Literacy and English in secondary schools
Progression
Most departments make good use of attainment data from cluster primary schools. This allows for courses to be planned around the needs of all young people from an early stage in S1. Most English departments have their own attainment tracker for all stages in addition to whole school tracking approaches. English departments have regular reviews of learners’ progress. Almost all schools share information regarding literacy levels and attainment as part of whole school tracking tools.
Outwith English departments, teachers’ use of this information is inconsistent. In some schools, teachers from other curricular areas use this information to plan courses at appropriate levels. An increasing number of young people are transitioning to mainstream secondary school while working at CfE first and second levels. However, there is no clear understanding of how attainment levels link with young people’s ability to access course materials and resources. Teachers need to have a greater understanding of what achievement of a literacy level means and how this will impact course planning and pupil progression. By developing a clearer understanding of this, young people will benefit from a curriculum that better matches their needs and supports them to achieve more.
In almost all schools, English teachers use curriculum plans in Broad General Education (BGE) that reflect progressions pathways linked to CfE experiences and outcomes. Most pathways are aligned with national Benchmarks.
In all schools, senior phase courses are planned around the requirements of Qualifications Scotland (QS) courses. English departments plan their curriculum in the senior phase to meet the needs of learners and offer them appropriate and progressive pathways. Almost all English departments plan their BGE curriculum to align with CfE experiences and outcomes while also reflecting skills that will support young people to be well-equipped for QS courses.
All secondary schools visited offer English qualifications at National 4 (N4) level to Higher. Most offer Advanced Higher English either in school or through a consortium arrangement. The majority offer other communication-based courses from the Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework, such as Communications and Literature. Some schools offer the Scottish Studies qualification. This is leading to positive links across different subject areas as colleagues collaborate on planning courses and verifying assessment judgements.
In all schools, English teachers have responsibility for providing levels of attainment in literacy. There are occasional examples of evidence being sought from areas such as social subjects for confirmation of levels of attainment in writing. In a few schools, senior leaders have identified that refreshing their school’s approach to literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing as a responsibility of all is a key priority. Senior leaders anticipate that it could lead to a broader evidence base for literacy attainment.
Listening and talking
English departments plan a variety of listening and talking activities throughout the curriculum. Almost all English teachers plan engaging talk activities on a day-to-day basis. Almost all English teachers are skilled in using questioning to assess understanding and to provoke deeper thinking and discussion about topics, texts and real-life issues. Teachers in almost all other curricular areas include talk activities such as group discussion and presentations regularly. In a minority of schools, teachers other than English teachers have a firm understanding of what is meant by progression in talk.
Young people discuss the importance of talking skills and how these link to their lives beyond education and their future employment plans positively. English teachers should consider how to link courses and programmes for listening and talking to the world beyond school.
Often, curriculum plans include opportunities for listening and talking activities, but there is a lack of rigour in understanding their purpose. Young people are enthusiastic about opportunities to talk across the curriculum. Teachers, however, are not confident that they can support young people to develop talking skills.
Reading
When planning the reading curriculum, often English teachers consult with young people regarding the types of texts and topics they would like to study. Consultation takes a variety of forms, from formal consultations to ad hoc discussions with classes. Where this is happening well, young people report that they are more engaged in their learning and that it is relevant to their interests. They particularly enjoy studying topics and texts about where they live.
In a few schools, reading across the curriculum has been prioritised. One of the ways that schools have addressed this is by encouraging staff to share what they are reading. This helps young people to see that everyone is a reader and that everyone has different genres they enjoy. This practice is not widespread, and senior leaders should consider how to support young people to see reading as a life skill. This positively impacts young people’s learning and supports them throughout their lives.
Most English departments have developed the use of media texts such as films and podcasts in recent years. Young people welcome the inclusion of media texts. They feel that the texts are more accessible for a wider audience and are more likely to be of greater interest to them.
Most schools include topics and texts that have a Scottish theme or context. In the BGE, this is often a themed study of poetry or shorter stories. Courses for young people in the senior phase studying National 5 and Higher English include the study of a mandatory Scottish set text. The list of set texts has recently been revised, and teachers are considering the impact this will have on future courses.
There are examples of interesting cross-curricular studies linked to local areas. Productive links to local businesses can lead to learning about the history of the local area, historical figures and how Scotland’s culture influences products. Young people benefit from these links as they identify how important their local area is to the wider community.
Most English departments have a variety of approaches to encourage young people to read for enjoyment. Typically, this includes encouraging young people to try reading different genres. Staff are also offering an increased use of different platforms, such as audiobooks and electronic texts. Most English departments have very productive links with school librarians, often involving the librarian as part of discussions regarding new and interesting texts. Teachers and librarians raised concerns regarding the reduction in school library provisions and the closing of local libraries. As a way of addressing this, school librarians are also encouraging young people to access texts for free via local library app services where these are available.
Writing
Almost all English departments have created clear and helpful progressive frameworks. English teachers are secure in their understanding of what progression looks like across and within levels. There are a few examples of good literacy frameworks in other curricular areas, such as subject-specific vocabulary and approaches to creating texts, including science reports, evaluation essays in social subjects and extended essays in art and design.
Writing projects often form elements of transition work across clusters. A few clusters have developed a full moderation cycle based on a common topic, and this is supporting young people’s transition to secondary well. Many schools need to work on a shared understanding of approaches to writing across clusters.
Almost all English departments plan their BGE writing curriculum to ensure young people experience writing in a variety of genres. A few departments work well with teachers across other curricular areas to develop a common framework for writing extended pieces, such as reports and critical writing. Young people are able to easily identify the links between different curricular areas.
Digital learning
Most English departments use digital technology effectively. They increasingly use online learning applications and share resources digitally This supports young people well, as they can access resources at any time. Young people can use tools such as text-to-speech software or translation applications to help them access resources. This enables more young people to access longer written texts and supports their reading skills.
The use of tools such as grammar and spelling checkers supports young people to edit written responses and encourages them to actively re-read their work. Technology is also used well to support learners in summative assessments and exams. However, access to digital devices for learning varies across the country. Access to reliable internet in schools is variable and this can, at times, impact teachers’ planning. A number of schools have recently refreshed their policy on mobile phone usage. Local authorities and schools should continue to monitor the impact of revised policies.
Scots language
Almost all English departments include a study of the Scots language, texts or writers as an integral part of their curriculum. Young people respond positively to this element of their English curriculum, especially when it relates to contexts they are familiar with. Most English departments plan their studies of Scots around topics and texts that allow for progression through the BGE.
All young people in the senior phase studying National Qualifications Framework level 5 and Higher courses study a text from the QS reading list. The study of the Scots language in the BGE also supports young people’s writing in the senior phase. English teachers should consider how best to plan the study of Scots into their curriculum as an integral part of all courses rather than an added part. In the Higher English course report of September 2025, the principal assessor commented that, “A small number of candidates chose to write in Scots, for example, Shetlandic, Doric, and West Coast Scots. This choice often enhanced candidates’ writing.”
Almost all teachers outwith English departments understand that literacy is the responsibility of all. In some schools, teachers have audited courses and identified where young people have opportunities to demonstrate their literacy skills. This approach is most common in subject areas such as social subjects and modern languages. Where there is strong practice in this approach, teachers feel more confident when supporting young people in literacy activities, especially extended written responses such as science reports and social subjects projects. However, few teachers understand how they can support the development of young people’s literacy skills outwith English departments.
A few schools have timetabled a period each week that is focused on developing young people’s literacy skills, often with a focus on reading and writing skills. This is predominantly for young people in S1 and S2 and is delivered by English teachers. The impact and effectiveness of this additional period are not always clear. Senior leaders and those staff with responsibility for literacy must carefully monitor and evaluate the outcome of this dedicated time. There is a risk that this does not have the intended positive impact on young people’s literacy skills.
The literacy and English curriculum through relevant contexts
A few English departments consult with young people about topics and texts that are of interest to them. When young people are involved in identifying topics they would like to learn about, they have a greater sense of ownership and enjoyment of their learning.
The majority of schools have strong links with local organisations and employers. Often these links involve young people meeting with visitors, discovering what is involved in local industries and working with charity organisations to raise funds and volunteer. These projects all require young people to use their literacy skills in real-life contexts. Young people benefit from planned activities and develop skills needed for learning, life and work. However, senior leaders do not always link these activities with the whole-school literacy curriculum. As a result, there is a lack of understanding of how this learning can contribute to developing literacy across different contexts for learners.
Meeting young people’s needs
Almost all English teachers have engaged in moderation activities within their own department. A minority have engaged in moderation activities outwith their department with colleagues from other schools, including cluster primary colleagues. These have mostly focused on the verification of levels in the BGE. Senior leaders in most schools have identified more moderation activities are a priority. In most schools, there were productive links with cluster schools in the years leading up to the Covid-19 pandemic. Circumstances have meant that these links stopped working well for several sessions and are now in the process of being re-established. In the schools with well-established links, teachers are working together to develop course plans that link learning in the upper stages of primary and the start of secondary. These plans are mostly based on literacy and numeracy courses.
Across the curriculum, the pace of learning can be too slow. This is more acute across the BGE phase. Young people are often engaged in the same activities across lessons and work at the same pace, regardless of each individual’s needs. Young people who complete tasks and activities ahead of their peers are often given more of the same type of activity to do. They would benefit from extension tasks that would deepen their learning.
Strong transition processes are in place in most schools and this ensures that attainment is shared effectively across schools. In the majority of schools, this includes important information for those young people who have an additional support need. For some schools with a higher number of placing requests, this process can be challenging. Schools have developed ways of sharing this information with all staff. Most English teachers make good use of information regarding an individual’s additional support needs and plan for appropriate support. The quality of this support varies but almost all English teachers consider the accessibility of the texts and supports they use, such as scaffolding for extended writing. There is considerable variety in teachers’ understanding of this information and how it should impact on planning to meet learners’ needs. Most BGE classes are mixed ability, but in almost all classes, all young people access the same resources and texts. Teachers need to consider how accessible texts are for all young people and adapt as appropriate.
In many schools, the relationships between young people and English teachers are highly positive. Young people value the feedback English teachers provide, both in written and verbal forms. Learner conversations are an increasingly regular feature of English lessons and these are very popular with young people. It helps them to feel known as individuals and that feedback is personal to them. It also helps to build trusting relationships, so young people feel confident expressing their views more openly in English lessons than in other subjects. Young people in the senior phase reflect that the individual approach to feedback supports them well as they prepare for exams.
Teachers in other subjects provide regular, helpful feedback that supports young people to identify their next steps in learning. Learner conversations are also starting to be used by teachers of other subjects such as modern languages and social subjects to provide feedback. This practice is stronger in the senior phase. In schools where the BGE curriculum has recently been reviewed, approaches to developing appropriate and helpful feedback have been a focus. Young people report that they find this type of feedback helpful.
Leadership and professional learning
Almost all English departments work collaboratively with other departments across their own school or work with English departments in other schools. Across schools, this is leading to a greater understanding of what literacy levels of attainment mean. It also supports non-English specialists to feel more secure in their understanding of their literacy responsibilities. When English teachers work effectively with English teachers from other schools, this leads to a greater sharing of resources and approaches to learning and teaching. Staff who also work as exam markers often share their learning from these experiences. Young people benefit from this sharing of good practice as they study for QS qualifications.
Teachers across all subjects use a variety of assessment approaches to measure progress and attainment. There is a reliance on formal assessments to confirm attainment levels. There are almost no examples of teachers from curricular areas other than English contributing to the assessment of CfE levels. Teachers across all subject areas are developing the use of questioning as an effective assessment tool. This is often identified as an area for development in schools.
In a few schools, teachers from all curricular areas are working well together to develop common approaches to supporting the use of literacy skills. For example, across most curricular areas, young people deliver presentations linked to their learning. Teachers use a variety of teaching approaches that support young people in using literacy skills, such as listening and talking in groups. This is an area of the curriculum where young people can easily identify where they are using their literacy skills effectively. They can apply skills such as report writing and research in different contexts. Teachers would benefit from professional learning that supports their understanding of how they can develop young people’s literacy skills.
In most schools, there has been a clear focus on improving the quality of learning and teaching. In these schools, a considerable amount of professional development time has focused on pedagogy and what approaches are best suited to deliver a good lesson. As a result of this work, most schools have adopted a preferred lesson structure. This is leading to a more consistent classroom experience for young people. Some schools have focused on the quality of a teacher’s questioning to promote deeper learning and as a formative assessment tool. Almost all English teachers are skilled in the use of questioning to check for understanding. Some make very effective use of questioning to provoke deeper learning and thinking about areas of the curriculum. There is scope for teachers to work together to identify ways to use questioning to link learning across different curricular areas. Almost all English teachers provide clear explanations and make explicit links with prior learning. This approach is seen across other areas of the curriculum, but there is a need for a more consistent approach to support all young people.
Almost all English teachers actively engage in professional dialogue and reading to enhance classroom experiences for young people and to develop their own knowledge and pedagogy. A significant number of English teachers are QS markers. These teachers use their experience as markers to share understanding of national standards with colleagues.