1. SBB @ Upper Sec (NA Students)
23 Mar 2018

2. 2019 Will affect the 2019 S3 cohort.
No major changes in subject combinations.

3. What is Subject-Based Banding (SBB)?
Every student is unique and possesses different strengths. Taking subjects at a higher academic level can help students nurture their strengths and give them more opportunities throughout their educational journey, so that they are more engaged in learning.
Previously, students in N(A) and N(T) courses can take higher-level subjects starting from Secondary 3. With SBB, students can start doing so from the start of Secondary 1, to build a stronger foundation in subjects that they are good at.

4. What are the possible benefits of taking higher-level subjects?
Some students (and parents) have shared that SBB allows the students to challenge themselves, and to have more options for Sec 3 subject combinations and post- secondary courses.
A strong foundation in literacy, numeracy and reasoning, would ensure students are better prepared for various post-secondary progression pathways (e.g. to ITE and Polytechnic).

5. Eligibility Criteria and Opting into SBB
Each student should take no more than 3 higher-level subjects so as to ensure that he/she can cope with the overall academic demands.
Course
PSLE Standard Grade
PSLE Foundation Grade
Option to offer subject at
N(A)
A*, A -
Express
N(T)
Express/ N(A)
B, C 1

6. Other Opportunities to Take Higher-Level Subjects
Beyond the start of Sec 1, students who do well in school-based examinations may be considered to take higher-level subjects if found suitable to do so by our school.
Eligible N(A) and N(T) students will receive an application form after the Sec 1 Mid- Year or End-of-Year examinations, based on the following criteria:
75% or higher in the subject;
60% or higher in the overall average;
Our school will provide support through bridging programmes for these new SBB students.

7. Upper Sec
After running the SBB programme for 2 years, some of the SBB students will now have to consider whether they are going to continue offering SBB subjects at Upper Secondary.

8. Criteria for NA students to offer Exp-level subjects
To offer SBB to current non-SBB students at the end of S2.
Criteria :
– 75% at EOY + 60% OVR of all subjects
Rationale : This is similar to our past criteria for offering OOS.

9. Criteria for NA students to continue offering Exp-level subjects
Criteria to continue SBB in S3 :
– Pass in 2E EOY + Overall pass in the subject
Rationale : While we want to encourage students to stretch themselves academically, we also want to ensure that students are able to cope with the higher academic demands of the subject at upper secondary.

10. Other Recommendations
Students are to offer a maximum of 3 SBB subjects to ensure that they are able to cope with the overall academic demands.
For national exams, students will only take the higher-level paper.
For N(A) students, they need to offer at least five distinct subjects but not more than eight subjects in their Sec 4 N(A) year.
For N(T) students, up to a cap of two sets of duplicate subjects is permitted, provided the maximum number of subjects is not exceeded (the maximum number of subjects they can offer is seven).

11. Thank You
Q& A

12. Sec 2 Exp Pre-Streaming Survey 2018

13. Sec 2NA Pre-Streaming Survey 2018