Achieving academic excellence Sec 4 & 5 parents seminar 18 February 2017

Agenda Introduction Achieving academic excellence Post-secondary options MF programmes Tips for parents

What are the various Post-Secondary School options available? Talking points: Help our students understand that no matter what situation they are currently in, there are many options available for them. As educators, our role is to help our students realize that there are multiple bridges and ladders at any given point of their life which can help them move closer towards achieving their goals. Hence, before going into the specific details of what the various PSEI tracks entail, let’s take a few minutes to recall some of the options available to our pupils. Do remember that each option caters to the aptitudes and needs of different types of learners. Remind your student to consider which environment will help them optimize their potential Note: The use of ‘our students’ can be replaced with ‘your child’ when addressing parents.

Based on a student’s O-Level exam he/she could… Post O-level Options Based on a student’s O-Level exam he/she could… enrol in ITE (Higher Nitec). Possibility of entering Poly if he/she does well enough enrol in a Junior College or Millennia Institute (A-Level) enrol in a Polytechnic (diploma) enrol in NAFA or LaSalle (unique arts programmes)

Junior Colleges (JCs) & Millennia Institute

Junior Colleges (JCs) & Millennia Institute Prepares students for ‘A’ levels and tertiary education Length of study: JCs – 2 years MI – 3 years JCs and MI primarily prepare students for a tertiary education. JC students are equipped with the skills and knowledge to prepare them for the A- level examinations in 2 years, while MI students 3 years. These skills and knowledge will also prepare students for an university education which is the main aim of an A-level education .

What does one study at the A-Level? Select subjects from three levels of study: H1 H2 H3 Half of H2 in terms of curriculum time Equivalent to ‘A’ level subjects prior to 2006. Subjects with opportunity for in-depth study (e.g. advanced content, research paper, university module). Question: What do students normally offer for the A levels? Ans: They usually take 3 H2s and 1 H1 subject. The H1 subject is referred to as a contrasting subject i.e. a content-based subject taken outside a student’s main area of specialisation. For example, students doing three H2 Maths/Science subjects could offer H1 Literature as a contrasting subject. This is for the purpose of broadening the students’ experience. Contrasting subjects could be offered at H1 or H2 level. The new subject, Knowledge and Inquiry, will be considered a contrasting subject for both Humanities & the Arts, and Mathematics & Science, as it requires students to read widely from the different disciplines. Another example, H1 Mathematics will provide an Arts student a grounding in Statistics useful in social science studies at tertiary level. Typical Subject Combination Sub Combi 1 (Science stream): H2 Math, H2 Chemistry, H2 Biology and H1 Economics Sub Combi 2 (Arts stream): H2 History, H2 Economics, H2 Literature and H1 Mathematics Usual subject combination: 3H2s + 1H1

O-Level results meet the school’s cut-off point Entry into JC or MI 2 possible ways O-Level results meet the school’s cut-off point Direct School Admission (DSA-JC) - JCs recognise special talents and aptitudes through discretionary admission To enter a JC: L1R5 must be <= 20 To enter MI: L1R4 must be <= 20 Website for DSA(JC) - http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/admissions/dsa-jc/eligibility/ Please remind parents and teachers, especially the former, that the JAE booklet provided to all students each year will have the most up-to-date cut off point figures. This will help students set more targeted goals which will help them move closer to their aspirations.

Admission Criteria for Junior College Aggregate of English & 5 Relevant subjects (L1R5) ≤ 20 points L1R5 for top 5 JCs  10 points L1 R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 A1  C6 Humanities Math or Science Humanities or Math or Science Best other subject

Student A L1R5? 12 points L1 R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 Subject O-level grade English Language A2 Biology A1 Mathematics B3 Chemistry C5 Additional Mathematics Combined Humanities (SS/Geog) Chinese Language CCA L1R5? 12 points L1 R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 A1  C6 Humanities Math or Science Humanities or Math or Science Best other subject

MI Admission Requirements 3-Year Course (Millenia Institute) L1R4 aggregate English Language/ Higher Mother Tongue Mother Tongue Language (CL/ ML/ TL) Mathematics/ Additional Mathematics Points/ Grade 5 to 20 points A1 to C6 A1 to D7 Typical L1R4 calculation = English + 2 (Combined Humanities/Science/Math ) + 2 Best subjects including CCA Your CCA grade could be considered if you are enrolling into Millenia Institute.

Sources of Bonus Points to offset L1R5 or L1R4 CCA Grades Affiliation to the school Pass in English and Higher Mother Tongue Pass in a 3rd Language CLEP – Chinese Language Elective Program MLEP – Malay Language Elective Program Students who apply for and are accepted into CLEP and MLEP

Polytechnics

Polytechnics Courses are market driven and career oriented Students graduate with a Diploma Ready to enter the workforce Courses offered by the Polytechnics involve applied and practice-training Students who perform well are eligible to apply for a place at the local universities

2 possible ways Entry into Poly Using O-Level results – Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) Through the Early Admission Exercise (EAE) Please remind parents and teachers, especially the former, that the JAE booklet provided to all students each year will have the most up-to-date cut off point figures. This will help students set more targeted goals which will help them move closer to their aspirations.

ELR2B2 is used for admissions into the Polytechnics. Entry into Poly Using O-Level results – Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) ELR2B2 is used for admissions into the Polytechnics. English Language 2 RELEVANT subjects for the course applied for 2 other best subjects To apply for a course in a Polytechnic, the points which a student obtains for his/her ELRB2 is normally calculated. Students must also qualify for the Min Entry Requirements for the course they want to pursue

This slide shows the list of relevant subjects for the various Poly courses – teachers may wish to display it on the class notice board for easy reference by the students. Do remind students that they should find out more about the pre-requisites of the courses which they hope to apply for. This will allow them to set more targeted goals form themselves to work towards.

Student B L1R2B2 for Business Course? Subject O-level grade English Language B3 Science (Phy / Chem) A1 Mathematics A2 D&T Literature Combined Humanities (SS/Geog) C5 Chinese Language CCA L1R2B2 for Business Course? EL + Math + Literature + 2 Best Subjects 11 points

Through the Early Admission Exercise Entry into Poly Through the Early Admission Exercise (EAE) Benefits of EAE? Confirm a place in a particular course before your O-level examination. Each poly can admit up to 2.5% of their intake via DPA, and up to 30% for each course. E.g. If the intake is 2500 students, only 62 students can be admitted via DPA. If a course can take in 100 students, only 30 of them, who have been admitted via DPA, can be admitted into the course. NOTE: Each polytechnic has its own selection criteria, which can be found at their respective websites. Brief students early (in Sec 3) to start building up their portfolio

Through the Early Admission Exercise Entry into Poly Through the Early Admission Exercise (EAE) Who should apply: Individuals who have an interest and aptitude for polytechnic education e.g. “I am good at filming and video production, hence I want to apply to Media Studies”. Note:Even if students have been made a conditional offer they must still meet the admission criteria for the polytechnic course applied for: obtain a net ELR2B2 score of not more than 26 points for the GCE O-Level examinations; meet the Minimum Entry Requirements (MER) for their respective polytechnic courses (refer to individual polytechnics’ websites)

EAE Application Process and Timeline Application (Early July) Students can apply for EAE (max 3 courses) via www.polytechnic.edu.sg 2. Selection & Interviews (Mid Jul – Mid Aug) Interviews will be conducted for the shortlisted DPA applicants 3. Offer and Acceptance (Late Aug) Offers will be made to successful applications

EAE Application Process and Timeline 4. Withdrawal (by October) If a student would like to withdraw from the EAE Exercise to participate in JAE, he must submit his withdrawal before the deadline. 5. Jumpstart your life in 8 weeks of Fun! (February – April) Polytechnic Preparatory Program (PPP) Note: Under withdrawal - Students who have accepted a DPA offer but do not withdraw by the deadline are deemed to have confirmed their acceptance and will not be eligible to participate in JAE or JPSAE.

Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) The SIT was set up primarily to enable Poly graduates to upgrade themselves and obtain an university degree. SIT was set up so that polytechnic graduates now have more opportunities for obtaining a university degree, without enrolling in the local universities or go abroad. SIT will allow poly grads to attain degree qualifications from renowned overseas universities in Singapore with tuition fees comparable to that of the local universities in total. Examples of degree courses offered at SIT: Engineering, digital media and hospitality, nursing, food science etc Note: MOE will also provide subsidies for the university programmes.

Questions for students to consider when making a decision JCs/MI vs Polytechnic Questions for students to consider when making a decision Key Facts JCs primarily prepare students for an university education. But in reality, there are students who do not do well enough to enter university after their A-levels. At the same time, there are also poly students who excel in their course, and qualify for enrolment into universities. So ask your students to think carefully – which track best suits them in terms of learning styles, teaching and assessment methods, the pace of learning, progression opportunities, etc. Ultimately your students’ choice should be one which allows them to develop and grow as a person.

JCs/MI vs Polytechnic – Questions for students to consider Would you prefer to delve deeper into academia (e.g. Math, Science, Humanities) or do you prefer learning that is tied to specific industries and work-ready qualification? Answers To question 1 - The JC/MI route will require students to study many of the subjects being pursued at Secondary School at a deeper level. However, studies in Poly are often linked to applied learning required in specific industries with a work-ready qualification.

JCs/MI vs Polytechnic – Questions for students to consider Would you prefer sitting for a summative examination (JC) or would you thrive better in a modular assessment setting (Poly)? 3. Are you considering working before pursing further qualifications? Answers Answer to question 2 - The JC/MI route will require students to take a summative A-level examination. Their options upon graduation will be determined significantly based on the results they receive for this exam. JCs offer the General Paper or Knowledge and Inquiry. Both these subjects require a strong grasp of language and are taken into consideration when applying for local universities. NOTE: While JCs typically demand students to have a strong language foundation, please highlight that for some poly courses e.g. Mass Communications demand students to have a strong language foundation (e.g. B3 in O-level English). Answer to question 3 - If the answer is yes, a poly diploma would put your student in a work-ready position compared to an A level certification as diploma holders have been trained in a specific field of study, thus equipped with a ready skills set to offer employers. This is especially so because most poly students would have to undergo a substantial period of work attachment at the various industries where students can get hands-on experience that could add value to their career search and employment. On the other hand, an A-level certificate is viewed more often as a preparatory course for university education. NOTE: Students can still continue with your studies after graduating from polytechnic should you wish to do so. In fact, obtaining a polytechnic diploma may give your student exemptions of several topics during the university course and this helps to save time and costs.

JCs/MI vs Polytechnic – Questions for students to consider Do you have a specific job which you are interested in? Are you more of a conceptual learner or do you prefer a more hands-on learning environment? Answers Answer to question 4 - If the answer is yes, the Poly route might be more suitable as the courses offered are market-driven and industry-oriented. Poly courses generally train students to have more specialised, work-ready knowledge of a particular trade or industry, while the subjects in JC/MI are more conceptual and academic in nature. Answer to question 5 - If your student answered the latter, than a Polytechnic education might be more aligned with their learning styles as part of a poly education involves industry internships and training programmes. Conversely, the JC/MI education revolves more around classroom based discussions and learning which would be more aligned with the conceptual learner.

MF programmes Gearing up for excellence

Gearing up Term Key Programmes Two Complete the teaching of syllabus CCA stand-down by end April Bridging programme for Sec 5 students Supplementary programme for Sec 4 students Preliminary Examination 1 (27 Apr – 15 May) MT Intensive lessons June GCE O Level MT examination (29 & 30 May) Camp Challenge II (31 May – 2 June) Completion of coursework for Design & Technology, Art and Food & Nutrition subjects (5 – 9 June)

Gearing up Term Key Programmes Three Remedial / Supplementary lessons Afternoon consultations Night Study Preliminary Examination 2 (11 Aug – 24 Aug) Sept Remedial lessons Four Mock examinations

Academic targets 4 Express – L1R5 12 points 5 Normal Academic – L1B4

Parent support Tips

Tips for parents Preparation for O-level examinations Regular attendance in school and in CCAs Regular attendance at remedial or supplementary programmes Physical well-being Adequate rest Peak performance and alertness at the right time Nutrition and supplements

Supporting your child to achieve their goals Hard work, hard work and more hard work!

Information on post-secondary options Calculations of aggregates Cut-off points for Junior Colleges and courses in Polytechnics Worksheet on target setting with your child Encouraging them to give effective effort

What does it mean to work hard? Time Focus Resourcefulness Use of feedback Persistence Commitment

Effective Effort Time: A willingness to spend the hours needed to finish the job well Focus: Concentrating only on the work, no hand phone, no computer game, no TV or other distractions. Resourcefulness: Knowing where to go and whom to ask for help when I am really stuck.

Effective Effort Use of Feedback: Looking carefully at responses to my work so I know exactly what to fix Commitment: Being determined to finish and do my very best work Persistence: If one strategy isn’t working, trying different ones until I find one that works.

“Important achievements require a clear focus, all out effort, and a bottomless trunk full of strategies. Plus allies in learning.”