Teaching English - The English Curriculum and Sixth Form Literature: Teaching, Workshops, ITE, Consultancy, Research, Writing, Editing

Current and recent roles:
  • I am a Lecturer in Englsh Education at the University of Oxford Department of Education, teaching on the PGCE  course and the Masters in Learning and Teaching course. .  I have also taught on the PGCE course at  the University of Cambridge Faculty of Education. I am currently external examiner for English PGCE courses at Goldsmiths London and  Manchester University.
  • I am part of a research project into the teaching of poetry in post-16 English courses.
  • I have led many workshops and INSET days for post-16 and HE teachers and students about aspects of literature and literature teaching
  • I was a member of the Curriculum Review Committee for the International Baccalaureate Organisation in The Hague from 2015 to 2020, and a consultant to A Level awarding bodies in the UK, and am currently working with IB Diploma students at the Europa School, a state international school in Oxfordshire.
  • Formerly head of English at an 11-18 comprehensive in Cambridge, I continued to teach A Level English Literature  at The Cheney School, Oxford until 2018, and still teach IB English Literature at Oxford Study Courses and at The Europa School in Culham, Oxfordshire.

    Full details of my English teaching, writing and research activities may be accessed from the 'English' page of this site, here.


Teaching English Literature 16-19
by Carol Atherton, Andrew Green and Gary Snapper

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'This new book represents a major step forward in the teaching of English Literature at 16-19... Principled, persuasive and packed with great teaching ideas... an essential handbook for anyone teaching English in the sixth form today'
Sean McEvoy, Varndean Sixth Form College, Brighton, author of Shakespeare: the Basics (Routledge).

'Written by a ‘dream team’ of people involved in the 16-19 curriculum ... this outstanding book ... will help students develop independent learning, and bridge the gap between secondary education and university study.'
Robert Eaglestone, Professor of Literature and Contemporary Thought, Royal Holloway Univresity of London. author of Doing English (Routledge).

About Me

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This website is primarily intended as a site for information about my work in English teaching but also performs some personal functions. In particular, it contains information about my research into my family history, and the choir I have been involved with for the last 28 years (see below). There's also some further information about me and about this website here, and some photos I've taken on my travels here. Eventually I hope to post some information about some of my enthusiasms in theatre, film, music, poetry, literature, and so on, here.

Pictured is a scene from Complicite's stage adaptation of The Street of Crocodiles, one of the most powerful things I've seen.)

Family History

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I have been researching my family history for some years. From its origins in the Jewish settlements of central Europe, the family spread around the world during the 19th and 20th centuries, to Africa, Australia, America and the Middle East, as well as Britain;  their stories illustrate many significant historical movements and moments of the last 200 years. (Pictured is my great-grandfather David Snapper, who was born in the East End of London).

Full details of my family history may be accessed from the 'Family' page of this site, here.

Cambridge Taverner Choir

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I am a longstanding member of the Cambridge Taverner Choir, one of the few specialist Renaissance chamber choirs in the UK. The choir, which Owen Rees and I founded in 1986, has been performing this repertoire for over 25 years, and has recorded several acclaimed CDs. We have given regular concerts in Cambridge and Winchester, and performed in festivals and venues around the UK and in Europe.

Full details of the history and activities of the Cambridge Taverner Choir may be accessed from the 'Choral' page of this site, here.