In their fourth year, most high school students in Scotland work towards a National 4 or National 5 qualification in English. These documents/links summarise the National courses:
Nationals in a Nutshell - (National Parent Forum of Scotland): National 4 .pdf
Course Content and Delivery (SQA): National 4
Nationals in a Nutshell - (National Parent Forum of Scotland): National 5 .pdf
Course Content and Delivery (SQA): National 5
Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation
Nationals in a Nutshell - (National Parent Forum of Scotland): National 4 .pdf
Course Content and Delivery (SQA): National 4
Nationals in a Nutshell - (National Parent Forum of Scotland): National 5 .pdf
Course Content and Delivery (SQA): National 5
The resources in this section support:
National 5 - Reading for UAE (BBC Knowledge): Analysing Language
| Internal Assessment | Unit 1 | Outcome 1: Reading |
|---|---|---|
| External Assessment | Paper 1 | Reading for Analysis and Evaluation |
National 5 - Reading for UAE (BBC Knowledge): Analysing Language
National 5 - Reading for UAE (BBC Knowledge): Understanding and Inference
Close Reading (BBC Learning): Sentence Construction
Standard Grade Close Reading Resources
Close Reading (BBC Bitesize): Exam Basics / General Advice
Close Reading (BBC Learning): Writer's Craft video
Close Reading (BBC GCSE Bitesize): Non-Fiction TextsStandard Grade Close Reading Resources
Close Reading (BBC Bitesize): Exam Basics / General Advice
Close Reading Questions (BBC Bitesize): Question Types / Examples
Close Reading Exam (SQA Understanding Standards): Example Responses / Marks
Critical Reading: Scottish Text
The resources in this section support:
Poetry: Carol Ann Duffy
General Writing Skills
The resources in this section support:
| External Assessment | Paper 2 | Part 1: Scottish Text |
|---|
Poetry: Carol Ann Duffy
Carol Ann Duffy (Scottish Poetry Library): Havisham (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Havisham (Analysis)
Carol Ann Duffy (Scottish Poetry Library): Mrs Midas (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Mrs Midas (Analysis)
Carol Ann Duffy (Scottish Poetry Library): Originally (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Originally (Analysis)
Carol Ann Duffy (Scottish Poetry Library): Valentine (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Valentine (Analysis)
Carol Ann Duffy (BBC GCSE Bitesize): Valentine (Context / Language / Themes)
Carol Ann Duffy (Scottish Poetry Library): War Photographer (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): War Photographer (Analysis)
Carol Ann Duffy (Scottish Poetry Library): Anne Hathaway (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Anne Hathaway (Analysis)
Poetry: Norman MacCaig
Norman MacCaig (Scottish Poetry Library): Assisi (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Assisi (Analysis)
Norman MacCaig (Scottish Poetry Library): Aunt Julia (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Aunt Julia (Analysis)
Norman MacCaig (Scottish Poetry Library): Basking Shark (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Basking Shark (Analysis)
Norman MacCaig (Scottish Poetry Library): Memorial (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Memorial (Analysis)
Norman MacCaig (Scottish Poetry Library): Sounds of the Day (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Sounds of the Day (Analysis)
Norman MacCaig (Scottish Poetry Library): Visiting Hour (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Visiting Hour (Analysis)
Poetry: Edwin Morgan
Edwin Morgan (Scottish Poetry Library): Hyena (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Hyena (Analysis)
Edwin Morgan (Scottish Poetry Library): In the Snack Bar (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): In the Snack Bar (Analysis)
Edwin Morgan (Scottish Poetry Library): Slate (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Slate (Analysis)
Edwin Morgan (Scottish Poetry Library): Trio (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Trio (Analysis)
Edwin Morgan (Scottish Poetry Library): Winter (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Winter (Analysis)
Edwin Morgan (Scottish Poetry Library): Good Friday (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Good Friday (Analysis)
Critical Reading: Critical Essay
The resources in this section support:
National 5 - Critical Essay (BBC Knowledge): Key Terms / Structure
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Havisham (Analysis)
Carol Ann Duffy (Scottish Poetry Library): Mrs Midas (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Mrs Midas (Analysis)
Carol Ann Duffy (Scottish Poetry Library): Originally (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Originally (Analysis)
Carol Ann Duffy (Scottish Poetry Library): Valentine (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Valentine (Analysis)
Carol Ann Duffy (BBC GCSE Bitesize): Valentine (Context / Language / Themes)
Carol Ann Duffy (Scottish Poetry Library): War Photographer (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): War Photographer (Analysis)
Carol Ann Duffy (Scottish Poetry Library): Anne Hathaway (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Anne Hathaway (Analysis)
Poetry: Norman MacCaig
Norman MacCaig (Scottish Poetry Library): Assisi (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Assisi (Analysis)
Norman MacCaig (Scottish Poetry Library): Aunt Julia (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Aunt Julia (Analysis)
Norman MacCaig (Scottish Poetry Library): Basking Shark (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Basking Shark (Analysis)
Norman MacCaig (Scottish Poetry Library): Memorial (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Memorial (Analysis)
Norman MacCaig (Scottish Poetry Library): Sounds of the Day (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Sounds of the Day (Analysis)
Norman MacCaig (Scottish Poetry Library): Visiting Hour (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Visiting Hour (Analysis)
Poetry: Edwin Morgan
Edwin Morgan (Scottish Poetry Library): Hyena (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Hyena (Analysis)
Edwin Morgan (Scottish Poetry Library): In the Snack Bar (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): In the Snack Bar (Analysis)
Edwin Morgan (Scottish Poetry Library): Slate (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Slate (Analysis)
Edwin Morgan (Scottish Poetry Library): Trio (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Trio (Analysis)
Edwin Morgan (Scottish Poetry Library): Winter (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Winter (Analysis)
Edwin Morgan (Scottish Poetry Library): Good Friday (Poem)
National 5 - Poetry (BBC Knowledge): Good Friday (Analysis)
Critical Reading: Critical Essay
The resources in this section support:
| External Assessment | Paper 2 | Part 2: Critical Essay |
|---|
National 5 - Critical Essay (BBC Knowledge): Key Terms / Structure
Critical Evaluation of Literature (Revision World): Essay Writing Tips
Booknotes (BBC): Annotated Duffy/MacCaig/Morgan
NEW Critical Writing (BBC Bitesize GCSE): Overview
NEW Critical Writing (BBC Bitesize GCSE): Themes and Ideas
NEW Critical Writing (BBC Bitesize GCSE): Characterisation and Voice
Macbeth - William Shakespeare
NEW Macbeth (BBC GCSE Bitesize): Context/Plot/Character/Themes
NEW Macbeth (BBC Standard Grade Bitesize): Themes/Time-line/Characters
NEW Macbeth (BBC Shakespeare Collection): The Whole Play video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A1S7 - To Kill the King (Scene) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A1S7 - Whether to Kill the King (Analysis) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A1S7 - Persuading Macbeth (Analysis) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A2S2 - Bloody Daggers (Scene) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A2S2 - The King is Dead (Analysis) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A2S2 - Rhythm of the Language (Analysis) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A2S2 - Hearing Noises (Analysis) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A5S1 - Sleepwalking (Scene) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A5S1 - Sleepwalking Queen (Scene) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A5S1 - Candle in the Dark (Scene) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A5S1 - Unlocking the Words (Scene) video
NEW Macbeth Videos (BBC GCSE Bitesize): Dramatisations and Analysis videos
Booknotes (BBC): Annotated Duffy/MacCaig/Morgan
NEW Critical Writing (BBC Bitesize GCSE): Overview
NEW Critical Writing (BBC Bitesize GCSE): Themes and Ideas
NEW Critical Writing (BBC Bitesize GCSE): Characterisation and Voice
Macbeth - William Shakespeare
NEW Macbeth (BBC GCSE Bitesize): Context/Plot/Character/Themes
NEW Macbeth (BBC Standard Grade Bitesize): Themes/Time-line/Characters
NEW Macbeth (BBC Shakespeare Collection): The Whole Play video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A1S7 - To Kill the King (Scene) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A1S7 - Whether to Kill the King (Analysis) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A1S7 - Persuading Macbeth (Analysis) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A2S2 - Bloody Daggers (Scene) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A2S2 - The King is Dead (Analysis) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A2S2 - Rhythm of the Language (Analysis) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A2S2 - Hearing Noises (Analysis) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A5S1 - Sleepwalking (Scene) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A5S1 - Sleepwalking Queen (Scene) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A5S1 - Candle in the Dark (Scene) video
NEW Shakespeare Unlocked (BBC): A5S1 - Unlocking the Words (Scene) video
NEW Macbeth Videos (BBC GCSE Bitesize): Dramatisations and Analysis videos
General Writing Skills
Knowledge of Language (Education Scotland): Parts of Speech
Knowledge of Language (Education Scotland): Punctuation
Knowledge of Language (Education Scotland): Sentence Structure / Paragraphing
Knowledge of Language (Education Scotland): Tricky Spellings
Knowledge of Language (Education Scotland): Common Confusions
Grammar and Usage (Oxford Dictionaries): Grammar
Grammar and Usage (Oxford Dictionaries): Spelling
Grammar and Usage (Oxford Dictionaries): Punctuation
Grammar and Usage (Oxford Dictionaries): Usage
Writing in Specific Forms (BBC Bitesize): Imaginative / Script / Newspaper Report
Writing Style (BBC Bitesize): Figurative Language
Writing Style (BBC Learning Video): Sentence Construction video
Folio of Writing: Creative
Folio of Writing: Discursive
Specimen Question Papers
National 5 - Reading for UAE (SQA): Specimen Question Paper
National 5 - Critical Reading (SQA): Specimen Question Paper
National 5 - Critical Reading (SQA): Additional Questions
2017 National 5 (SQA): Critical Reading & RUAE .pdf
2017 National 5 (SQA): Marking Instructions .pdf
2016 National 5 (SQA): Critical Reading & RUAE .pdf
2016 National 5 (SQA): Marking Instructions .pdf
2015 National 5 (SQA): Critical Reading & RUAE .pdf
2015 National 5 (SQA): Marking Instructions .pdf
2014 National 5 (SQA): Critical Reading & RUAE .pdf
2014 National 5 (SQA): Marking Instructions .pdf
Intermediate 2 Past Papers (Discontinued Qualification)
2013 Intermediate 2 (SQA): Critical Essay & Close Reading .pdf
Knowledge of Language (Education Scotland): Punctuation
Knowledge of Language (Education Scotland): Sentence Structure / Paragraphing
Knowledge of Language (Education Scotland): Tricky Spellings
Knowledge of Language (Education Scotland): Common Confusions
Grammar and Usage (Oxford Dictionaries): Grammar
Grammar and Usage (Oxford Dictionaries): Spelling
Grammar and Usage (Oxford Dictionaries): Punctuation
Grammar and Usage (Oxford Dictionaries): Usage
Writing in Specific Forms (BBC Bitesize): Imaginative / Script / Newspaper Report
Writing Style (BBC Bitesize): Figurative Language
Writing Style (BBC Learning Video): Sentence Construction video
Folio of Writing: Creative
The resources in this section support:
National 5 - Writing (BBC Knowledge): Personal
National 5 - Writing (BBC Knowledge): Creative
| Internal Assessment | Unit 2 | Outcome 1: Writing |
|---|---|---|
| External Assessment | Folio of Writing | Creative Writing |
National 5 - Writing (BBC Knowledge): Personal
National 5 - Writing (BBC Knowledge): Creative
Creative Writing (BBC GCSE Bitesize): Setting / Characters / Dialogue video
Creative Writing (BBC Learning): Developing Narrative Writing video
Creative Writing (BBC Learning): The Opening Paragraph video
Creative Writing (BBC Learning): Redrafting video
Creative Writing (BBC Blast): Good Openings / Plot / Characterisation video
Creative Writing (BBC Blast): Editing / Entertaining the Reader video
Creative Writing (Scottish Book Trust): Ideas video
Creative Writing (Scottish Book Trust): Characters video
Creative Writing (Scottish Book Trust): Plot video
Creative Writing (Scottish Book Trust): Setting video
Creative Writing (Scottish Book Trust): Redrafting video
Writing (BBC Bitesize): Exam Guide / Personal / Discursive
BBC RAW: Planning a Story video
BBC RAW: Structuring a Story video
BBC RAW: Reviewing a Story video
BBC RAW: Writing Tips video
BBC RAW: Redrafting a Story video
Writing (BBC Bitesize): Exam Guide / Personal / Discursive
BBC RAW: Planning a Story video
BBC RAW: Structuring a Story video
BBC RAW: Reviewing a Story video
BBC RAW: Writing Tips video
BBC RAW: Redrafting a Story video
Folio of Writing: Discursive
The resources in this section support:
National 5 - Writing (BBC Knowledge) - Discursive
National 5 - Writing (BBC Knowledge) - Descriptive
| Internal Assessment | Unit 2 | Outcome 1: Writing |
|---|---|---|
| External Assessment | Folio of Writing | Discursive Writing |
National 5 - Writing (BBC Knowledge) - Discursive
National 5 - Writing (BBC Knowledge) - Descriptive
Discursive Writing (Multnomah County Library): Research Links
Discursive Writing (BBC Blast): Researching Skills Part 1 video
Discursive Writing (BBC Blast): Researching Skills Part 2 video
Discursive Writing (BBC Blast): Researching Skills Part 3 video
Writing (BBC Bitesize): Exam Guide / Personal / Discursive
Writing (BBC Bitesize): Exam Guide / Personal / Discursive
The resources in this section support:
National 5 - Listening (BBC Knowledge) - Skills/Features
| Internal Assessment | Unit 1 | Outcome 2: Listening |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Assessment | Unit 2 | Outcome 2: Talking |
National 5 - Listening (BBC Knowledge) - Skills/Features
Talking (BBC Bitesize): Individual Talk & Group Discussion
Talking (BBC Learning): Developing an Argument video
Talking (BBC Learning): Debating video
Debate (BBC Student Life): Argumentative Topics
Specimen Question Papers
National 5 - Reading for UAE (SQA): Specimen Question Paper
National 5 - Critical Reading (SQA): Specimen Question Paper
National 5 - Critical Reading (SQA): Additional Questions
Past Papers
The following past papers are available online:
2017 National 5 (SQA): Critical Reading & RUAE .pdf
2017 National 5 (SQA): Marking Instructions .pdf
2016 National 5 (SQA): Critical Reading & RUAE .pdf
2016 National 5 (SQA): Marking Instructions .pdf
2015 National 5 (SQA): Critical Reading & RUAE .pdf
2015 National 5 (SQA): Marking Instructions .pdf
2014 National 5 (SQA): Critical Reading & RUAE .pdf
2014 National 5 (SQA): Marking Instructions .pdf
Intermediate 2 Past Papers (Discontinued Qualification)
2015 Intermediate 2 (SQA): Critical Essay & Close Reading .pdf
2015 Intermediate 2 (SQA): Marking Instructions .pdf
2014 Intermediate 2 (SQA): Critical Essay & Close Reading .pdf
2014 Intermediate 2 (SQA): Marking Instructions .pdf
2013 Intermediate 2 (SQA): Critical Essay & Close Reading .pdf
2013 Intermediate 2 (SQA): Marking Instructions .pdf
