The History Boys - teaching resource

The History Boys – GCSE Unit of Work

(131-slide PowerPoint, 12 worksheets & 14-lesson overview)

This comprehensive GCSE English Literature teaching resource explores Alan Bennett’s The History Boys through a complete 14-lesson unit of work. The unit includes a 131-slide fully editable PowerPoint, 12 PDF worksheets, and a detailed lesson overview, making it ideal for classroom teaching, intervention sessions, or independent study.

The resource guides students act by act and scene by scene, analysing the play’s plot, characters, themes, language, and historical context through a wide range of engaging and differentiated activities.

Key features of the unit:

• Introduction to Alan Bennett – Contextualising the writer and his influences

• Historical and social context – Understanding the 1980s educational reforms and attitudes to sexuality

• Structure and form – How Bennett uses dramatic techniques to shape meaning

• Character studies – Detailed analysis of Hector, Irwin, Lintott, Dakin, Headmaster, Posner, Rudge, and others

• Themes in The History Boys – Exploring history, education, identity, sex, and sexuality

• Language and dialogue – Analysing Bennett’s use of wit, irony, and intertextuality

• Essay-writing skills – How to embed quotations effectively and structure critical responses

• Role-play and hot-seating – Developing empathy and interpretation skills

• Discussion and debate tasks – Encouraging critical thinking and deeper engagement

• Links to external resources – Supporting further exploration of the play’s context and reception

Perfect for KS4/GCSE English Literature, this resource supports all major exam board specifications, including AQA, Edexcel, Eduqas, and OCR. Fully editable and easy to adapt, it’s designed to suit learners of all abilities.

To preview ‘The History Boys – GCSE Unit of Work’, select ‘View All Slides’ and click on the images to browse the PowerPoint in detail.

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