance to write about a different image.
The resource develops atmosphere, paragraph structure and sentence control. It is particularly useful for learners who need support with planning extended writing or who experience anxiety around open-ended tasks.
View the descriptive-writing resource on TES · Read about the teaching approach
GCSE Transactional Writing – Paper 2 Question 5
A 22-page workbook for AQA GCSE English Language that helps students generate ideas, organise three distinct arguments and develop a complete written response. A worked example shows how a mindmap becomes a plan, then a connected piece of persuasive writing.
The model response and student template follow the same structure, making the purpose of each sentence clear. Suitable for students working towards Grade 4, resit preparation and supported practice before more independent writing.
View the transactional-writing workbook on TES · Read about the teaching approach
English Language Foundations – KS3 and GCSE Teaching Programme
A progressive programme of 30 multi-page worksheets connecting practical writing with reading comprehension, inference, language analysis, structure, evaluation and comparison.
Students begin with a manageable writing problem, such as suggesting a feeling or deciding when to reveal information. They then examine how another writer approaches a similar task. This gives them a concrete experience to draw on when explaining a writer’s choices.
Suitable for KS3 teaching, GCSE intervention, tuition and supported home education. Available as a complete printable PDF, with individual worksheets and topic bundles also sold separately.
View English Language Foundations on TES
Understanding Writers’ Language – Language Analysis Companion
For students who can select a quotation or identify an impression but struggle to explain what the words contribute. Eleven teaching chapters explore vocabulary, impressions and the connections needed to develop a precise analytical explanation.
Accessible word banks, worked examples and supported practice help students move from short quotations to longer passages. The workbook can be used alongside English Language Foundations or for focused work on vocabulary and language analysis.
Choose English Language Foundations for a broader reading-skills sequence, or Understanding Writers’ Language when the main difficulty is understanding words and explaining their contribution. The complete companion contains chapters and appendices that are also available separately, so check the contents before purchasing both formats.
View Understanding Writers’ Language on TES
Descriptive Writing Opening Paragraphs – KS3 and KS4
A focused workbook for learners who need help beginning a description. Model paragraphs show how weather, setting, a subject or character, and sensory details can work together to establish atmosphere.
Sentence-focus activities, planning templates and picture prompts guide students towards writing their own openings. This offers a smaller starting task for learners who are developing paragraph control before attempting a complete response.
View the opening-paragraphs workbook on TES · Read about the workbook
AQA GCSE English Language Question 4 – Grade 3–4 Resit Worksheets
A structured pair of worksheets covering evaluation in Paper 1 Question 4 and comparison in Paper 2 Question 4. Repeatable methods, sentence frames, worked examples, answer ladders and guided practice make the steps within each response explicit.
Designed for focused intervention with students working towards Grade 4, including those preparing for a November resit after receiving a Grade 3 in the summer.
View the Question 4 worksheets on TES · Read the November-resit teaching strategy
Functional Skills English and sentence writing
Sentence Types Teaching Pack – Entry Level 2 to Level 2
A visual approach to understanding and constructing simple, compound and complex sentences. Colour-coded guides make sentence structure visible, while scaffolded worksheets provide practice in identifying sentence types, building sentences and correcting errors.
The pack includes teaching notes, parent and carer guidance, activities and answer keys. It can support classroom teaching, small-group intervention, tuition and home learning.
View the Sentence Types Teaching Pack on TES · Read about the visual approach
Functional Skills English Level 1 Writing Workbook
A 127-page workbook with 25 structured units progressing from sentence-level skills to extended writing. Explanations, guided practice, model texts and self-checks help learners understand what a task requires and how to approach it.
Activities use practical contexts such as workplace emails, formal letters and community reports. Suitable for supported teaching, tuition and learners preparing for Functional Skills Level 1 writing.
View the Level 1 Writing Workbook on TES · Read about the workbook
Writing Sentences – Entry Level Practice
Focused sentence-writing practice for Functional Skills Entry Levels 1, 2 and 3. Clear models, explanations and targeted prompts support learners in developing sentence control and grammatical accuracy.
This free printable resource offers a practical starting point for learners who benefit from repetition and explicit examples.
Download Writing Sentences from TES · Read about the resource
Functional Skills Writing Bundle – Entry Level 1 to Level 2
A collection of four resources covering writing progression, sentence types, audience and purpose, and entry-level sentence practice. It combines an editable planning tool with teaching materials for use at different stages of Functional Skills English.
The bundle includes the Sentence Types Teaching Pack and Writing Sentences resource listed above. The 127-page Level 1 Writing Workbook is a separate resource.
View the Functional Skills Writing Bundle on TES
Early literacy and phonics
Animal-Themed Phonics Progression
A play-based collection of listening, reading and writing activities using animal toys. The sequence draws on the Letters and Sounds framework, Phases 1–4, to connect practical activities with early literacy learning.
Suitable for adults seeking structured ideas for playful literacy sessions, with activities selected according to the learner’s current skills.
View the Animal-Themed Phonics resource on TES · Read about the activities
For further reading, explore orthographic mapping and reading development and using word webs to explore vocabulary with older readers.
Accessible teaching and assessment
My resources use models, clear prompts and structured practice to make the steps within a task easier to follow. These features may be particularly helpful for learners who need support with planning, sequencing or understanding expectations.
Resources span different ages and levels, so choose according to the learner’s current skills and teaching goals. Each TES listing explains the content and format.
For tools to support conversations about barriers to assessment, visit my assessment accessibility grid page, which introduces the student conversation starter and teacher audit.
Free online guides for parents and carers
My guides on Neurodiversity Learning Support Consultancy offer accessible explanations and practical starting points for home and school.
- Autism in Girls: A Guide for Parents – recognising less obvious presentations, understanding masking and considering support needs.
- Understanding Dyslexia: A Guide for Parents – explanations of dyslexia and practical ideas for supporting learning.
- Understanding Monotropism: A Guide for Parents – an introduction to attention, deep focus and the demands of switching between activities.
- Understanding Autistic Processing: A Guide for Parents – everyday examples and explanations of differences in processing.
The guides are free to read online. Printable versions are also available through my TES shop.
Published books and the wider collection
My published books cover Functional Skills English, descriptive writing, vocabulary and word structure, creative writing and inclusive music education. You can browse the titles and follow links to their Amazon editions through my books page.
For teaching resources and books arranged by subject, visit Kate Coldrick – Teaching Resources and Books. You can also read more about Music for Every Learner, my book on inclusive music teaching and curriculum design for children and young people with SEND.
About Kate Coldrick
I’m a literacy tutor, teacher and educational writer based in East Devon, with over twenty-five years of experience across mainstream and specialist settings. I specialise in Functional Skills English, GCSE English Language and literacy support for autistic and other neurodivergent learners.
My resources grow from working directly with learners and exploring where a task becomes difficult: understanding vocabulary, interpreting instructions, organising ideas or knowing how to begin. I aim to make those processes clearer through explicit teaching and carefully sequenced practice.
Read more about my background and work.
Explore the teaching behind the resources
For practical examples and discussion of inclusive English teaching, you may find these articles useful:
- Making AQA GCSE English Language Question 3 accessible for autistic learners
- Monotropism and literacy: how deep focus shapes reading and writing
- Teaching autistic students: insights from my experience
- Inclusive education for autistic students: evidence, gaps and urgent questions
Browse the full collection of downloadable teaching resources on TES.