On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955 - teaching resource

On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955 – James Berry

AQA GCSE English Literature – Worlds and Lives Anthology

Two-Lesson Teaching Resource

Help your students explore James Berry’s powerful poem On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955 with this fully-editable, classroom-ready two-lesson teaching pack. Designed specifically for the AQA GCSE English Literature Worlds and Lives anthology, this resource develops deep understanding of context, language, themes, imagery, form and structure while building the analytical skills students need for top-grade responses.

What’s Included

Two complete lessons covering the poem in depth

35-slide PowerPoint packed with guided activities

Contextual study of James Berry, the Windrush generation and 1950s Britain

First-reading tasks to introduce key ideas and support initial interpretation

Close language and imagery analysis with model answers

Theme exploration including identity, immigration, misunderstanding and human connection

Form and structure questions with detailed example responses

Comparative skills section preparing students for exam comparison questions

Essay tasks with writing frames and model paragraphs

Plenary, recap activities and consolidation tasks for secure understanding

What Students Will Learn

How Berry reflects immigrant experience, cultural misunderstanding and racial tension in 1950s London

How the poem’s free verse, structure and shifts in perspective mirror the speaker’s emotional journey

How language techniques reveal the speaker’s identity, homesickness and developing connection with the woman

How to compare the poem effectively with others such as ‘Name Journeys’, ‘Pot’, and ‘Homing’ from the anthology

Perfect for

Full-lesson delivery

Revision and intervention

Building confidence with analysis and comparison skills

Fully editable and ready to use, this resource makes teaching Berry’s memorable and moving poem easy, engaging and exam-focused.

For additional teaching resources from the Worlds and Lives cluster visit:

Lines Written in Early Spring – William Wordsworth

England in 1819 – Percy Bysshe Shelley

Shall Earth No More Inspire Thee – Emily Brontë

In a London Drawing Room – George Eliot

On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955 – James Berry

Name Journeys – Raman Mundair

Pot – Shamshad Khan

Homing - Liz Berry

A Century Later - Imtiaz Dharker

A Wider View - Seni Seneviratne

The Jewellery Maker - Louisa Adjoa Parker

With Birds You're Never Lonely - Raymond Antrobus

A Portable Paradise - Roger Robinson

Like an Heiress - Grace Nichols

Thirteen - Caleb Femi

 

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