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Non-Fiction Reading Comprehension: Britain’s Oldest Skydiver (Higher Tier)
Inspirational Real-Life Text | KS3–KS4 | Differentiated Lesson Pack

Engage your students with this powerful and uplifting non-fiction reading lesson based on the true story of 102-year-old Manette Baillie, a WWII veteran who became Britain’s oldest skydiver. This fully resourced lesson promotes higher-order thinking, rich discussion, and real-world connections through a captivating article and a structured, student-friendly format.

What’s Included:
Full article text (adapted from The Guardian)

Differentiated comprehension questions:

Higher ability – inference, evaluation, synthesis

🟡 Middle ability – understanding and application

Lower ability – retrieval and key fact questions

Glossary of key terms to support understanding

Think-Pair-Share predictions and reading prompts

Clarify and summarise tasks with scaffolding

Model answers for all comprehension levels

Interactive PowerPoint for whole-class teaching

Skills Covered:
Non-fiction text analysis

Inference and evidence

Evaluative responses

Summarising and questioning

Vocabulary development

Ideal for:
KS3 English (Year 7–9)

Stretch & challenge reading in KS4

Literacy or tutor time sessions

PSHE and values-led discussions

Why choose this resource?
Real-world, inspirational content that promotes resilience, courage, and community spirit

Clear structure suitable for independent, paired or guided work

Ready-to-teach with minimal preparation needed