Once a month, students in S1 and S2 are set a literacy or numeracy family learning challenge. These tasks are designed to help you engage with your child’s learning in a fun and relaxed way. Students who complete the Family Learning challenges and submit their booklet to their teacher will be awarded a Merit.
Help your child with English in S1-S3
Your child will have many experiences and opportunities in S1-3 designed to help them develop their skills in Reading, Writing, Talking & Listening. The best way you can help your child improve in English at this home is to encourage them to read widely. (We know this can be a challenge!) There is nothing better for developing your child’s knowledge of language, vocabulary, sentence structure and imagination than reading.
For reluctant readers, ‘personal reading’ does not have to be fiction. There are lots of brilliant non-fiction books, such as biographies, that will similarly develop you child’s knowledge of language.
The links below will hopefully provide lots of inspiration to engage even the most reluctant of readers:
Additionally, as part of the S1/2 Personal Reading programme, all students will be given fortnightly reading homework. They set reading targets each time and we ask for a parental signature on their Reading Record to confirm that they have met their target.
S1-3 Resources
To give you a feel for the English course, below are a selection of units that your child will engage with over the course of S1-3.
Marking Criteria
At the end of each unit of work, your child will complete a formally assessed Outcome.
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S1 Outcomes
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S2 Outcomes
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S3 Outcomes
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Critical Essay 1
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Critical Essay Media
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Critical Essay 1
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Critical Essay 2
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Critical Essay Other Genre
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Critical Essay 2
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Creative Writing
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Persuasive Writing
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Persuasive Writing
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Informative Writing
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Personal Writing
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Creative Writing
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Solo Talk
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Solo Talk
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RUAE – 5 skills
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Group Discussion
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Group Discussion
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Group Discussion
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We assess each outcome using the attached criteria, and students record their progress in their BGE Progress Booklet which allows them to record their level and reflect upon their strengths and targets for next time.
Help your child with National 5 English
There are two exam papers that all students will sit at National 5, as well as producing a written folio:
- Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation (30%)
- Critical Reading:
- Part A - Scottish Textual Analysis (20%)
- Part B - Critical Essay (20%)
- Writing Folio (30%)
RUAE (30%)
Reading for Understanding, Analysis & Evaluation essentially tests students’ comprehension skills and their ability to analyse the writer’s use of language.
There are several main question types, and students should learnt the formula for each:
- Own words
- Linking
- Word Choice
- Imagery
- Tone
- Sentence Structure
- Effective Introduction/Conclusion
Each class Team has a variety of resources to help students develop these skills. Further practice can be found here, alongside the corresponding mark schemes.
https://www.sqa.org.uk/pastpapers/findpastpaper.htm?subject=English&level=N5
CRITCIAL READING
Scottish Set Text (20%)
In this element of the course, students will study six poems from the same poet. In the exam, they complete a textual analyse of one of the poems they have studied, before answering a final question that requires them to compare the poem in the exam to the other poems they have studied.
Each class Team has a variety of resources to help students study their Scottish Text. Further practice can be found here, alongside the corresponding mark schemes.
https://www.sqa.org.uk/pastpapers/findpastpaper.htm?subject=English&level=N5
There are many great resources on BBC Bitesize to help your child with National 5 English, particularly for the Scottish Set Text element.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zmcrd2p
Critical Essay (20%)
For this element of the course, your child will write a critical essay on a text that they have studied in class. This could be a novel, a drama or a media text. Popular choices in recent years have been: ‘1984’ by George Orwell, ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ by Stephen Chbosky, ‘A View from the Bridge’ by Arthur Miller and ‘Baby Driver’ (media).
Each class Team has a variety of resources to help students study their critical essay text. Further practice can be found here, alongside the corresponding mark schemes.
https://www.sqa.org.uk/pastpapers/findpastpaper.htm?subject=English&level=N5
FOLIO (30%)
The Folio is an important component of National 5 English. Your child will write one piece of writing (either creative or persuasive) that is worth 30% of their overall grade.
Using the SQA Understanding Standards materials can be a good way to understand the different elements of the course and see how marks are awarded.
https://www.understandingstandards.org.uk/Subjects/English
Help your child with Higher English
There are two exam papers that all students will sit at Higher, as well as producing a written folio:
- Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation (30%)
- Critical Reading:
- Part A - Scottish Textual Analysis (20%)
- Part B - Critical Essay (20%)
- Writing Folio (30%)
RUAE (30%)
Reading for Understanding, Analysis & Evaluation essentially tests students’ comprehension skills and their ability to analyse the writer’s use of language.
There are several main question types, and students should learnt the formula for each:
- Own words
- Linking
- Word Choice
- Imagery
- Tone
- Sentence Structure
- Effective Introduction/Conclusion
Each class Team has a variety of resources to help students develop these skills. Further practice can be found here, alongside the corresponding mark schemes.
https://www.sqa.org.uk/pastpapers/findpastpaper.htm?subject=English&level=NH
CRITCIAL READING
Scottish Set Text (20%)
In this element of the course, students will study six poems from the same poet. In the exam, they complete a textual analyse of one of the poems they have studied, before answering a final question that requires them to compare the poem in the exam to the other poems they have studied.
Each class Team has a variety of resources to help students study their Scottish Text. Further practice can be found here, alongside the corresponding mark schemes.
https://www.sqa.org.uk/pastpapers/findpastpaper.htm?subject=English&level=NH
There are many great resources on BBC Bitesize to help your child with Higher English, particularly for the Scottish Set Text element.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zqxhfg8
Critical Essay (20%)
For this element of the course, your child will write a critical essay on a text that they have studied in class. This could be a novel, a drama or a media text. Popular choices in recent years have been: ‘1984’ by George Orwell, ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ by Stephen Chbosky, ‘A View from the Bridge’ by Arthur Miller and ‘Baby Driver’ (media).
Each class Team has a variety of resources to help students study their critical essay text. Further practice can be found here, alongside the corresponding mark schemes.
https://www.sqa.org.uk/pastpapers/findpastpaper.htm?subject=English&level=NH
FOLIO (30%)
The Folio is an important component of National 5 English. Your child will write one piece of writing (either creative or persuasive) that is worth 30% of their overall grade.
Using the SQA Understanding Standards materials can be a good way to understand the different elements of the course and see how marks are awarded.
https://www.understandingstandards.org.uk/Subjects/English
