The English Faculty is keen to meet the needs of all learners S1 – S6, a target recognised by HMIe, who awarded the faculty an ”excellent “ in this area in 2008. Throughout S1, pupils are taught in mixed ability classes of 20 maximum and follow a range of activities intended to promote Reading, Writing and Talking skills. We work closely with our primary colleagues in order to support and promote pupils’ learning; indeed our first unit is partly delivered in primary 7. In S2, pupils are placed in broad ability sets of around 20 and again focus elements are Reading, Writing and Talk. Media is also an important and evolving part of the S2 course.
In S3/4 pupils follow Standard Grade English and engage in a wide range of activities, aimed at both the production of a strong folio for submission to the SQA and preparation for the external exam. Talk continues to be a strong focus and ICT is used to support pupils’ learning at all stages.
In S5/6, we offer a broad range of courses, namely Advanced Higher, Higher, Intermediate 2 and Intermediate 1 English as well as Intermediate 2 Media Studies, a course which has proved very popular with pupils since its introduction.
Development of pupils’ literacy skills and the promotion of Reading for Lifelong learning are key targets for the English Faculty in order to ensure all students leave Ellon Academy having maximised their potential and able to contribute effectively to post-school 21st Century life.
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