English
We are committed to the delivery of high-quality learning experiences for all and we do this through a varied and innovative curriculum, along with a range of quality resources and literature texts. We expect the very best from all students which is why - in a supportive environment where students are challenged - we value the input and endeavour of all our learners.
Teaching Staff
Dr G Sargeant PT
Mrs D Russell Mrs R Redgate Mrs E McDonagh Mrs K Walker Mrs E Bolland Mr D Boyce |
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Resources for
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Courses Offered
S1-3 English, National 2-5 English, Higher English, Advanced Higher English
In addition we can support the Scottish Baccalaureate in Science, Language and Expressive Art as well as enter students for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) units and assessments.
English in the Broad General Education
The English course in the new curriculum continues to develop and assess skill in the areas of Reading, Writing, Talking and Listening while developing the four capacities of a Curriculum for Excellence: Confident Individual, Responsible Citizen, Successful Learner, Effective Contributor.
Using a variety of teaching strategies and approaches, teachers support learners to develop their social and academic skills while studying a broad range of texts and literature.
The new curriculum enables us to provide breadth and depth to the learning experience in contexts relevant to life today. In English, we do this through texts and units of work which focus on topical issues.
Over the three years of the Broad General Education (BGE) we ensure that all our learners follow the same course, develop the same set of skills and benefit from similar learning activities in a supportive environment. We have refined our S1-3 course to ensure that all students are well-prepared for the demands of the new National courses.
Home Learning activities are linked to the English and Literacy Outcomes & Experiences of A Curriculum for Excellence.
All pupils in S1 will be given the opportunity to select texts for personal reading once per fortnight from the school library. Although little time will be given in class for personal reading, learners will be expected to engage in a range of activities to support their own reading.
We actively encourage all students to make use of the library and to seek the advice of Ms Owens, our librarian, when making choices. The library can be accessed at lunchtime and has computers for students to use should they wish to.
SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD THROUGH THE BROAD GENERAL EDUCATION
One of the questions parents ask us most frequently is what they can do to help support their child’s learning at home. The tasks have been specifically designed to encourage your involvement with your child’s learning. There are many ways you can do this and while it will depend very much on the individual we have noted a few ideas below –
• Encourage your child to read as often and as widely as possible. Reading, for example, novels, auto-biographies and news articles from printed and online sources can help develop language skills. As a starting point we would recommend at least 20 minutes per day, four days per week.
• Ask your child to explain what they are doing in class, why they are doing it, what they are learning and how they think it will help them.
• Check your child’s homework diary and ask about the work they have been asked to complete at home.
• Encourage the use of a dictionary to check spellings of words and a thesaurus to widen vocabulary.
• When your child is gathering information from an online or printed source, encourage them to express ideas and content in their own words and to record the name of the website or text at the end of their work.
• Suggest they practise presentations in front of you or another family member and give them feedback.
• Encourage your child to use the school and local library.
Using a variety of teaching strategies and approaches, teachers support learners to develop their social and academic skills while studying a broad range of texts and literature.
The new curriculum enables us to provide breadth and depth to the learning experience in contexts relevant to life today. In English, we do this through texts and units of work which focus on topical issues.
Over the three years of the Broad General Education (BGE) we ensure that all our learners follow the same course, develop the same set of skills and benefit from similar learning activities in a supportive environment. We have refined our S1-3 course to ensure that all students are well-prepared for the demands of the new National courses.
Home Learning activities are linked to the English and Literacy Outcomes & Experiences of A Curriculum for Excellence.
All pupils in S1 will be given the opportunity to select texts for personal reading once per fortnight from the school library. Although little time will be given in class for personal reading, learners will be expected to engage in a range of activities to support their own reading.
We actively encourage all students to make use of the library and to seek the advice of Ms Owens, our librarian, when making choices. The library can be accessed at lunchtime and has computers for students to use should they wish to.
SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD THROUGH THE BROAD GENERAL EDUCATION
One of the questions parents ask us most frequently is what they can do to help support their child’s learning at home. The tasks have been specifically designed to encourage your involvement with your child’s learning. There are many ways you can do this and while it will depend very much on the individual we have noted a few ideas below –
• Encourage your child to read as often and as widely as possible. Reading, for example, novels, auto-biographies and news articles from printed and online sources can help develop language skills. As a starting point we would recommend at least 20 minutes per day, four days per week.
• Ask your child to explain what they are doing in class, why they are doing it, what they are learning and how they think it will help them.
• Check your child’s homework diary and ask about the work they have been asked to complete at home.
• Encourage the use of a dictionary to check spellings of words and a thesaurus to widen vocabulary.
• When your child is gathering information from an online or printed source, encourage them to express ideas and content in their own words and to record the name of the website or text at the end of their work.
• Suggest they practise presentations in front of you or another family member and give them feedback.
• Encourage your child to use the school and local library.
National Courses
National 3 – 5 English provides further opportunity for students to develop their reading, writing, talking and listening skills. Student progress is measured through the combined approach to assessment which means that within each unit the four key areas are covered.
Attainment at National 3 – Two units: Creation and Production & Analysis and Evaluation
Attainment at National 4 – Four units: Creation and Production, Analysis and Evaluation, Literacy and Added Value Unit. (We also encourage our S4 National 5 Students to complete the AVU as it promotes independent learning which is essential for success at National 5 and Higher English, it allows personalisation and choice for the student, it develops the skills of analysis and evaluation and, allows students to attain at National 4 should they be unsuccessful at National 5.
Attainment at National 5 and Higher English – Students sit an external exam comprised of two papers: Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation and Critical Reading (One critical essay and a textual analysis of a Scottish set text). Students must also submit a folio consisting of two pieces – one which is broadly creative and one which is broadly discursive. To sit the final exam students must also pass the Unit Assessments in Analysis and Evaluation & Creation and Production.
Students at both levels are required to study a Scottish set text from a list decided by the SQA. Teachers are free to select a text which they deem to be most appropriate for their class.
Although the National 5 and Higher English courses are the same in structure, it is the complexity of the literature and texts that are studied along with the demand within the tasks and questions which increase the challenge in the Higher course.
Study Skills
English is a skills based course which means that with more experience and practice students will develop and improve. All the study skills students need are explained and modelled in class with further opportunity to practise them during class time. The key study skills for English involve the regular reading of quality non-fiction prose followed by analysis and evaluation using the learning outcomes shared by class teachers. Students can further improve by regularly updating and studying their literature using the range of study techniques suggested by their teacher. Students are expected to read regularly and, in particular, read the literature texts studied in class as often as possible.
SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD THROUGH NATIONAL COURSES
You can help your child take responsibility for learning and develop high expectations of himself/herself by:
Encouraging them to study from their class notes and use strategies learned in class designed to help them learn particular topics in more depth.
Ensuring all home learning tasks are completed fully, on time and to a high standard.
Promoting additional independent reading especially of quality newspapers from an online or printed source.
Encouraging them to discuss their English assessment marks and the targets that have been set from each piece of work.
Helping them to understand that their targets for English must be clear, specific and acted upon if progress is to be made. (Teachers will provide full support to all pupils in their class.)
Attainment at National 3 – Two units: Creation and Production & Analysis and Evaluation
Attainment at National 4 – Four units: Creation and Production, Analysis and Evaluation, Literacy and Added Value Unit. (We also encourage our S4 National 5 Students to complete the AVU as it promotes independent learning which is essential for success at National 5 and Higher English, it allows personalisation and choice for the student, it develops the skills of analysis and evaluation and, allows students to attain at National 4 should they be unsuccessful at National 5.
Attainment at National 5 and Higher English – Students sit an external exam comprised of two papers: Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation and Critical Reading (One critical essay and a textual analysis of a Scottish set text). Students must also submit a folio consisting of two pieces – one which is broadly creative and one which is broadly discursive. To sit the final exam students must also pass the Unit Assessments in Analysis and Evaluation & Creation and Production.
Students at both levels are required to study a Scottish set text from a list decided by the SQA. Teachers are free to select a text which they deem to be most appropriate for their class.
Although the National 5 and Higher English courses are the same in structure, it is the complexity of the literature and texts that are studied along with the demand within the tasks and questions which increase the challenge in the Higher course.
Study Skills
English is a skills based course which means that with more experience and practice students will develop and improve. All the study skills students need are explained and modelled in class with further opportunity to practise them during class time. The key study skills for English involve the regular reading of quality non-fiction prose followed by analysis and evaluation using the learning outcomes shared by class teachers. Students can further improve by regularly updating and studying their literature using the range of study techniques suggested by their teacher. Students are expected to read regularly and, in particular, read the literature texts studied in class as often as possible.
SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD THROUGH NATIONAL COURSES
You can help your child take responsibility for learning and develop high expectations of himself/herself by:
Encouraging them to study from their class notes and use strategies learned in class designed to help them learn particular topics in more depth.
Ensuring all home learning tasks are completed fully, on time and to a high standard.
Promoting additional independent reading especially of quality newspapers from an online or printed source.
Encouraging them to discuss their English assessment marks and the targets that have been set from each piece of work.
Helping them to understand that their targets for English must be clear, specific and acted upon if progress is to be made. (Teachers will provide full support to all pupils in their class.)
Opportunites in English
Theatre Visits / Trips Each year the English Department run a variety of outings to theatre productions. We aim to take students to see a live performance of a text they are studying but if this is not possible we would encourage a trip to a different production.
Public Speaking / Debating
There are many public speaking and debating opportunities organised and facilitated by Ms Crammond, Ms Gilmour and Mr Hendrie.
Drama
We offer drama to all our S1 and S2 students with a contemporary course developed and run by Ms Gunn.
Future study / Career Progression
A qualification in English is valuable for any course of study or job but there are many areas where it is particularly useful and these include acting, advertising, broadcasting, journalism, law, medicine, management, teaching and politics.
Public Speaking / Debating
There are many public speaking and debating opportunities organised and facilitated by Ms Crammond, Ms Gilmour and Mr Hendrie.
Drama
We offer drama to all our S1 and S2 students with a contemporary course developed and run by Ms Gunn.
Future study / Career Progression
A qualification in English is valuable for any course of study or job but there are many areas where it is particularly useful and these include acting, advertising, broadcasting, journalism, law, medicine, management, teaching and politics.
