Teacher: Miss Marina Holzheimer
All pupils are taught English; in S1-3 they will follow a broad curriculum that will help them prepare for National Qualifications in S4.
All pupils will be given opportunities to improve their written and spoken communication, as well as develop skills in reading and interpreting a wide variety of texts.
Literacy
Literacy skills are an integral part of English teaching. Closely interwoven into each scheme for learning are opportunities for pupils to improve their and develop their literacy, not only for the purposes of assessment in English, but as a vital life skill.
Home Learning
Generally speaking, pupils will be set a weekly homework task related to their studies. All home tasks are an extension of the work set in class and will be meaningful in supporting each pupil’s progress.
What will I learn and why? Literacy and English offers a set of skills which allows us to engage fully in learning using different forms of language and a range of texts which society values and finds useful.
How will I learn? We will be developing the key skills of Reading, Writing and Listening and Talking as they relate to Curriculum for Excellence levels in Literacy and English.
In Reading, texts studied will be novels, short stories, poetry, plays and film. We will ask you to complete spoken and written responses to these texts.
In Writing, we will offer you the chance to work on a variety of types – functional, personal/ creative and persuasive. We will also support your research and presentation of Writing through ICT.
In Listening and Talking, we will work individually and in groups giving solo talks, power point presentations, triangular debates, dramatic performances as well as discussions involving peers and self assessment.
Assessment in S1
In S1, students are assessed using the CfE outcomes and experiences as a basis for assessment. Pupils are given opportunities to develop their skills of self-assessment, as well as assess each other’s work.
Largely, assessment is an ongoing, daily process and pupils are rewarded for their progress through general book marking and verbal feedback in discussions.
At the close of each unit, pupils are given formal, written feedback. Some units have a controlled assessment at the end, whereby skills are assessed formally.
Personal Reading
All pupils are encouraged to engage in personal reading each week. There is a library period once a week where pupils have the opportunity to browse for books and choose something enjoyable to read.
In S1, pupils also have a Reading Challenge booklet that enables them to engage with new genres and text types to extend their own reading horizons and foster and enjoyment for reading. At the conclusion of a challenge, pupils receive a bookmark, and at the conclusion of the booklet, they are awards a certificate and a prize.
Student of the Week
Rewarding pupils for effort is a very important part of English. Each week, two pupils receive a certificate for the amount of commitment and effort they have put into their work. One certificate is given by the teacher and the other is given by pupils voting for who they have observed to have made a particular effort in the week’s work.
Assessment in S2
In S2, students are assessed using the CfE outcomes and experiences as a basis for assessment. As S2 builds on S2, pupils will be given opportunities to self-assess their progress and reflect on how they are developing in English. They will also be given opportunities to assess the work of others as well.
Largely, assessment is an ongoing, daily process and pupils are rewarded for their progress through general book marking and verbal feedback in discussions.
At the close of each unit, pupils are given formal, written feedback. Some units have a controlled assessment at the end, whereby skills are assessed formally.
Personal Reading
All pupils are encouraged to engage in personal reading each week. There is a library period once a week where pupils have the opportunity to browse for books and choose something enjoyable to read.
In S2, pupils have a reading journal whereby they record their own log of reading and have the opportunity to complete reading-related tasks.
Assessment in S3
In S3, students are assessed using the CfE outcomes and experiences as a basis for assessment. Largely, assessment is an ongoing, daily process and pupils are rewarded for their progress through general book marking and verbal feedback in discussions. They will also be given the opportunity t assess others as well.
At the close of each unit, pupils are given formal, written feedback. Some units have a controlled assessment at the end, whereby skills are assessed formally.
Personal Reading
S3 are encouraged to read personally and widely, and occasional library lessons give them the opportunity to do so. Library lessons in S3 are mostly for research and information and there are units of work that will help them use their time in the library to do so.
S4
In S4, pupils follow a programme of study that allows them to complete assessments that are set by SQA and enable them to gain a National Qualification.
All pupils will complete:
An Added Value Unit
This unit enables them to gain a qualification at N4. It is an opportunity to study and research a number of texts, write a response to doing so and take part in a question and answer session.
Analysis and Evaluation Assessments
These units help them to develop their skills in reading, exploring, analysing and evaluation a broad range of texts. At the end of study, pupils take part in a controlled assessment that allows them to analyse a written and spoken text and provide written and spoken responses.
Creation and Production Assessments
These units enable students to create written and spoken responses to a variety of texts.
Portfolio of Writing
Pupils advancing to N5 will complete two pieces of writing for their portfolios; one will be broadly creative and one will be broadly discursive.
Critical Essay
Pupils in S4 who advance to N5 will study Of Mice and Men. They will be assessed in a final exam on their understanding of the text by having 45 minutes to write a response.
Scottish Texts
Pupils advancing to N5 will study 6 poems by Jackie Kay, their understanding of which will also be assessed via final exam, again having 45 to write a response.
Close Reading
Pupils will be given opportunities to develop their skills in close reading as, again where pupils advance to N5 these skills will be assessed via final exam.
Literacy
An N4, Literacy skills are assessed alongside other units of work. At N5, pupils complete a discrete literacy unit.
