Presenting an informed view of current educational policy, this text encourages students of secondary English to take a creative and independent interpretation of government initiatives in order to achieve effective teaching practice. It provides a good balance of theoretical material with practical ideas for application in the classroom and strongly encourages reflection and critical thought. This new edition includes: coverage of the National Curriculum 2000, the National Literacy Strategy and the new Key Stage 3 Strategy a new chapter on how to teach ICT a new chapter on Inclusion - including differentiation, cultural diversity, EAL and teaching across the ability range new material on how to teach Shakespeare an introduction to cross-curricular themes - such as citizenship, and social, moral and spiritual values. Written in an accessible and conversational style, this text poses an excellent degree of challenge for all students on initial teacher training courses.