Wallace High School

English

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Overview

English is widely recognised as vital to the educational achievement and future life of all pupils. Throughout the school the aims of the department are fourfold: to develop communication skills in listening, talking, reading and writing; to develop knowledge of the concepts of language and literature; to foster positive attitudes towards the various uses (and users of) language and literature; and finally, under-pinning the first three aims, to provide stimulating language experiences for pupils to acquire these skills, attitudes and understanding.

The First Two Years

All pupils entering the First Year follow a common course. Classes in the First Year are mixed ability groups following the same course which will include English, History, Geography, French, Mathematics, Science, Art, Music, Technical Subjects, Information Technology, Home Economics, Physical Education and Religious Education. In S1 a rota operates between History and Geography.

Certain subjects will offer a system of setting in Second Year; all departments have programmes of differentiated work to cater for individual needs from the least to the most able. Computing Studies and Business Education are studied in Second Year instead of Information Technology.

During Second Year, pupils will choose which course they will follow in S3 and S4. Option Sheets are issued so that parents can discuss choices with their children and a Parents' Meeting is held to give information about the course choice arrangements. Interviews with Senior Staff and Pupil Support Staff are available to children and their parents.

Courses in S3 and S4:

Third and Fourth Year courses are designed to lead to presentation for Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Standard Grade courses and, in some cases, SQA Short courses/National Qualification courses at Access and Intermediate level or National Units. Additionally we are developing links with Further Education Colleges to offer some vocational courses. This wide choice of courses allows the construction of an appropriate course of study, up to a maximum of eight subjects, for each pupil.

All pupils study a compulsory core of subjects comprising English (4 periods), Mathematics (4 periods) and school courses in Physical Education (2 periods) and Religious Education (1 period) out of a school week of 30 periods. The remainder of the course is completed by choosing one subject from the option columns in table 1. All of these subjects are studied three periods per week.

Courses in S5 and S6:

In the Senior School presentation is available in a full range of National Qualification courses at different levels from Intermediate 1 to Higher level and Advanced Higher. All of the courses being offered in Fifth and Sixth Year are certificated by SQA. The level of study for each course is recommended by the subject department.

The school's policy on presentation for SQA examinations is to allow all pupils to be presented for the examinations appropriate to the courses they have studied.

During Fourth and Fifth year, option sheets are issued so that parents can discuss choices with their children. A Parents' Meeting is held to give information about the course choice arrangements. Interviews with Senior Staff and Pupil Support Staff are available to children and their parents.