1. St Andrew’s High School
Senior Phase Choices
Monday 20th February 2017

2. School Prayer God our Father,
We ask for your guidance and support for all who journey through St Andrew’s High School.
Help us to make our school a place of wisdom and peace so that the light of Christ may shine forth from our school community to the world around us.
May we follow in the footsteps of our patron Andrew who befriended Jesus and gave his life to the teaching of Your Word.
Amen.

3. Shape of The Evening Mr P Elder (DHT) Ms P Morrison (DHT)
Welcome - Mr M McKenna Head Teacher
Transition : S3, S5 and S6 -Mr D Cluckie (DHT)
Senior Choices Process - Ms K Taggart (DHT)
Mr P Elder (DHT)
Ms P Morrison (DHT)
The “Market Place” Mr M McKenna

4. Citizenship
Commitment
Responsibility
Role-Modelling

5. Learners As Leaders
The Classroom
Around The School
Wider Community

6. Attainment & Achievement
Play To Strengths
“Stretch Aims”
Resilience

7. Resilience!

8. Progression Routes National 3 National 4 National 5 Higher
Advanced Higher
* Variations to this may apply

9. S3 Refinements
All Pupils will choose a maximum of seven subjects for study in S4.
Maths and English are compulsory choices for everyone.
Pupils then rank their top 5 preferred subject choices in order of most successful attainment.
These ten must be chosen from subjects currently being studied in S3
Every effort will be made to accommodate the top 5 choices but this cannot be guaranteed. Please give careful consideration to all choices from 6-10 for the remainder of the process.
Choices should reflect current subject strengths and note that these choices will also reflect a pathway of subjects that will be further studied in S5 and S6

11. Leaving Dates
Students who are 16 before 30th September can leave at Summer in Fourth year (31st May)
If their 16th birthday is after 30th September they cannot leave until December 2017

12. Senior Pupils Options Stay on at school for S5 / S6
Training (incl. Hub)
Activity Agreement
Employment
Further Education - College
Higher Education - University
Students who are 16 before 30th September 2013 can leave at Summer in Fourth year (31st May)
If their 16th birthday is after 30th September they cannot leave until January

14. S4/S5 Subject Choices
All Pupils will choose a maximum of Five subjects for study in S5/6.
English is a compulsory choice for S5.
In S5 pupils must select subjects from subjects currently being studied in S4.
Choices should reflect current subject strengths and attainment.
Choices will also reflect a pathway of subjects that will be further studied in S5 and S6.
Pupils should consider entry requirements for FE/HE when selecting their subjects.

15. Vocational Courses
Pupils moving from S4 can select Vocational course or Foundation Apprenticeships which will be offered by New College Lanarkshire.
Vocational Courses may not be delivered at St Andrew’s High School. Therefore pupils will travel to another school by taxi.
Vocational Courses may have different levels of SQA Certification.
S6 pupils can select a National 6 Course which they have not studied before, however, prior attainment in a related subject may be an entry requirement.
The Subject Choice information Booklet and NCL Information book will be on the school website

16. Advanced Highers
Pupils should consider entry requirements for FE/HE before selecting Advanced Highers.
1 Study option is allowed if the following criteria is met:
Studying 4 subjects at Higher or above.
Studying 3 Advanced Highers.
Advanced Highers may be available at other school in the local area. Pupils would travel by taxi.
There may be an entry requirement for Advanced Higher Courses.

17. S5 Focus Build on success in S4. Bulk or all of qualifications needed.
Get majority of exam success.
Guided to best chance of success next year.
Excellent Attendance.
Enhanced Citizenship opportunities.

18. S6 Focus Enhancing qualifications Adding Value Wider Achievement
Balance between school and other commitments
Excellent Attendance

19. Personal Achievement / Wider Achievement
Working with others
Caritas Award
Duke of Edinburgh Award
Whole school commitments
Prom
Yearbook
Buddying
Leadership
Work Placements

20. Changes to National Courses
September 2016, Deputy First Minister John Swinney
Reduce assessment workload for teachers and learners by removing mandatory unit assessments in N5, Hi and AH courses.
National 5 courses from
Higher courses from
Advanced Higher courses from
SQA will take forward the new approach and will publish more detail for teachers as soon as this is available.

21. Changes to National 5 Courses
January 2017: Director of Qualifications Development – Dr Gill Stewart.
Removal of units and unit assessments means;
A need to strengthen the course assessments
Protect the integrity, breadth and standards of National Courses

22. Changes to National 5 Courses
For each National 5 Course:
Extension of the existing question paper
Extension/modification of the existing item of coursework
A new question paper
A new item of coursework

23. Changes to National 5 Courses
For each National 5 Course:
Information has been published by the SQA regarding:
Which components of course assessments will remain unchanged
Which components will be modified
Details of any new assessment components being introduced.

24. Changes to National 5 Courses
For each National 5 Course:
Information has been published by the SQA regarding:
Which components of course assessments will remain unchanged
Which components will be modified
Details of any new assessment components being introduced.

25. Sources of Information
Subject Information Booklet
PSHE Materials
Teachers
Support Agencies Shona Thomas from Skills Development Scotland.
Arlene Byrne from New College Lanarkshire.

26. How we will support all pupils
Personal Support (PSHE programme)
Personal Interview
Use reports to identify strengths
Guided to best chance of success next year
Tracking and Monitoring Report

27. Useful websites www.planitplus.net www.ucas.com www.sqa.org.uk

28. Choices Timeline PSHE programme begins ? Pupil interviews begin ?
All options forms handed in by ?
August 2017 S5/6 choices reviewed following SQA exam results

29. “Market Place” New College Lanarkshire Skills Development Scotland
School Senior Management
Pupil Support Teachers
Subject Departments
Please feel free to join us!