SQA Website - English

The study of English helps pupils to develop many of the skills that are essential to success, both in school and beyond. Through the study of language and literature, learners develop their reading, writing, talking and listening skills, and enhance their ability to communicate effectively in a range of contexts.

In their study of texts, learners develop their comprehension, analysis and evaluation skills, focusing on the craft of writers and also on the relevance of texts to our own lives. Learners are given opportunities to create their own texts, both written and spoken, where they develop their language skills through producing critical, creative and functional responses.

Learners engage in a wide variety of individual, group and whole class activities and study a range of genres and forms of text, including novels, poetry, drama, film and media.

Units taught:

• Reading
• Writing
• Talking
• Listening

Course assessment:

As pupils in S1-3 English are following the Broad General Education (BGE), no external assessment takes place. BGE assessment takes place in the classroom, is on a continuous basis and draws on a wide range of naturally occurring evidence. 

Examples of tasks that generate assessment evidence:

• Critical essays on literature
• Creative writing (such as poems, imaginative stories or personal pieces)
• Functional writing (such as informative, discursive or persuasive pieces)
• Reading comprehension tasks
• Group presentations, individual presentations and group discussions

This course gives pupils the opportunity to learn more about the world of media and the complexity of media texts. The course covers pre-production, production and post-production stages and a range of media texts, including advertisements, print media, film and social media.

In their study of Media, learners develop their skills in analysis and evaluation, by studying how texts have been created and also by considering the potential impact on those who receive them. Learners develop their creativity, through planning and creating their own texts. They also enhance their communication skills, as discussion of ideas is central to the course.

Units taught:

• Analysing Media Content
• Creating Media Content

Course assessment:

As pupils in S3 Media are following the Broad General Education (BGE), no external assessment takes place. BGE assessment takes place in the classroom, is on a continuous basis and draws on a wide range of naturally occurring evidence. 

Examples of tasks that generate assessment evidence:

• Presentations
• Group discussions
• Class tests
• Essays
• Products (such as planning and creating an advert)

Possible progression and career links:

• Upon successful completion of the S3 Media course, pupils often progress to National 5 Media in S4.
• The skills developed through S3 Media are relevant to many career paths, particularly those related to marketing, film production and other creative industries.

The study of English helps pupils to develop many of the skills that are essential to success, both in school and beyond. Through the study of language and literature, learners develop their reading, writing, talking and listening skills, and enhance their ability to communicate effectively in a range of contexts.

In their study of fiction and non-fiction texts, learners develop their comprehension, analysis and evaluation skills, focusing on the craft of writers and also on the relevance of texts to our own lives. Learners are given opportunities to create their own texts, both written and spoken, where they develop their skills in researching and writing, and produce a functional report on a chosen topic.

Units taught:

• Analysis and Evaluation
• Creation and Production
• Literacy
• Added Value Unit

Course assessment:

The National 4 English course is internally assessed. There is no external assessment of pupil work and no external examination. 

Internal assessments:

• Analysis and Evaluation - Reading and Listening
• Creation and Production – Writing and Talking
• Literacy – Reading, Listening, Writing and Talking
• Added Value Unit – learners choose, research and write a report on a topic of their choice.

Possible progression and career links:

• Upon successful completion of the National 4 English course, pupils often progress to National 5 English.
• The skills developed through National 4 English are relevant to all career paths.

The study of English helps pupils to develop many of the skills that are essential to success, both in school and beyond. Through the study of language and literature, learners develop their reading, writing, talking and listening skills, and enhance their ability to communicate effectively in a range of contexts.

In their study of fiction and non-fiction texts, learners develop their comprehension, analysis and evaluation skills, focusing on the craft of writers and also on the relevance of texts to our own lives. Learners are given opportunities to create their own texts, both written and spoken, where they develop their language skills through producing critical, persuasive and creative responses.

Units taught:

• The study of literature
• The study of Scottish texts
• Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation
• Writing skills
• Talking and listening skills

Course assessment:

• The examination, consisting of two papers:
• Paper 1 - Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation
• Paper 2 - Critical Reading
  

Coursework, consisting of one piece of writing which should be either:

• broadly creative
• broadly discursive

Internal Assessment:

• Spoken Language

Possible progression and career links:

• Many pupils progress from National 5 English to Higher English.
• The skills developed through the National 5 English course are relevant to all career paths.

The study of English helps pupils to develop many of the skills that are essential to success, both in school and beyond. Through the study of language and literature, learners develop their reading, writing, talking and listening skills, and enhance their ability to communicate effectively in a range of contexts.

In their study of fiction and non-fiction texts, learners develop their comprehension, analysis and evaluation skills, focusing on the craft of writers and also on the relevance of texts to our own lives. Learners are given opportunities to create their own texts, both written and spoken, where they develop their language skills through producing critical, persuasive and creative responses.

Units taught:

• The study of literature
• The study of Scottish texts
• Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation
• Writing skills
• Talking and listening skills

Course assessment:

• The examination, consisting of two papers:
• Paper 1 - Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation
• Paper 2 - Critical Reading

Coursework, consisting of one piece of writing which should be either:

• broadly creative
• broadly discursive

Internal Assessment:

• Spoken Language

Possible progression and career links:

• The skills developed through the Higher English course are relevant to all career paths.
• Learners with a real interest in and passion for literature may wish to progress to Advanced Higher English.

Advanced Higher English will appeal to learners who have a passion for literature and who have particularly enjoyed the analysis and evaluation of texts at Higher English. 

The course focuses on the critical and creative study of complex and sophisticated literature and language from different literary genres, through which learners will develop their skills in both creative and critical writing.

Through guided and independent study, pupils develop the confidence to make informed critical responses to literature, through analysing, evaluating and making connections between texts. The course also encourages learners to appreciate the ways in which literature promotes self-awareness and explores moral, ethical, social and cultural concerns.

Units taught:

• Literary Study
• Textual Analysis
• Portfolio of Writing
• Dissertation

Course assessment:

• The examination, consisting of two papers:
• Paper 1 – Literary Study
• Paper 2 – Textual Analysis
  
  

Coursework:

• A writing portfolio, consisting of one piece of writing.
• A dissertation of 2500-3500 words on an aspect(s) of literature independently chosen, studied and written.

Possible progression and career links:

Learners with real passion for the subject may wish to progress to the study of literature at university level. The skills developed through the Advanced Higher English course are relevant to many career paths, but particularly those where reading and writing skills are prominent, such as teaching, journalism and law.