CfE again! S4 tasks as an extension for an S2 pupil?

[soontobeslendergirl]

I know that that is something good as it says "well done!" next to it on my son's report. It's for Tech. But what does that actually mean? Has he passed Nat4 already? Is it just some extra bits as he has finished the S2 syllabus?

Anyone know?

[Fuctifano]

No, I think I know the school you are referring to and they don't start to gather potential Nat 4 evidence until S3. I would interpret the "well done" as a pleasant observation on your DC's effort and achievement in Tech to date rather than a congratulations on passing Nat 4.

Your DC might have been given extension tasks to support their need to be challenged, Nat 4 has lots of internal outcomes to pass and they may be "banking" them for future use if required. If you look at the SQA site for the subject and see what they would need to have covered (on top of existing CFE experiences and outcomes) that may help you to situate DC's progress.

[soontobeslendergirl]

Thanks, I just find these reports very hard. I know he is doing well, but the reports really give very little indication of where he is at. Really only the tech and maths give an idea of levels. Maths says on course for Nat 5 in 4th year. I appreciate it is hard for the teachers too, but I actually don't find it that helpful to be given a description of what they have been covering as the main part of the report. Maybe it means more to other parents though, I guess you cant please everybody!

[Fuctifano]

Many parents do want to know what their children have covered as they are still getting their heads round CFE and its relationship with the new qualifications.

Me - I just like to get a feeling that they "got" my DC, and saw whatever progress they had made. Although I appreciate in subjects that only see them once or twice a week that might not happen.

[soontobeslendergirl]

Yes, I'm with you on that one. I think they definitely know who he is - they all comment on how quiet he is and that he should talk up more but that has been said for many many years, I really don't think he is going to change. He certainly doesn't feel the need to as he got a "perfect" report in terms of the Effort and Homework scores so understandably he doesn't feel he needs to do any more! :o

I actually found that the report from the subjects he has least (music and pe and home ec) were actually more useful than some others, maybe these teachers have a bit more time available than maybe the English/Science etc teachers?

He says that he finds most things a bit easy but seems to be doing well enough, I'm really not sure what else they can say or we should be doing. It's not easy this High School lark!

[3nationsfamily]

Why not contact the school and arrange a meeting with his teacher to talk through? It is hard for them to write so many reports and churn them out so you might learn a lot more from a one to one meeting after school for 15 minutes one day.

[ToAvoidConversation]

Music/PE/home ec staff don't have more time available! It may just be that they get him better or that teacher is just better at writing reports.

Teachers don't always write individual reports either. There is a lot of copying and pasting goes on as they have so little time.

[prettybird]

Hi soontobeslender : I know our dses are at similar stages.

We had a school report at the end of January in preparation for the Parents' Evening mid February and S3 choices to be made beginning of March.

Ds' report did make it clear that he was "on track" for Nat 5s in all his subjects (and the Parents' Evening was a procession of pleas from the teachers to pick "their" subject) but not where he is on the continuum.

I know that for English with the scary teacher who pushes them really hard she 's currently got them doing National 4 "tests" - he was doing the Personal Writing exercise last week.

He gets to do 8 subjects in S3 and I think has to drop one in S4 (but will hopefully have got a Nat 4 in it).

[soontobeslendergirl]

Thanks prettybird. That's all sounding really good. We aren't choosing subjects until next year, so another year in mixed ability classes with kids that don't necessarily find the topics interesting or are planning to choose them next year. I'm not convinced it's for the best tbh. They are able to choose 7 next year with the hope that they will have already achieved National 4 in the ones they don't take further. Who knows. I know that he was sitting at the top of his primary class in a not particularly academic school, but how that equates to this very academic high school, I don't know.