Course overview

The Higher English course is a demanding, but well-regarded, programme of study that aims to develop, in essence, the following skills:

• • reading skills

  • writing skills

• critical thinking skills

These skills are developed, and assessed, by reading, writing and critically responding to a wide range of literary and non-literary texts. The texts we will encounter along the way will include opinion-based, broadsheet newspaper articles; poems; plays; short stories; and film. These are the texts that we will read and critically respond to. However, you will also develop your writing skills by producing a number of different types of essays.

Your success on this course is largely down to how much you read and write already. In order to increase your knowledge, vocabulary and critical reading skills in general, you will be required to keep a Reading Journal (see Close Reading page on this site).

For information on what you need to do to pass the course go to How Am I assessed?