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Original poster

Nat 5/Highers etc - Anyone getting ready with their S4 - S6 dc?

862 replies

weegiemum · 05/04/2016 15:39

My dd1 is in s4 and about to sit 8 Nat5s. I don't know who is more wound up about it - her or me! (and I'm a teacher!!).

Wondered if there's anyone else out there to hold hands with?

DD is sitting English, Maths, Ghaidlig (Gaelic native speaker), French, History, Art & Design, Physics and Design & Manufacture. First is English on 5th May.

OP posts:
prettybird · 20/04/2016 16:12

That does sound harsh. Sad

Ds is doing 8 Nat 5s but only has 7 exams (one is PE which doesn't have an exam so he's effectively already completed it, including the performance element so he has one A already in the bag ).

He gets all of May and the first week of June off, starting back on 6 June.

I know the school was very conscious of those that were only doing Nat 4s feeling like 2nd class citizens. I think but can't swear to it that this year they're trying to address it by scheduling Nat 4 NABs (maybe even mock ones) during the exam period and giving them study leave too.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 20/04/2016 16:22

My DS is doing 7 as that's the maximum and they have full study leave, whole of May and first week of June. I've no idea what happens to those doing less but I suspect they are all getting it as I understand that there are maybe only a few pupils not doing at least one Nat 5. There are certainly only 4 or 5 leaving at the end of S4 and the numbers being presented for Nat 5 Maths and English look very near the full year number.

I think that is overly harsh and I could understand the policy if they were only doing 2 or 3 but not 7 and especially in your DDs circumstances. I'd definitely speak to the school/council education service about that. It seems very unfair.

YoScience · 20/04/2016 16:41

Thanks both, seems like compared to other schools that the policy is overly harsh.

I think I will give school a quick call tomorrow for a chat about it.

As DD was originally in Nat 5 chemistry she has completed the course before being dropped down to Nat 4, so she only had to do one small internal assessment and that was it complete. This was done around Feb. So it's not even that she has work outstanding, she would literally have nothing to come in for?

Due to DD missing time through ill health, she was told the decision was hers to do Chemistry at Nat 4 or 5, but it was decided that it would ease the pressure a bit to drop it and concentrate on the subjects she was performing well in. Not giving her study leave now seems to be totally going against this as she would now only get 5 days off (She has 3 exams within 2 days!)

unlucky83 · 20/04/2016 17:59

yo DD1 is doing 6 (and a Nat 4 she started at the beginning of S4) -max they can do is 7. Afaik she has the full just over a month's study leave...but actually I wish she hadn't. At the moment the classes seem to be dedicated to revision and I'd imagine after the exams in that subject the teachers may well let them study for other subjects in those lessons....I think she'll get more revision done in school than she ever will at home - especially with the day before to do less minute cramming...
(Apparently she did her French oral this morning - phew - when asked how she think it went she said 'hmmm -OK ....I guess..' and won't say any more. But then at least she'll get some marks for it - rather than none if she hadn't done it at all - or worse an X - incomplete - (which is what I got for two I needed coursework for and just hadn't done Blush - and I did the blinking exams -if I had known I couldn't pass no matter what I did I just wouldn't bothered turning up for them ...)

unlucky83 · 20/04/2016 18:01

thought not think - sigh ....autocorrect hates me...

Superjaggy · 20/04/2016 23:36

Yo that seems really harsh to me too. I can't imagine that teachers will be teaching any curriculum for S4-6 during study leave times, merely offering drop in sessions or supervision at best. And you'd think that would be voluntary. Hope you get some answers from school tomorrow.

Groovee · 21/04/2016 06:11

It's less than 3 at our school. Dd is doing 5 Nat5's and a higher. The letter we got home said it was in line with SQA guidelines, so I would look up the SQA website and see what they say regarding the leave period.

Groovee · 21/04/2016 07:24

This is part of the letter we got X

Nat 5/Highers etc - Anyone getting ready with their S4 - S6 dc?
prettybird · 21/04/2016 08:36

Ds has finally given up struggling into school and has said he's not well enough to go in today. He says his head feels better but he now feels like he's going to be sick.

Not simulating - I just hope that he's not feeling stressed and that it is "just" a migraine or bug Sad

prettybird · 22/04/2016 18:38

Ds off school again today Sad

He's a bit better this afternoon but just had Knew it was too good to last 😒

Just had a screaming match heated discussion with ds because I expressed concern that he was just doing the bare minimum in terms of studying his texts for English: just the Carol Ann Duffy poems for Question 1 (Scottish Texts) and "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" for Question 2.

He insists that he doesn't need backups in case he doesn't like the specific questions.

He insists that his teacher only did "Kidnapped", "Of Mice and Men" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" as fillers and that she's said that they only need to revise the poems and Cuckoo's Nest.

Aaaargh!! AngryHmm

Groovee · 22/04/2016 20:32

I sympathise. Dd told me she was bored. So I told her to revise. She's annoying me with her attitude at the moment.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 22/04/2016 22:35

Poor DS Pb :(

My DS1 seems to have himself back into some sort or rhythm, he's been coming home and doing between an hour and two which obviously could be better but could also be worse. Both DH and I have walked past his room a few times and seen hi lying flat on his back on his bed just staring at the ceiling. We were both a bit concerned so I asked if he was okay and he said yes and can't remember lying on his bed looking at the ceiling Confused . But we both saw him on several different occasions!

DS2 is doing his DofE practice this weekend so that's another concern as he simply isn't fit but what can you say? It's a shame it's to be cold as that will make his backpack heavier.

Groovee I think that's their main purpose in life, to be annoying.

Groovee · 25/04/2016 21:36

Dd is tipping me over the edge. Think I might see if I can pick up extra shifts at work and stay away from home now.

Groovee · 25/04/2016 21:36

Dd is tipping me over the edge. Think I might see if I can pick up extra shifts at work and stay away from home now.

YoScience · 25/04/2016 21:42

Haha Groovee I feel your pain. DD is doing a fair bit of studying but is also quite stressy! Grin

On the plus side her school has now decided to give full study leave to those doing 5+ highers. So that has pleased her.

YoScience · 25/04/2016 21:42

Haha Groovee I feel your pain. DD is doing a fair bit of studying but is also quite stressy! Grin

On the plus side her school has now decided to give full study leave to those doing 5+ highers. So that has pleased her.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 25/04/2016 21:43

Oh dear. It's times like this I wished we'd saved up for boarding school! :o

Ds1 has been doing probably about an hour to an hour and a half after school - i'm not sure how much of that is study or homework or pissing about.

prettybird · 25/04/2016 21:45

Ds was back at school today. Seems to be too? relaxed about his studying.

Got one last game of rugby on Wednesday (a U16 7s tournament) on Wednesday and then he says he won't do any more until after the exams. Just have to hope he doesn't get concussed

OneMagnumisneverenough · 25/04/2016 21:50

Good news then Pb I just hope DS is focussed enough to keep it up once study leave starts and he'll be on his own all day. The plan is to have him just get up showered and dressed as usual as if he was going to school (but not in his uniform obvs) and get him to study in the morning as once he puts his PC on he'll be lost on that (no shower, no breakfast, no lunch) until me and DS2 get home after school.

Original poster
weegiemum · 26/04/2016 11:42

We got the exam timetable from the school yesterday. All but one of dd1's exams are in the afternoon! The only one that isn't is her very last one so we've agreed that when it is over at 10.30 I will take her out for brunch.

Thankfully the Art coursework is handed in - its taken up an unfeasibly large amount of her time over the last few weeks, including the Easter holidays. I haven't had the heart to stop her though as its by far away the best subject she has (she's genuinely gifted) and plans to go to Glasgow School of Art.

They've been looking at Higher options and she can't do the 5 she wants to with the timetable she has. I'm hoping the school will allow her to do Art as a private study, as her art teacher is prepared to let her do it as an extra. One of the advantages of being in a small year group! (there are only 46 in her year).

OP posts:
OneMagnumisneverenough · 26/04/2016 11:52

We got the exam timetable at the end of last week but I'd already done it from the SQA so I knew that all bar one of DSs is in the afternoon too. The times are slightly different though and as he is a laptop user his English is different again.

It seems to be that most of the Highers are in the morning and Nat 5s in the afternoon. It's a bit of a pain as I'll have to work from home to take him in as he can't reliably get there and we can't take the chance he'll be late. It's not so bad for morning ones as I'd drop him with the others at school start time and if it takes him ages to get home it doesn't really matter. Oh well!

We haven't had the S5 timetable yet, in fact we haven't had DS2s S4 timetable and he starts that on Tuesday.

I don't think DS has put as much effort into his art as he should have. He is actually pretty talented but he's very very quiet and self conscious, he's in class of all girls, and his work all seems to be based round self- portraiture. I'm sure that wouldn't have been his choice and so he lost all enthusiasm. :( I hope he does well enough as technically he should have an A in order to crash higher Graph Comm next year.

I hope your DD gets to do her Art weegie

OneMagnumisneverenough · 26/04/2016 12:01

are on the subject of Afternoon exams, can those who've already been through this give a view (or anyone else for that matter!) on what they should do in the morning before the exam?

I'm sure I read that they shouldn't study but I also don't think that getting up at 7am and gaming on the PC is the best idea either?

haggisaggis · 26/04/2016 12:40

Find the study leave differences quite interesting. In Angus, those sitting 2 or more Nat 5s get the day before and the day of the exam off for study leave only. The rest have to go to school as normal. For those in S5 & S6 they get 2 full weeks starting May 9th, otherwise the day before & day of exam only. DS only has 2 exams actually falling in the study leave period. Seems quite harsh to me.
That reminds me - need to stock up on food for when he's off. He liked having a variety of sandwich fillings available last year. As long as he puts more effort into studying than constructing the perfect sandwich..

OneMagnumisneverenough · 26/04/2016 12:50

Yes, haggis, thinking that the shopping list this week will be a bit different. We are generally a packed lunch family but if DS1 is home he will take the opportunity to make a "proper" lunch. i.e. a tin of soup and sandwich, or beans on toast or a tin of macaroni with toast or eggs or a cheese toastie or even hot dogs :o I don't mind really as that's his motivation to not spend the day arsing about in his bedroom in his pyjamas. Golden rule in our house is that you don't eat lunch in your PJs - no exceptions!

OneMagnumisneverenough · 26/04/2016 12:51

And the leave rules are interesting. I'm thinking the car park at school pick up will be easier from Tuesday since half the school are off on leave.