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Year 10
Eduqas

Planning an essay on the theme of belonging in Winsome Pinnock's ‘Leave Taking’

I can plan an essay about the theme of belonging in ‘Leave Taking’ by creating a thesis, topic sentences and selecting relevant evidence from the play.

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Year 10
Eduqas

Planning an essay on the theme of belonging in Winsome Pinnock's ‘Leave Taking’

I can plan an essay about the theme of belonging in ‘Leave Taking’ by creating a thesis, topic sentences and selecting relevant evidence from the play.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A thesis statement is a clear, overarching argument.
  2. Topic sentences give focus to individual paragraphs.
  3. Topic sentences should support the overarching thesis.
  4. Select main quotations and supporting quotations to include in an essay.
  5. Main quotations should be analysed; supporting quotations don’t need to be analysed.

Keywords

  • Thesis - The overarching argument to an essay, supported by the entire text.

  • Topic sentence - The first sentence of a paragraph. It states the paragraph’s main idea.

  • Dramatic methods - The tools a playwright uses to create drama. Examples are setting, stage directions, dialogue and language choices.

  • Main quotations - Quotations which support your topic sentence, and that require analysis.

  • Supporting quotations - Quotations which support your topic sentence, but don’t require analysis.

Common misconception

Every quotation you write about should be analysed in detail.

Main quotations should be analysed, but you should also include supporting quotations that are embedded into sentences without analysis.


To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Planning an essay on the theme of belonging in Winsome Pinnock's ‘Leave Taking’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Consider how you want to assess the thesis statements and topic sentences created in learning cycle 1 so that you are confident that all students have a convincing argument.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

You need access to a copy of Winsome Pinnock's 'Leave Taking'.

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Content guidance

  • Contains strong language
  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Del moves out of home in Scene Two of 'Leave Taking'. Where does she end up living?
with Brod
with friends
with Viv
Correct answer: with Mai
with the Pastor
Q2.
'Leave Taking' is a play. Pinnock employs dramatic methods to convey her messages. Which of the following are dramatic methods?
Pinnock's introduction
Correct answer: stage directions
Correct answer: foreshadowing
stanzas
Correct answer: scenes
Q3.
Match the description of the relationship to the pairs of characters from 'Leave Taking'.
Correct Answer:Enid and Del,full of intergenerational conflict
tick

full of intergenerational conflict

Correct Answer:Del and Viv,siblings
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siblings

Correct Answer:Del and Mai,developmental, for Del
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developmental, for Del

Correct Answer:Del and Brod,somewhat close, but mistrustful of each other
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somewhat close, but mistrustful of each other

Correct Answer:Brod and Enid,life long friends
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life long friends

Correct Answer:Enid and Mai,client and consultant
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client and consultant

Q4.
In Scene Seven of 'Leave Taking', Mai realises that Del has the gift of obeah. She says, "And now I it plain plain."
Correct Answer: see, See, see., See., "see"
Q5.
The idea of belonging is very important to 'Leave Taking'. What does this word mean in the context of the play?
knowing what belongs to you - explored when Del steals from Mai
feeling a sense of security - explored when Del feels "hunted" by the police
Correct answer: feeling you are accepted somewhere - explored when Del faces discrimination
feeling you long to be someone else - explored when Viv criticises Enid
feeing you belong to someone else - explored through Enid's husband
Q6.
In Scene One of 'Leave Taking', the Matthews family prepares to leave Mai's house. The stage directions read, "Enid and Viv go. Del back."
Correct Answer: hangs, Hangs, "hangs", Hangs., hangs.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What would you say to a pupil who told you, "You should include just one quotation per paragraph when writing an essay on 'Leave Taking'"?
correct - so you can analyse in sufficient detail
correct - jumping around the play is confusing
correct - but you can include more than one quotation in your introduction
Correct answer: incorrect - you should include multiple quotations per paragraph
incorrect - you should include three quotations in every paragraph
Q2.
Imagine an essay question on 'Leave Taking' was, "How does Pinnock use the character of Viv to explore ideas about education?" What does the word 'How' tell you must be included in your essay?
how you reacted to the play
biographical detail
a summary of the plot
references to context
Correct answer: analysis of dramatic methods
Q3.
You will write a number of essays on 'Leave Taking'. Match the essay term to its definition.
Correct Answer:thesis,Overarching argument to an essay, supported by whole text
tick

Overarching argument to an essay, supported by whole text

Correct Answer:topic sentence,First sentence of paragraph; states paragraph’s main idea
tick

First sentence of paragraph; states paragraph’s main idea

Correct Answer:dramatic methods,The tools a playwright uses to create drama
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The tools a playwright uses to create drama

Correct Answer:main quotations,Quotations which require analysis
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Quotations which require analysis

Correct Answer:supporting quotations,Quotations which don’t require analysis
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Quotations which don’t require analysis

Q4.
Essays about 'Leave Taking' will include main body paragraphs. These main body paragraphs will include quotations. What is the purpose of quotations in a main body paragraph?
to help retell the story
Correct answer: to support your topic sentence
Correct answer: to allow for analysis and interpretation
to show you know the play off by heart
so that you can analyse each word and make your paragraph more detailed
Q5.
Imagine a question on 'Leave Taking' was, "How does Pinnock use the character of Brod to explore ideas of isolation?" What would serve as the strongest topic sentence?
Brod is presented as isolated when he says Enid "turn me outta the house".
Correct answer: Pinnock explores the effects of isolation through Brod's dependence on Enid.
Ultimately, Brod could help examine the isolation felt by those who migrate.
Pinnock uses many dramatic methods when creating the character of Brod.
Q6.
Imagine a question on 'Leave Taking' was, "How does Pinnock use the character of Enid to explore ideas of shame?" What would serve as the strongest topic sentence?
Pinnock says she was "fascinated" by the character of Enid.
Enid feels shame, guilt, unhappiness and despair throughout the play.
Pinnock shows Enid feels shame when Brod teases about her "crack foot-bottom".
Correct answer: Pinnock connects Enid's feelings of shame with her impoverished upbringing.
Pinnock uses dramatic methods to present Enid's shame, like "howl of pain".