S2 Information Evening – Frequently Asked Questions
How will their progress be monitored?
Pupil progress will be monitored by means of ongoing assessment throughout their broad general education. Assessment will take different forms – from observations and discussion in class to class tests and assignments. A whole school monitoring system is currently being introduced which will give us an overview of each pupil’s progress across all their subjects
Will subjects cater for those children with certain difficulties in learning e.g. Dyslexia
As with all subjects at all levels in the school we will endeavour to ensure all pupils are appropriately supported. We have strategies and resources in place to support those with additional needs.
How would you push and encourage my child to progress if they were falling behind on their course work?
There are numerous methods we could employ and these may vary according to the pupil’s needs.
We would try to identify the cause of the difficulty and plan a suitable response; this may be to provide targeted resources, to encourage the pupil to seek help and/or resources more readily from the teacher and to spend more time at home revising and practising skills. Where we judge that further support may be required we will ensure this is put in place.
Why pick 7 subjects, study these for a year and a half and then drop 4 of them? Will they pick up these 4 dropped subjects after S4?
They may not have to drop as many as 4 of their preference choices however they will not be able to continue with all of them in S4 as this would place too great a workload on pupils as they work towards qualifications. We are confident that there will be opportunities to pick up the subjects dropped later in the senior phase.
Will there be enough time in fourth year to study and learn for the exams?
The work pupils are undertaking as they progress through the broad general education will contribute to their National Qualifications. We have also brought forward the start of S4 to mid-May to allow a fuller focus on their chosen options. We are confident that there will be sufficient time to study and learn for the exams.
Why are there limitations upon the possible choice combinations in the expressive arts subjects?
There are limitations placed on 4 curricular areas to enable pupils to complete a broad general education by the end of S3. If there was an unlimited choice from expressive arts subjects (or any curricular area) we may have the situation where pupils are not developing the required knowledge and skills from across the curriculum.
How are the choices decided upon? Is it based on a first come first served basis or are the pupil’s grades taken into account.
Once all pupils choices are in we will sort them into subjects and classes. Provided forms have been returned on time there will be no such basis for allocating choices.
Since the children can only pick two science subjects just now which is the easiest to pick up later in school if the career of choice requires all three?
It should be equally easy to pick up any of the three later on. We would probably suggest that Chemistry and one other is picked initially and the remaining science picked up in S6.
How can I be sure that my child is choosing the right subjects for the career she has in mind?
How are children supported into making decisions about their future at such a young age? I don’t feel at age 13 they are mature enough to know what they want to do in later life.
There will be some input from Pastoral Care during PSE and we would encourage pupils to discuss their choices with parents and do some research of their own. We realise that many will not have a clear idea about their futures as yet however we would not see this process as major decision-making yet. When they choose options at the end of S3 and S4 these will have a more significant bearing on their future.
If after choosing a subject, will it be possible for pupil to change if the subject is not working out?
What will happen if after your child has chosen an option they find they are either not enjoying or not grasping it – will there be an interim period where they can change subjects?
While we would not recommend this during or at the end of a term we realise that there may be a few occasions where this becomes apparent. In this situation we would aim to facilitate a change. However because of a late entry they may not get their first choice of alternative and their chances of success may be reduced. We would also need to be confident that they have the potential to do better in the subject they are changing to. This highlights how important it is that pupils ensure they are fully informed and advised before making these choices so that the chance of this situation arising is very slim.