Boy in the Tower by Polly Ho Yen is a wonderful book for UKS2. It depicts an inner-city life which will be familiar to many pupils.
These lessons will help your pupils develop their formal voice as they adopt the role of a prime minister in a dystopian world, like in the book.
Formal writing
Teachers and students often find KS2 formal written pieces difficult. In moderation meetings and online forums, they emerge as an area of concern – particularly for our greater-depth pupils.
Teachers are nervous about balancing independent writing with modelling and how to support children to maintain consistency with their formal writing.
The solution? Use lessons like this to help children practise writing and speaking formally.
What they’ll learn
- Read for meaning
- Draw on what they have read for their writing
- Write effectively for a clear purpose and audience
- Plan, write and edit a formal speech
- Deliver a formal speech
What is Boy in the Tower about?
When the Bluchers arrive, everyone leaves the city. Ade is forced to stay and look after his mum whose deteriorating mental health has resulted in her staying in bed for days at a time.
During the crisis, Ade’s only company is the TV news bulletins and his imagination, the former keeping him up-to-date with what’s happening around his building.
His block of flats is mysteriously immune from the destructive power of the Bluchers who are consuming everything in their path…
Rose McDermott is a middle leader at an East London primary. She regularly consults and writes content for children’s publishers.
