Short courses for school teachers

The Survey is running intensive half-day courses for school teachers by video-link online. These courses are suitable for both primary and secondary school teachers unless otherwise specified.

These courses will be delivered via Zoom.

English Grammar for Teachers and Teaching English Grammar in Context are also available as six-week courses on FutureLearn.

English Grammar for Teachers
09:30 - 13:00

Dates on which the course runs:

2023 17 November
2024 19 January23 February15 March 17 May14 June12 July

The new national curriculum requires school teachers to teach English grammar, starting in primary school.

On this online course you'll learn about grammatical subject knowledge that is required for the national curriculum, and explore ways of teaching it that are engaging and fun for your students.

The course is designed to help primary and secondary school teachers who:

  • feel uncertain about their knowledge of grammar and want to improve their confidence in teaching it
  • want to be able to teach English grammar in a fun and engaging way
  • want to refresh their knowledge of English grammar

The course covers the key concepts of English grammar as laid out for each key stage in the national curriculum.

It's ideal for those who:

  • are new to English grammar
  • feel uncertain about their knowledge of grammar
  • have taught for years, but might need guidance on new or revised terminology and concepts

If you prefer to learn at your computer at your own pace, or wish to revise and strengthen what you learned on Zoom, we also offer the course on the FutureLearn platform.

Teaching English Grammar in Context
09:30 - 13:00

Dates on which the course runs:

2023 24 November
2024 26 January1 March24 May21 June

This is a highly interactive online course for secondary and primary-school English teachers who want to learn more about using a contextualised approach to teaching grammar.

The new national curriculum requires teachers to teach English grammar throughout Key Stages 1 to 5.

There are plenty of debates around how grammar should be taught, but this course advocates the use of a contextualised approach, using tools from literary linguistics and stylistics. This means teaching and learning about grammar through the use of authentic texts and encouraging discussions and explorations around meanings, choices and effects.

Based on the latest developments in educational and linguistic research, the course is designed to help you:

  • explore interesting and engaging methods for teaching grammar in relation to a range of texts, genres and styles
  • gain usable and accessible teaching ideas which you can take back to your classroom
  • maintain and develop your students' KS2 grammatical knowledge

It’s ideal for those who:

  • already have a strong knowledge of English grammar
  • have completed English Grammar for Teachers
  • want to integrate grammatical knowledge into their teaching

If you prefer to learn at your computer at your own pace, or wish to revise and strengthen what you learned on Zoom, we also offer the course on the FutureLearn platform.

Primary to Secondary English Grammar for Teachers
09:30 - 13:00

Dates on which the course runs:

2024 22 March19 July

This online course for secondary school teachers will help you bridge the gap between primary and secondary English grammar.

You'll learn how grammar is taught at KS-2 based on the national curriculum, and how teachers at KS-3 can maintain continuity that helps pupils with non-fiction reading and writing in English and other subjects.

The course will cover:

  • an overview of grammar as conceived in the current national curriculum
  • requirements and reasons for teaching grammar at secondary and primary level
  • important grammar for pupils to know
  • common misconceptions and changes in terminology
  • how grammar can be practically used to improve reading and writing

Who this course is for

  • The course is designed for secondary school teachers, especially those teaching lower year groups.
  • It may also be useful for any primary or secondary school teacher who would like to improve their knowledge and teaching skills of English grammar.
  • Trainee teachers, NQTs and any teachers wishing to improve their English grammar knowledge are welcome.

This page last modified 31 August, 2022 by Survey Web Administrator.