Subject Information - English
National 5
Head of Department: Dr Linda Mackenney
English Literacy (S3 and S4): National 4/5
Approximately 20 pupils in S3 and S4 complete the Literacy Units for National 4 and National 5, with the aim of accessing National 5 English and other literacy-rich courses in the curriculum. Now that the SQA has decided to remove the National 5 English outcomes from the course, the National 4 Literacy Unit will be embedded in the S3 English course: the National 5 Literacy Unit will continue to be taught as an option in S4 Core Time.
English (S3 and S4): National 5
All pupils follow a National 5 course in English in S3/S4 and are entered for the National 5 Examination in S4 as follows:
Paper One:
Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation
Paper Two:
Part 1: Critical Response to Open Literature Text
Part 2: Critical Response to Scottish Text
They also submit a Portfolio of Writing comprising one creative/reflective piece and one discursive essay.
Higher
Head of Department: Dr Linda Mackenney
All pupils study English in S5. Those who sat National 5 in S4 progress either to IB (a two year course), or to Higher (one year), with the option of then progressing to Advanced Higher in S6.
English (S5/S6) Higher
The Higher Course is available to those students who passed National 5 in S4. It is a Language and Literature Course. The pupils will be required to sit two internally-assessed units, each with two outcomes as follows:
Analysis and Evaluation
• Reading outcome
• Listening outcome
Creation and Production
• Writing outcome
• Talk outcome
NB: outcomes will remain a requirement for those presenting for the external examination in 2017-18; thereafter, like the National 5 outcomes, they will be removed from the course.
Pupils may sit the Higher exam at the end of S5 or S6, having followed a one or two-year course respectively. The exam comprises:
Paper 1
Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation
Paper 2
Part One: critical response to open literature text
Part Two: critical response to Scottish text
Pupils also submit a Portfolio of Writing comprising one creative/reflective and one discursive piece.
Advanced Higher
Head of Department: Dr Linda Mackenney
English (S5/S6) Advanced Higher
The S6 Advanced Higher Course is available to those pupils who presented for Higher in S5. It is an advantage to have an A or B grade pass, but some pupils who achieved a C at Higher may access the course which includes:
Dissertation: this is a critical essay on text(s) of pupils' choice, comprising 2,500–3,500 words, which is worth 30% of the final grade.
Writing: this will include two pieces of the pupil's writing, and is worth 30% of the final grade.
Literary Study: this involves the study of one or more texts; pupils write one critical essay in the examination, worth 20% of the final grade
Textual Analysis: this involves writing a critical response to an unseen passage and is worth 20% of the final grade.
We also present an annual S6 Drama production, which we hope will attract a large number of S6 pupils.