national guidelines for primary schools in scotland?

[Sugarmag]

Hi. I'm feeling a bit ignorant here and I'm hoping some of you can help. We're getting all geared up for dd to start primary school in August. I'm pretty sure she's bright and will do well but the more I talk to other parents the more i realise I have no idea what the guidelines are, what they're meant to be learning, HOW they're meant to be learning, at what age do they get exams of any sort (someone told me today they can do a maths exam as young as 5!), etc, etc.

There's been a lot of talk among friends about concerns over the school's future and a temporary head teacher's been brought in to try and troubleshoot. While on the one hand, I want to fully support the school and am still convinced it's the right place for DD, I just don't feel I have all the information I should have.

So does anyone know where I can find out about national guidelines and all the rest of this stuff? That way I'll feel better knowing we've made a decision with all the information at hand. I'm also hoping to get a meeting with the new head teacher but again, don't really want to do so until I know what I'm comparing things to.

Any advice appreciated!! Thanks.

Ok, I've been searching the web for a while and am no more enlightened than I was before. I can download the entire set of 5-14 guielines! but what I would really love is just some kind of an overview. Anyone?

The guidelines are \link{http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/5to14/\here}. The exams that are done (in the state system, anyway) are just when they are progressing from level A to level B, for example. This can certainly happen at age 5, but rest assured that if the school knows what they're doing the children will have no idea they're sitting an exam. Mine never had a clue, they were just told it was a special worksheet. It's not like SATs in England where the whole class takes the exam, it will just be a small group so much easier to conceal.

My feeling is that it will be much easier to get your head round all this once your dd has settled in, so try not to worry :)

Sorry, cross-posted, you've obviously seen that then. I'm not sure what you want to be honest- there's going to be such variation in what they are doing in P1 that it's really hard to give an overview.

actually I had another look at that site and some of it's been helpful. thanks tamum