This presentation aims to talk you through some of the features of the new courses and outline what your child can expect between in S3 and S4.

National 4 and 5 courses replace the existing Standard Grade and Intermediate exams.

The new National Courses feature aspects of both previous courses, meaning that pupils will continue to complete activities in the following areas…

In the first half of S3, pupils will continue to follow a similar course to the one covered in S1 and S2. Their new National courses follow on from this.

The next few slides will talk you through the skills that your child will be developing as part of your National courses.

They use aspects of the official SQA language, but we will try to explain what these all mean!

The following key skills will be met within the S3 Timeline

Reading• Reading for

Understanding/Analysis/Evaluation• Critical ReadingWriting• Creative and discursive writingTalking and Listening• Individual Presentation• Group Discussion• Media Analysis and Evaluation

In the form of a ‘Critical Essay’ in which pupils respond to a text studied in class. This is not any different to what you have been doing in class since S1, only this time under timed conditions.This is the new name for

close reading. You have already started studying this.

The following key skills will be met within the S3 Timeline

Reading• Reading for

Understanding/Analysis/Evaluation• Critical ReadingWriting• Creative and discursive writingTalking and Listening• Individual Presentation• Group Discussion• Media Analysis and Evaluation

We will continue to work on your writing skills. This will help us to prepare for our folio of writing.

The following key skills will be met within the S3 Timeline

Reading• Reading for

Understanding/Analysis/Evaluation• Critical ReadingWriting• Creative and discursive writingTalking and Listening• Individual Presentation• Group Discussion• Media Analysis and Evaluation

The assessment of your ability in Talking and Listening is the biggest change from Intermediate 1 and 2. Your talk will be assessed as a Group Discussion or an Individual Presentation.

No decision will be made about your child’s final level until after their S3 exam.

The level they are presented at will depend on their performance in the S3 exam, as well as all the work that you have completed in S3.

Your teacher will also take into account your effort throughout the year.

National 4 English will generally replace Intermediate 1 courses at S3 and S4. Like these courses, National 4 courses will see you improve skills in the following areas.

• Reading• Writing• Talking• Listening

The National 4 English course will be examined internally. This means that there will be no exam.

Despite this, you will still need to complete a number of assessments in school which will be marked by your teacher. This will include a unit on literacy as well as an individual project called your ‘Added Value Unit’

National 5 English will generally replace Intermediate 2 courses at S3 and S4. Like these courses, National 5 courses are designed to provide you with the ability to develop their skills in the following key areas…

• Reading• Writing• Talking• Listening

Unlike National 4, National 5 will be examined externally at the end of S4 in much the same way as Intermediate 2 is just now.

Just as in Intermediate exams, your final grade will be determined by your performance in three elements (2 exam papers and your folio of writing.)

The examination can be broken down as follows…

Section 1 Reading for Understanding,Analysis and Evaluation Paper (U/A/E) 30 marks (based on the same principals as the close reading paper at Int 2) (30% of your overall mark)

Section 2 Critical Reading (2 elements)1.Critical Essay (20% of your overall mark)2.Scottish Element (20% of your overall mark)

Folio of Writing Two pieces of writing. 30 marks (30% of your overall mark)

A significant difference between Intermediate 2 and National 5 is the introduction of the Scottish Text paper.

This paper will ask you to analyse a piece of literature by a Scottish writer.

Williamwood will study the poetry of Edwin Morgan, and pupils will need to study a total of 6 poems.

This will be the first aspect of the new courses that we will start in S3.