Curriculum for Excellence The Senior Phase National Courses and Qualifications

New National Qualifications What is the purpose and status of the new qualifications? How are they assessed? How do we support our learners? Important dates for your diary

New national courses Greater focus on skills development Skills for learning, life and work: –Literacy –Numeracy –Skills for health and well-being –Employability, enterprise and citizenship –Thinking skills

Purpose of the New National Qualifications Designed to support Curriculum for Excellence as new qualifications build on the experiences and outcomes undertaken in S1 - S3 Ensure that candidates skills and abilities are appropriately assessed and recognised

Comparison of old and new courses Advanced Higher (Revised) Higher (Revised) National 5 National 4 National 3 (Revised) National 2 (Revised) National 1 (Revised) Replaced by Current Qualifications New Qualifications

Assessment methods Courses are Unit based. Units in all Courses are flexible to allow teachers to make decisions about unit assessment methods 7 methods of assessment specified for Course Assessment. Appropriate to subject and level: »Assignment »Case-Study »Project »Portfolio »Practical Activity »Performance »Test/Question paper

National 4 Course Award Assessment will not be graded Work will be assessed as pass/ Fail Work will be assessed within the school A course award requires –3 unit passes –Added value unit pass Added value assessment combines different elements of a Course into overall assessment eg making a Finished Product from Wood - which requires them to produce a finished product which provides evidence of some of the skills, knowledge, understanding they have acquired throughout their Course.

National 5 Course Award Assessment will be graded A-D. A course award requires –3 unit awards Assessed as pass/fail Assessed within the school. –Added value unit Assessed as A-D Assessed by the SQA

English lev el Unit Titles Course Assessment Value of overall AwardDeadline N3 Understanding language April 2014 Producing language To Complete all unit assessments 100% Literacy N4 Analysis and evaluation 3 Unit assessments + Added Value Unit Discursive Essay April 2014 Creation and production 100% Literacy Pass / Fail N5 Analysis and evaluation 3 unit assessments + Portfolio Creative Essay and Discursive Essay SQA 25/3/14 Creation and production 30% Literacy not component of this course Final Exam - Paper 1 – Reading for understanding, analysis and evaluation. Paper 2- 1 x Critical essay & textual analysis of set text. 70% (35% each)30/04/14

History LevelUnit TitlesCourse Assessment Value of overall AwardDeadline N3 Scottish British Completion of unit assessments 100% April 2014 European and world N4 Scottish 3 unit assessments + Added Value Unit Investigation British100% April 2014 European and world N5 Scottish 3 unit assessments + Assignment Research & Report Investigation under exam conditions. British25% SQA – 25/3/14 European and world Final Exam Written Answers75%07/05/14

Hospitality - Practical Cookery LevelUnit TitlesCourse Assessment Value of overall Award Deadli ne N3 Cookery skills techniques and processes Understanding and using ingredients To Complete all unit assessments 100% Organisational skills for cooking N4 Cookery skills techniques and processes 3 unit assessments + Added Value Unit Practical Exam - 2 Course meal under exam conditions Understanding and using ingredients 100% Organisational skills for cooking Pass / Fail March 2014 N5 Cookery skills techniques and processes 3 unit assessments + Practical Assignment 3 Course Meal under exam conditions Understanding and using ingredients Organisational skills for cooking 100% March 2014

SQA verification All new National Courses and Units will be verified by SQA Ensure continued credibility of National Qualifications Share knowledge more widely about national standards In the initial years, each centre will be verified at least once for each broad subject area in which they are presenting candidates There will be multiple rounds of verification via a managed programme: Nov/DecUnit verification FebUnit verification MayUnit and Course verification

Appeals No appeal system for new awards Fall back position –Fail national 5 final course assessment –National 4 award can be made assuming value added and unit assessments have been passed

Timeline S4 reports- 28 th November Prelims – January February- tracking report Pathways evening- January Parents’ evening- 20 th February Course Choice- February SQA exams- 29 th April Course Work deadlines

Useful web-sites

How do we help? Target setting Feedback from teacher Monitoring and tracking Interviews with Pupil Support Attainment referral process Study Support Mentoring Study skills