English
The English department plays a key role in the life of the senior school, developing the core skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. All pupils sit the Standard Grade examination at the end of S4, and the vast majority are presented for Higher English in S5. The department takes very seriously its role both in preparing pupils for these important public examinations, and in enabling them to access the wider curriculum. It is also deeply committed to fostering an enjoyment of the subject at all levels, convinced that this is an essential element in pupil success. Staffed by some eleven specialist staff, including two members of the senior management team, the department is housed in an attractive suite of rooms in one of the towers of the school's Old Building.
A range of subject-related extra-curricular activities is supported by the department. These include debating, film-making, theatre and cinema trips, the school magazine, the annual creative writing competition, and a significant contribution to school drama productions.
English: Staffing
Mr Kenneth Simpson (Principal Teacher)
Mr Simpson graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1986 with a degree in English Literature and Philosophy. He joined the Heriot's English department in 2003 after working for several years in the state sector in South London. He has particular interests in film, media and the theatre.
Mr Neil Grant (Assistant Principal Teacher)
Mr Grant is a long-serving member of the Heriot's staff who came back to Heriot's after teaching in Paisley. His MA Honours degree is from The University of Edinburgh. He is involved in training and assessing for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. He is interested in Rock music.
Mr John Tait
Mr Tait has an Honours degree from Glasgow University. He is a long serving member of the English Department with a responsibility for the administration of the Advanced Higher course. His other interests include 19th century fiction and classical music.
Mrs Gemma Hay
Mrs Hay graduated from the University of Edinburgh and joined the department in 1998. She is Head of Citizenship and is actively involved in the running of the Debating Society.
Mrs Dianne Keohane
Mrs Keohane graduated from Edinburgh University and joined the English department in 2006 having previously taught in England. She is Gifted and Talented Coordinator for the Senior School and is closely involved with the Debating Society.
Mrs Monique Massie
Mrs Massie graduated from Essex University and the Institute of Education, University of London. She joined the English department in 2001, having taught in England and abroad. She is involved in the running of the Creative Writing Club and also helps to co-ordinate the school quizzes.
Mr Phil Lowe
Mr Lowe graduated from the University of Glasgow and joined the department in 2004 having taught in North Lanarkshire. He is becoming involved with Media Education, both through delivery of the AS Film course to S6 and through involvement with Film Making as an extra-curricular activity. He also plays the trombone, and enjoys helping out with school shows and concerts.
Dr Alison Neilson
Dr Neilson joined the English department after completing her PhD at the University of York. She is involved in the running of the Creative Writing Club and also helps to co-ordinate the school quizzes. She is editor of The Herioter.
Mrs Linda Nicol
Mrs Nicol graduated from The University of St Andrews and Moray House Institute of Education. She joined the English department in 1995 and is editor of the Extra Curricular Activities section of The Herioter.
Miss Kate Morgan
Miss Morgan graduated from the University of Warwick in 1999 with a BA in English and French literature. She completed her PGCE at the Institute of Education in London. She joined Heriot's in 2008 having taught English and Media Studies for eight years in Greater London. She has an MA in Shakespeare from Royal Holloway, University of London. Miss Morgan is involved with Debating in Primary 6 and helps edit the Arts section of the Herioter.
Mr CD Wyllie (Head of Senior School), and Mr RC Dickson (Depute) also teach in the English department.
English: Curriculum
S1
In first year, pupils encounter a range of literary texts - usually two novels, some poetry and a play. For most, this last tends to be Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream which generates a good deal of classroom theatrical activity! Pupils also have their skills in close reading and essay writing reinforced, and are involved in writing book reviews based on their own reading. A range of talking activities is offered - often related to the texts being studied - and pupils are assessed in both group discussion and individual talk. A highlight, for some, is the short Healthy Eating unit which invites pupils to write in contrasting non-fictional forms.
S2
As they move into S2, pupils encounter more challenging texts and topics: a key feature of the curriculum at this stage is George Orwell's hugely important political novella, Animal Farm, which all pupils study in the first term. The other features of the S1 curriculum continue to be developed in S2, with close reading tasks, in particular, becoming ever more demanding. The challenge is maintained, for the great majority of pupils, in their encounter with a second Shakespearean text - usually Romeo and Juliet or The Merchant of Venice. In stark contrast, perhaps, pupils also engage in a short media-based unit in which they study some of the language of the moving image in the context of television advertising.
S3 and S4
Rather than opting for Int. 2, the Heriot's English department has continued to present pupils for Standard Grade as it believes that this course offers the greatest potential for a genuinely holistic study of language and literature. The assessment scheme is broad and enabling, allowing pupils' work to be measured in a range of modes - in oral presentations, group discussion and coursework, as well as in formal examinations. Over the two-year course, pupils study a wide range of prose, drama and poetry, working on Scottish, English and American texts drawn both from the 20th century and from earlier periods; they also engage in a diverse range of writing tasks producing material which is creative, reflective and discursive. The bulk of the teaching and coursework preparation is completed by Christmas in S4 in order that an early start can be made on the Higher course.
S5
Higher English remains a key qualification for a very large majority of our pupils. They are taught English in 8 sets, ranging in size from 14 to 24, in a course which is carefully structured to meet SQA requirements. All pupils begin S5 with the study of a play such as Death of a Salesman, A Streetcar Named Desire, A Doll's House, Othello, or Hamlet. At the same time, they work towards the completion of their four ‘NABs', much the most challenging of which is the Personal Study based on a text of their own choice. Close reading skills are developed and enhanced so that pupils are ultimately able to access the very exacting 50-mark Interpretation which remains at the heart of Higher assessment. As the year moves on, pupils encounter a range of 20th and pre-20th century poetry, and also a novel such as Cal, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, A Handful of Dust, Amsterdam, or Where Angels Fear to Tread. Several exam practice sessions take place during the course of the year in order to help pupils prepare for the peculiar demands of the May examination. The key practice session is the January prelim, after which a small number of pupils is usually advised to present for Int. 2 rather than Higher at the end of the year.
S6
Advanced Higher English is one of the most popular options for pupils in their Sixth Year, and allows for an approach to the subject which is somewhat more tailored to individual interests and preferences. The largest component is a 4000 word dissertation in which pupils pursue an independent study of several works by a major writer of their own choice. Class time consists largely of the shared reading and discussion of works by a range writers including Shakespeare, Donne, Hardy, Joyce, Williams, Friel, Pinter and Duffy. In addition, pupils opt either to study for a textual analysis exam, or to produce a folio of their own creative writing.
Higher English is also offered in S6 - chiefly for those pupils who were presented for Int. 2 rather than Higher in S5.
Film Studies at Advanced Subsidiary (AS) level has been an option for S6 pupils since 2006. The course allows pupils to study the particular language of the cinema, the film industry, and - most importantly - a wide range of British and American films. From September 2008, this will include, on the British side Trainspotting, Kapur's Elizabeth, Ae Fond Kiss, and East is East, and, on the American, Bride of Frankenstein (1935!), Coppola's Dracula, and Edward Scissorhands.