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Literacy and English – Fourth level (Curriculum for Excellence, Scotland): What to Teach (Scotland)

Your Teacher Information Pack for Literacy and English – Fourth level (Curriculum for Excellence, Scotland) in Scotland: the curriculum structure, our short summaries with links to the official wording, and key dates.

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Country
Scotland
Level
Fourth level
Ages
11/12–14/15
Source
Curriculum for Excellence – experiences and outcomes (broad general education)
Last checked
2026-10-20

Usually S1–S3; fourth level is broadly in line with SCQF level 4 (a guide, not a fixed year group). Roughly US Grades 7–9 (approximate).

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What to teach

Below are the experiences and outcomes with their official codes, in our own short summaries. Each code links to the official document.

Listening and talking: Enjoyment and choice

  • LIT 4-01a Selects texts for enjoyment, gives evidence-based responses, develops own style.

Official wording

Listening and talking: Tools for listening and talking

  • LIT 4-02a Ensures everyone contributes, considers alternatives, expands contributions.
  • ENG 4-03a Uses spoken features independently, sustaining appropriate register.

Official wording

Listening and talking: Finding and using information

  • LIT 4-04a States purpose, makes inferences, gathers and links information from sources.
  • LIT 4-05a Makes organised notes to develop thinking and create texts.
  • LIT 4-06a Independently selects and organises ideas, uses effective vocabulary.

Official wording

Listening and talking: Understanding, analysing and evaluating

  • LIT 4-07a Gives detailed, evaluative comments with evidence on texts.
  • LIT 4-08a Identifies persuasion techniques and assesses source value.

Official wording

Listening and talking: Creating texts

  • LIT 4-09a Communicates detailed information; explains with support; sums up conclusions.
  • LIT 4-10a Communicates expressively, independently selecting and organising resources.

Official wording

Reading: Enjoyment and choice

  • LIT 4-11a Independently identifies sources to develop the range of reading.

Official wording

Reading: Tools for reading

  • ENG 4-12a Uses context clues, punctuation, grammar and layout for fluent reading.
  • LIT 4-13a Applies strategies and resources independently across a wide variety of texts.

Official wording

Reading: Finding and using information

  • LIT 4-14a Finds, selects, sorts, summarises and links information from sources.
  • LIT 4-15a Makes organised notes to develop thinking and create new texts.

Official wording

Reading: Understanding, analysing and evaluating

  • LIT 4-16a Clearly states purpose and arguments, makes accurate inferences in own words.
  • ENG 4-17a Gives detailed, evaluative comments with evidence on texts.
  • LIT 4-18a Recognises persuasion and bias; assesses reliability and credibility of sources.
  • ENG 4-19a Evaluates effectiveness of structure, theme and style with evidence.

Official wording

Writing: Enjoyment and choice

  • LIT 4-20a Selects resources to suit audience and develops own writing style.

Official wording

Writing: Tools for writing

  • LIT 4-21a Independently uses strategies and resources to ensure accurate spelling.
  • LIT 4-22a Punctuates and structures sentences and paragraphs to suit purpose.
  • LIT 4-23a Independently reviews and edits so purpose and meaning are clear.
  • LIT 4-24a Justifies layout and presentation choices by intended impact on reader.

Official wording

Writing: Organising and using information

  • LIT 4-25a Makes appropriate, responsible use of sources and acknowledges them.
  • LIT 4-26a Independently selects and orders ideas; uses suitable vocabulary.

Official wording

Writing: Creating texts

  • ENG 4-27a Engages or influences readers through language, style and tone for genre.
  • LIT 4-28a Explains with substantiating evidence and synthesises ideas or opinions.
  • LIT 4-29a Persuades and justifies opinions within a convincing line of thought.
  • ENG 4-30a Creates convincing personal experience and reflects to engage reader.
  • ENG 4-31a Uses genre conventions, mood, and convincing relationships and dialogue.

Official wording

Benchmarks (summary)

Guidance Benchmarks and guidance (our summaries)

  • Listening and talking: Full participation, evaluating content and persuasion, judging credibility, polished talks (22 benchmark statements in the official document). (22 official benchmark bullets)
  • Reading: Independent reading, synthesising sources, evaluating bias, reliability and the writer's craft (19 benchmark statements in the official document). (19 official benchmark bullets)
  • Writing: Precise, accurate writing with justified choices, responsible referencing, convincing crafted texts (31 benchmark statements in the official document). (31 official benchmark bullets)

Official wording

Assessments and key dates

Qualifications Scotland exams 2027: Mon, 26 April 2027 to Thu, 3 June 2027 (timetable). There are no national tests of curriculum levels; teachers judge progress using the Benchmarks.

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More packs

Literacy and English – Early level · Literacy and English – First level · Literacy and English – Second level · Literacy and English – Third level · P1 Literacy and English · P2 Literacy and English · P3 Literacy and English · P4 Literacy and English · All Scotland packs · Find another TIP

Codes and structure from Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes and Benchmarks, Education Scotland (Crown copyright). Summaries are Classfern's own words – always read the official wording via the link.

No official wording is reproduced: codes and structure are facts, and the short descriptions are our own summaries. Always read the official wording via the links. Checked on 2026-10-20.

Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by Education Scotland, Qualifications Scotland (formerly SQA) or the Scottish Government.