Am I thinking too deeply about this, or do I have a good point?

I used that Bill Bryson bit last time I taught autobiography too! AND the "Cider With Rosie" extract! Roald Dahl's "Boy" usually features in there somewhere too, often the mouse in the sweet jar scene. If it's for older children I have an astonishingly moving piece written by a man whose baby died too - don't use it very often as it is so heavy.

We do autobiography with year 7 and we do a text-based approach - for example, I might read them the bit from Cider With Rosie about his first day at school, pick out the techniques he has used to make this effective and then ask them to write about their first day at schol using their techniques. I ALWAYS give kids an out for any particular piece - so their 'first day at school' piece could be the first day at infants, juniors or secondary school. I ask them to write about a memorable event - but this can be happy or sad as they wish (it is surprising how many of them quite like to write about something sad and do so in a moving way). I get them to tell me funny anecdotes from their lives, and it really is a chance for them to write about good moments from their lives, rather than reliving traumatic events.

I have a funny bit from Bill Bryson's "Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" about him getting his first job as a paperboy that always goes down well, too. They love to listen to this read aloud. (There is a swearword in it that I have to remember to cut out though!) And I tell them stories from my childhood - they like to listen to these. I show them some photos of me as a child too!

Or you could do the autobiography stuff through texts eg: read a text extract about the first day at school, they write about their own / read a text extract about going on a journey, they write their own etc. It takes some of the focus off them then iykwim.

I see your point but I'd be wary of approaching it as if it seems that you know better than the HOD (not suggesting you would but she may think that!).

Instead, you could maybe take the line that, as you're not an English teacher, it would be easier for you to be able to follow shorter term, more teacher-led tasks: ie: reading a "chapter" novel; doing shorter bits of creative writing inspired by it - diary entries, rewriting the final chapter, whatever; a book review - and that you feel less confident with such a broad topic, that will be less easy for you to "chunk" into small, manageable sections for you and them.

Maureen, why aren't you a teacher - you sound perfect for the job?

I can see where you are coming from and i think you are quite right to be worried.
I still remember doing this at school and my friend not wanting me to read her work as she was so upset by her childhood, but wrote it all down for the teacher because that's what she had been told to do!
I would have hoped that education would have moved on in 25 years

How about giving them a title like " The funniest thing that ever happened to me"
or "My favourite childhood memory"
or "My first day at school"
or "My best friend"
or give them a list of 3 or 4 and let them choose their own?

Well done for realising this is going to be a difficult topic for them.

Would the SENCO be supportive if you talked to him/her?

Itchyscratchy has some good ideas if you can't change topic.

I have to say that I am that the school isn't hiring a supply teacher - bet they wouldn't dream of doing that to the top sets.

Weellllll... I guess it's not the easiest of topics for some kids, but I don't think you'll get anywhere trying to change the topic they're sposed to do. The remit is a bit too wide, I agree but there are ways round this, I think.

Given that it's a topic that many if not all kids are given at some point in their schooling, I think they should do it, but you have a chance here to do some things with the topic that doesn't necessarily mean it will be too traumatic.

I used to be hyper-sensitive about doing family trees with pupils, but I don't think there would be many if at all that wouldn't have extended family, step-parents, half-siblings, etc. so if you expect this, you can build it in to how the trees should look. IME, they like this activity.

Then you could maybe think of different approaches to autobiographical writing that doesn't necessarily delve into potentially traumatic situations: "my favourite day out or holiday" or lists of favourites things; and even "spectacular accidents" has also gone down well (falling out of trees; treading on nails, etc. )

I mean you should suggest the topic is not a good idea, obv!

Yes I think you should. Apart from anything else it is rather intrusive. Would the HOF like to write her autobiography for inspection?