From 2nd to 12th June 2025, we’re quietly marking the Empathy Festival—a celebration of how stories help us see the world through other people’s eyes.
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From 2nd to 12th June 2025, we’re quietly marking the Empathy Festival—a celebration of how stories help us see the world through other people’s eyes.
English
Staff
- Mrs J. Hunter (PT)
- Ms E. Grieve
- Ms C. McCulloch
- Mr M. McGeary
Department
The department consists of four classrooms on the ground floor of the school, in close proximity to the Library. We have a fifth room which combines the functions of staff base, study area for Advanced Higher pupils, and breakout space for supported pupils.
Courses
Course Choice
BGE
English S3
Senior Phase (S4-6)
BGE S1-S3
S1
In their first year with us, pupils study short units which introduce them to a variety of genres, including poetry, drama, film, and short stories. They will be expected to take part in talking and listening activities, as well as producing writing of their own in the creative and discursive/persuasive genres.
S2
The genres studied in first year are revisited in S2, at greater length and in greater depth. Extended work on drama, film, and poetry is undertaken, and the skills of critical analysis are developed. A unit on journalism is designed to coincide with BBC News Day in March, and the year finishes with the study of a novel.
S3 English
When pupils enter S3, they make choices from nine optional courses, choosing three per pupil which will be covered between August and Christmas. Although the courses take very different approaches to a variety of subjects, all pupils will be developing the same range of skills, across the same curricular areas. The year ends with two extended units, one on drama and one on a novel, which consolidate skills across the English curriculum in preparation for S3 exams.
S3 Drama
In S1 and S2, pupils have taken practical drama as part of their English course. In S3, for the first time, pupils are able to opt for Drama as a discrete subject. Work will include focus and concentration, improvisation, scripted work, and elements of performance. Pupils will develop an understanding of how to interpret a script, develop a character, and considerations of staging a performance.
Senior Phase S4-S6 (SQA)
| National 3 English | National 5 English |
| National 3 Literacy | National 5 Literacy |
| National 4 English | Higher English |
| National 4 Literacy | Advanced Higher English |
Ethos
As a subject where the concept of the “right answer” is hard to pin down, we value open-mindedness, and we aim to develop in pupils the ability to draw on evidence to make a case with confidence. In addition to the communication skills inherent in the study of English, the skills of flexibility and analysis are ones that are infinitely transferable, not only to the world of work, but to life in general. The more we learn, through texts, of the experiences of others, the more we are able to understand our own.
Extra-curricular
Activities on offer by the Department vary depending on demand from pupils. In addition to the usual study opportunities outwith class time, we can offer support with debating, with drama, with reading, and with advocating for a cause.
Links
Stromness Academy Online Newspaper – Young Reporter 2024
Stromness Academy Young Reporter 2025
