Joseph Weir

Hi, I’m Joseph, an experienced English teacher passionate about helping students unlock their potential in essay writing.

I have been teaching for 10 years, have been a Head of Department and I am an experienced exam marker. Early in my career, I often heard the phrase, ‘You can’t teach an A.’ The idea was that excellence in writing came naturally to some students- but not all.

I refuse to accept that, especially at A Level.

Too often, high achieving essay writing is seen as an innate talent, when in reality, it’s a craft. One that can be taught, refined and mastered.

That’s why I’ve started to share my thoughts on what makes exceptional writing possible, breaking down examiners reports, offering practical strategies and guiding students towards clarity, insight and precision in their essays. I hope that these resources will be useful to both teachers and students.

The focus of the resources and content will centre around the CCEA specification at A Level, with the hope to broaden these to other specifications in the future. It must also be noted that many of the ideas and resources I will share here will be inspired by the generosity of teachers who have shared their insights, resources and strategies across blogs, X (Twitter) and beyond. Where possible I will name and ensure proper credit is given to those that have inspired what you see and read here.