At Satchel Learning, we often work with secondary school students who are excelling in maths and science—but who find English a real struggle. Motivation is low, grades are disappointing, and many students can’t wait to drop English as soon as their GCSEs are over.
But there’s a problem: English still matters.
To progress to Sixth Form or college, students generally need at least a grade 4 or 5 in English Language or Literature. And for more competitive pathways—like medicine or law—a grade 7 or higher is often expected.
So, What Can We Do?
Many of these students haven’t read a book for pleasure since primary school. We believe that reading regularly is the key to rebuilding their confidence and developing crucial comprehension skills. That’s why our classroom libraries include accessible and engaging books that are carefully chosen to appeal to reluctant readers.
Helping Them Write
Writing is often a bigger challenge than reading for these students. At Satchel, we focus on:
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Short Writes – high-quality paragraphs to build confidence and control
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Sentence Sheets – guiding students to craft more sophisticated structures (e.g. using a semicolon or starting a sentence with an adverb)
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Detailed planning – helping them structure ideas before writing longer pieces
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Redrafting – focusing on rewriting key sections to build better writing habits
Progress Is Possible
We won’t pretend it’s easy to turn an English-hater into an English-lover. But with the right support and structure, we can help students develop a working tolerance of the subject—and more importantly, achieve the grades they need for future success.
