In S4 or S5 pupils have the chance to learn and achieve at National 5 level. 

The National 5 English Course is designed to allow learners to develop the skills they have been working on in S1-S3. The course provides opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy skills and to understand, analyse and evaluate a range of texts, including Scottish texts, in the contexts of literature, language and media. 

The skills which young people develop while participating in this course will be used across all aspects of their learning at school, across every subject, and will enhance their understanding and performance in a multitude of areas. 

There are four components to the course:

• Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation 

• Critical Reading 

• Portfolio of Writing

• Spoken Language 

Parent and guardian support is a crucial aspect of our young peoples' success at National 5 English. Taking time to speak to your young person about their in-school learning, asking about home learning assignments, providing a quiet and comfortable space for home learning, and taking an active interest in their progress will all help them to feel confident and supported throughout the course. We welcome communication from home and would encourage you to contact us or your young person's Pupil Support Leader if you have any concerns about progress or attainment. 

For this section of the course pupils study a text or texts from a list of set Scottish writers. These texts are contemporary, 20th century and pre-20th century, and cover the genres of drama, prose and poetry. In recent years at Musselburgh Grammar School pupils have studied works by Norman MacCaig, Carol Anne Duffy, Iain Crichton Smith, Robin Jenkins, Robert Louis Stevenson and Ann Marie Di Mambro. 

In the exam, pupils will answer 20 marks worth of questions on a previously studied text. They will be given the text (or part of it if it is a longer text) in the exam and asked to answer 12 marks worth of questions on it. They will then have to draw on their knowledge of the other texts studied to complete a final, more developed, 8 mark question. 

[More detailed course overview]

[Key skills to be developed]

[How to support your child with subject/level]

[More detailed course overview]

[Key skills to be developed]

[How to support your child with subject/level]

[More detailed course overview]

[Key skills to be developed]

[How to support your child with subject/level]