Work out what the question needs you to decide
An essay often goes wrong before the first paragraph: the student recognises the topic but misses the precise question. Jane helps students identify the decision or explanation required, then select a manageable line of argument.
Planning stays flexible. A plan should clarify the reasoning, not force every answer into a fixed template.
Make each paragraph do a job
Students practise making a claim, choosing evidence and explaining how it advances the answer. Comparison and judgement follow from that reasoning, rather than appearing as unsupported phrases.
Conclusions return to the question and weigh the argument already developed. Jane teaches the thinking behind effective essays so students can work independently.
- Understanding the question and high-level planning
- Paragraph structure and evidence selection
- Analysis, comparison and historical judgement
- Conclusions that follow from the argument