Arran High School Building the Senior Phase

Following the publication of our consultation paper, we have been asked for further clarification. This short presentation is designed to meet this request. Arran High School Building the Senior Phase

Arran High School aims to be a place where all individuals should… A chieve their Potential: in a… H appy Environment: through… S uccessful Partnerships: These aims are at the heart of everything we do in Arran High School.

Why is there a need for changes to the curriculum?

Curriculum for Excellence has been described as ‘transformational change’ and Arran High School has to adapt to this change. It is this transformational change that we are responding to.

Standard Grades and Intermediate 1/2 qualifications have been replaced by new National 4/5 Qualifications

Skills for life, learning and work The new National Qualifications have much more emphasis on developing skills whereas the traditional Standard Grades and Highers were mainly content and knowledge based.

Skills for life, learning and work We need to create time for a range of skills development through increased opportunities for experiential learning, for working with others in groups and for investigation and presentation work.

How do we create more time? 8 x N4/5 subjects currently receive approx. 150 minutes per week. 5 x Int/Higher subjects currently receive approx. 250 minutes per week. If we created a 35 period week, we could create more time for each subject. 7 x N4/5 x4 periods would allow approx. 188 minutes per week. 6 x N4/5 x5 periods would allow approx. 235 minutes per week.

35 Period Week

35 Period Week A 35 period week would create more time for Personal Support and the development of skills for life, learning and work. We need to consider how much time we would like our young people to spend on their N4 and N5 qualifications.

Time for National 4/5 7 x N4/5 x4 periods would allow approx. 188 minutes per week. 6 x N4/5 x5 periods would allow approx. 235 minutes per week. 90% of Arran High School teachers support a maximum of 6 National subjects in S4.

Number of Nationals in S4 It has been argued that the more subjects studied in S4, the wider the choice will be in S5/6. Under Curriculum for Excellence, this is not the case because quality is more important than quantity - aiming high rather than spreading thin.

Number of Nationals in S4 It is the end point qualifications that will be important. By the end of S4, pupils could achieve 6 qualifications at National 4/5 and possibly some of these could even be at Higher. By the end of S5, pupils could add 5 more qualifications at National 4/5 or Higher. By the end of S6, pupils could add even more National 4/5, Higher or Advanced Higher qualifications.

Number of Nationals in S4 Even if a pupil chooses to leave school at the end of S4, the skills for life learning and work that will have been developed means that the quality of the courses studied will more than compensate for any reduction in the number of subjects studied.

Combined S4-6 Cohort

Combined S4-6 Cohort The ‘mock’ timetables that will appear on the next slide were written with a 30 period week in mind, but they illustrate the additional choices that could be available with a combined cohort.

Combined S4-6 Cohort S5/6 Cohort 2013/14

Summary The changes proposed are designed to help meet the challenges of CfE and to better meet the needs of all our young people in Arran High School. If more than 6 National Qualifications are to be studied in S4, the combined cohort cannot operate. However if 7 are studied, we can still operate a 35 period week.

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Arran High School Building the Senior Phase

Arran High School Building the Senior Phase 1.Structure of the school day and number of teaching periods? 2.How many subjects should young people study in S4? 3.Should S4, S5 & S6 be timetabled as one cohort?

Arran High School Building the Senior Phase