Mearns Castle High School Striving for Excellence S2 into S3 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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 (13th Feb)
• And finally tonight….Options Information

Evening (for Parents)

Careers Advice

Skills Development Scotland

www.myworldofwork.co.uk

Skills Development Scotland

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

• 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

• ut 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 5 National 4 National 3

S3/S4 S5 S6

National Qualifications They provide 3 main pathways through a subject over S3 to S6

Higher National 5 National 4

• Adv. Higher

Higher National 5

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
• f 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
• ne 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/

How many subjects will I take in S3?

CORE SUBJECTS

• English
• Maths
• French

You must choose 1 Social Subject

Social Subjects Column

You must choose 1 science

Science Column

How many subjects will I take in S3?

You must choose a Technology subject

Technologies Column

You must choose a subject from Expressive Arts Expressive Arts Column

• Art & Design
• Drama
• Music
• PE Studies
• Practical

Woodworking Skills

One column has a free choice:

2nd Language

• Spanish or Mandarin

2nd Expressive Art – Drama Administration 2nd Science - Chemistry

1 period RMPS 1 period Citizenship 3 periods Core PE

Additional lessons in S3

1 period PSE

You’re good at it It sounds interesting You enjoy it It is an essential requirement for a career It would be useful for a career

Reasons for choosing subjects.

• 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

Wrong reasons for choosing a subject?

Option forms should be returned by Friday 8th March to your child’s Pupil Support Teacher.

Can my child REQUEST something

• utside 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

• ptions form and recognised by ticking the

“concerns” box at the bottom of the options form.

Can my child REQUEST something

• utside 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
• S2 Reports 13th February
• Options Presentation to Parents –

Thursday 14th Feb

• Parents Meeting – Monday 18th February
• Pupil Support Interviews – From Tues 19th

February to 1st March

• Signed Options Forms returned Fri 8th

March

Who will help?

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 19th Feb until Friday 1st March

• Option forms should be returned by

Friday 8th March to the relevant Pupil Support Teacher.

Opportunity for questions

S2 into S3 Options Thank you for listening