The value of education to Enid in Winsome Pinnock’s ‘Leave Taking’
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explore the theme of education in Winsome Pinnock’s ‘Leave Taking’, with a focus on the character of Enid.
Key learning points
- Enid values education.
- Enid believes education is a way to escape the rural poverty she experienced.
- Enid believes that education can't be taken away from someone.
- Pinnock says her parents received a colonialist education.
- Pinnock uses the character of Brod to explore the narrow focus of the British education system in the 1980s.
Keywords
Rural poverty - situations in which people who don’t live in urban areas lack financial stability and necessities for day to day living
Precarious - when something is unstable or insecure
Eurocentric - when there is a focus on European culture or history, ignoring or excluding cultures and history from the wider world
Indoctrinate - when you make people believe something; a less formal synonym is to brainwash
Colonisation - when a country establishes control over another country, exploiting it for economic gain
Common misconception
Education is only ever a positive power.
Consider Pinnock's words about her parents' generation and why and how education can be used as a tool of oppression.
Teacher tip
Consider how long pupils need for the table (the final practice task) and work backwards from there. The level of detail in this table is important given the complexity of the ideas pupils are exploring.
Equipment
You need access to a copy of Winsome Pinnock's 'Leave Taking' published by Nick Hern Books.
Content guidance
Contains strong language
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Enid is in six of 'Leave Taking's' eight scenes. Match her scenes to their plot points.
Takes her daughters to an obeah reading
Prepares for the Pastor's visit; slaps Del who leaves home
Finds out about her mother's death
Grieves her mother and gives Viv money for university
Sees Mai again; still processing her grief
Has an obeah reading from Del
Q2.Scene Two of 'Leave Taking' begins with Enid preparing for the Pastor's visit by cleaning the house. What is Viv doing as Enid cleans?
Q3.In 'Leave Taking', how does Pinnock establish that education is important to the character of Enid?
Q4.Over the course of 'Leave Taking', what do we find out about Enid's upbringing in Jamaica?
Q5.In Scene Three of 'Leave Taking', Viv says she wants to take a gap year. How does Enid respond?
Q6.Jamaica was a British colony and then a Crown colony until it achieved independence in 1962. What does it mean to be a colony?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.In Scene Six of Leave Taking, why does Enid say she isn’t worried about Viv’s future?
Q2.In 'Leave Taking', why might we describe Enid's upbringing in Jamaica as precarious?
Q3.In Scene Two of 'Leave Taking', Viv talks to Brod about her mother's work ethic and determination that she is successful academically. How do these characteristics of her mother's make Viv feel?
Q4.In Scene Two of 'Leave Taking', Brod argues with Enid about the way she is bringing up her children. What does he say she is doing wrong?
Q5.In Scene Two of 'Leave Taking', Brod explains why Jamaica is "poor". He says Jamaica is still suffering from the legacy of " ".
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: The value of education to Enid in Winsome Pinnock’s ‘Leave Taking’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: The value of education to Enid in Winsome Pinnock’s ‘Leave Taking’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 English lessons from the Leave Taking: the power of education unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.