An Inspector Calls: from knowing the play to writing a top-band essay
An Inspector Calls is one of the most widely studied GCSE texts, so examiners read thousands of near-identical essays on it. The students who reach the top grades write about Priestley's purpose, not just what happens on stage.
Nick Watkinson, a QTS-qualified English teacher and active GCSE examiner, teaches students how to build an argument about the play that stands out.
Everything the essay needs
Matched to AQA, Edexcel, OCR or Eduqas, whichever your child is sitting.
What Priestley is doing
- Priestley's message about social responsibility, as the spine of every essay
- The characters as Priestley's tools: the Birlings, Gerald, Eva Smith and the Inspector
- Dramatic devices: dramatic irony, stage directions, lighting, entrances and exits
- Context that earns marks: 1912 versus 1945, class, gender and the post-war welfare state
Turning it into marks
- A small set of flexible quotations that work across any question
- Planning a focused argument in five minutes
- Timed essay practice, marked against your child's exam board mark scheme
- Clear, specific feedback on what to change next time
Prefer to revise at your own pace? The An Inspector Calls self-study course covers the play scene by scene.
How lessons work
Live online over Google Meet, from anywhere in the UK. Every lesson is taught personally by Nick and matched to your child's exam board.
Small group lessons
- Maximum 6 students per group
- Personal feedback within the group
- Individual progress reports
- Tailored homework each week
Private one-to-one
- The full session focused on your child alone
- Pace and focus set by their needs
- Exam board-matched materials
- Direct access to Nick between sessions
Taught by a qualified teacher who marks GCSE papers
Nick Watkinson has over 10 years' experience teaching English in UK secondary schools and works as an active GCSE examiner. He has seen exactly where students lose marks, and it's rarely about ability. It usually comes down to not knowing what each question is really asking for.
Every lesson is delivered by Nick himself, never handed to a student tutor or a rotating agency tutor. Read more about Nick.
Before you book
Is this a one-off revision session?
It can be part of regular weekly lessons, or a focused block before mocks or exams.
Do you cover the other set texts?
Yes, including Macbeth, A Christmas Carol, Jekyll and Hyde, Blood Brothers and the poetry anthologies.
Which exam boards do you cover?
AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Eduqas, matched to your child's specification and mark scheme.
How do I get started?
Book a free GCSE consultation online. There's no commitment, just a chance to see if it's the right fit.