Mearns Castle High School Striving for Excellence S2 into S3 Options Presentation February 2018 This presentation will be available on the school website – no note taking needed!
Tonight’s session Presentation • Background information - NQ • National 4 & 5 - Overview • Subject choices • Next steps • Questions
Helping You to Make Your Mind Up “The Story So Far….” • Careers Fair (Oct 2018) + DYW (Nov 2018) • Personal & Social Education (PSE) • Careers Library + Interviews – www.planitplus.net - www.myworldofwork.co.uk • “Which Course?” Booklets – Pupils should have now • S2 Reports (13 th Feb) • And finally tonight….Options Information Evening (for Parents)
Careers Advice Skills Development Scotland www.myworldofwork.co.uk
Chris Doyle School Careers Adviser Skills Development Scotland
Have a look on My World of Work – myworldofwork.co.uk Skills Development Scotland
Skills Development Scotland
Skills Development Scotland
Skills Development Scotland
Skills Development Scotland
• S2 Individual interviews school • www.myworldofwork.co.uk/subjectchoices • S1-S6 Lunchtime Drop-in Clinics Mondays and Fridays: Careers Room Health Suite (No appointment required) Development Scotland
Helping you to help your child Online: myworldofwork.co.uk Face-to-face: Visit an SDS careers centre to talk to an Adviser. Visit centres.myworldofwork.co.uk to find your nearest centre Telephone: Call us to free speak to an Adviser on 0800 917 8000
Follow us! • Twitter: @mywowscotland • Facebook: My World of Work • YouTube: My World of Work
Pupil Advice “Before selecting a course you must carry out research to ensure that you understand fully what you are going to study, how hard it will be and how you will be assessed. You also need to know why you are taking the course. Is it because it is an essential entry requirement for further study or employment, because you enjoy the area of study and/or because you feel you have talents in this field? It might even be all three!”
Background Information National Qualifications There are 5 possible levels in each subject – National 3 – National 4 – National 5 – Higher – Advanced Higher
National Qualifications They provide 3 main pathways through a subject over S3 to S6 S3/S4 S5 S6 Higher Adv. Higher National 5 National 5 Higher National 4 National 4 National 5 National 3
S3 Options National Qualifications • In most subjects, all pupils work on a common course initially and decisions about N3, N4 or N5 levels will be made later in S3 or possibly into S4. • In subjects such as Maths, English, French and Science, pupils may be assigned to a level at the start of the course based on their prior attainment.
S3 Options National Qualifications National 4 • Each course is made up from some units, usually three. • The units are studied either all together or one after another.
S3 Options National 4 • There is no external exam at the end of the course. The award is pass/fail.
S3 Options National 5 • Most courses are made up from some units, usually three. • The units are studied either all together or one after another.
S3 Options National 5 There is an exam at the end of most courses. • The Course Grade is derived from the final examination and the internal coursework (performance, evaluations, portfolios, research tasks) • Awards are graded A, B, C, D, No Award • http://www.sqa.org.uk/
CORE SUBJECTS How many • English subjects will I take • Maths in S3? • French
You must Social Subjects choose 1 Column Social Subject
Science How many subjects Column will I take You must choose 1 in S3? science
You must choose a Technologies Technology subject Column
Expressive Arts Column You must choose a subject from Expressive Arts • Art & Design • Drama • Music • PE Studies • Practical Woodworking Skills
One column has a free choice: 2nd Expressive Art – Drama 2nd Language - Spanish or Mandarin Administration 2 nd Science - Chemistry
Additional lessons in S3 1 period RMPS 1 period PSE 1 period Citizenship 3 periods Core PE
Reasons for choosing You enjoy it subjects. You’re good at it It sounds interesting It would be useful for a career It is an essential requirement for a career
Wrong reasons for choosing a subject? • Like/ Don’t like the teacher • Think you don’t get homework • It’s a new subject and you know nothing about it • Friend is choosing it
Option forms should be returned by Friday 8 th March to your child’s Pupil Support Teacher.
Can my child REQUEST something outside the options columns structure? YES – BUT! This is what we would call a “special request” and this would be noted on the back of the options form and recognised by ticking the “concerns” box at the bottom of the options form.
Can my child REQUEST something outside the options columns structure? YES – BUT! Here is the BUT, your child MUST pick a subject from each column on the options form – if the special request cannot be made, then they will have to do the subject they selected.
Special Requests All of the options information is collated centrally by the authority and the subjects and timetable is created from this information. This will not be completed until MAY, so we (the school – namely ME!) will not know if a request has been granted until this time.
• Subject teachers give advice • Options presentation Who will • S2 Reports 13 th February help? • Options Presentation to Parents – Thursday 14 th Feb • Parents Meeting – Monday 18 th February • Pupil Support Interviews – From Tues 19 th February to 1 st March • Signed Options Forms returned Fri 8 th March
The Role of Parents • Encourage your son or daughter to think things through carefully and to ask for help if they need it • Discuss the options process fully with them at home • Listen to their views on their choice and how they see their future after school • Encourage them to not only think ahead but to keep an open mind about future careers • Encourage them to choose a balanced group of subjects that allow for flexibility in the future
Important Dates • Option Interviews will take place from Tuesday 19 th Feb until Friday 1 st March • Option forms should be returned by Friday 8 th March to the relevant Pupil Support Teacher .
S2 into S3 Options Thank you for listening Opportunity for questions
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