Few people have had such an influence on the teaching of English literature as Roy Hopwood, who has died aged 86. Anyone who has taught, studied or examined English literature A-level in Britain in the last 35 years will have been touched by his intellect and progressive thinking.
Appointed chief examiner of the subject for the Associated Examining Board in 1984, Roy was part of the team that introduced the pilot 50% coursework examination in 1978, having earlier developed the pilot A-G graded 16+ common examination that led to the introduction of the GCSE. His "660" A-Level examination for the AEB grew from an initial entry of 2,000 to 14,000 in just six years.
Having studied thousands of examination paper responses, Roy developed a grid of hierarchical skills to aid examiners, covering literal meaning in texts, reading between the lines and analysing an author's technique in form, structure and language. Such grids have since become used in all forms of GCSE and A-level assessment.
The importance of coursework at A-level is now well established, and championed by universities, but it was Roy's pioneering work in this area of examining in English literature that gave it the credibility and the academic rigour that even the most determined of revisionist education ministers have since found impossible to defeat.
Roy was the head of two large comprehensive schools, Toot Hill in Bingham, near Nottingham (1970-78), and St Cyres in Penarth, South Glamorgan (1978-85), turning both into high-achieving institutions with his gift for teaching, and his inspirational qualities as a leader. Roy's focus on equality of opportunity, community involvement, a rich choice of extracurricular activities, school trips, the pastoral, social, cultural and academic, made his schools exciting places in which to teach and be taught.
An only child, Roy was born in Dukinfield, Greater Manchester. A lifelong socialist, he initially studied history at Manchester University, but his great love was always for English literature, a subject he taught for more than 60 years, even into retirement. His teaching was both provocative and passionate. He had the gift to inspire and draw the best out of young people. He subscribed to that oft-quoted maxim "education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire".
For many years I worked as an examiner under Roy and regard him as part of a golden age of education in Britain. I am just one of many who see themselves charged with passing on his philosophy and carrying on his good work.
Roy was predeceased by his first wife, Joyce, and their son, Keith. He is survived by his second wife, Emily, whom he married in 2011.