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Welcome to Scotsnet - discuss all aspects of life in Scotland, including relocating, schools and local areas.

Original poster

any of your DCs starting S1 this august?

298 replies

strangerthongs · 16/02/2019 19:52

I thought I'd start our own thread seeing as there's threads for S5/6, exams, uni etc.

V nervous about DD starting S1. High school's a whole other ball game isn't it? I remember being badly bullied and feeling overwhelmed in the first few weeks.

Does anyone know what books they tend to read in English in S1 nowadays, and what they study in History in S1 - my two favourite subjects when I was at schools so I'm curious.

In my DD's high school, they will be choosing subjects midway through S1 which seems awfy early (it was S2 when I was at school).

I wonder what the most popular subjects are...there seems to be some really cool options nowadays although I would hope DD will choose subjects that she is likely to actually use/need in her future career and not because all her friends are doing it.

Anyone else have a DC starting high school?

OP posts:
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Lidlfix · 20/02/2019 08:03

SNSA Scottish National Standardised Assessment probably more famous/infamous for P1 tests than S3. Only a snapshot of a pupil's ability on one day. Can't be used on its own to evidence a level but handy tool for teacher to identify strengths and potential gaps in learning.

My DDs school and where I teach don't have a huge amount of "formal" exams in S1-3. They have a "best work" (or similar name) jotter that examples of their best work in text based subjects are written up in and this acts as evidence of their achievements of 3rd and 4th level in English, Literacy and relevant subjects do demonstrates their suitability for progression to N4 /5 as appropriate.

Maths and Science have small end of unit tests but nothing that has ever stressed my DDs too much. These help inform pupils, parents Pupil Support staff when helping with course choices. For example not much point in choosing Physics and Engineering Science if your Nat 3 Maths or lots of text based subjects if Literacy levels are low.

BrokenWing · 20/02/2019 22:18

Agree schools are very different, ds in S3 has had very little homework since S1. Only one or two short 10-15 mins pieces a week and the very occasional larger piece maybe 2-3 times a year. But they do get asked to revise/self study for 30-45 mins a night in S1 increasing to 90 mins in S3.

prettybird · 20/02/2019 22:48

Not sure how much homework ds got in S1 and S2 negligent mum me Blush because he just got on and did it. He did get a bit though - and it ramped up both in S3 and S4.

The one thing I should have for more involved with is the "little and often" French and Spanish revision and me with a French degree too Blush - but that wasn't "homework" per se.

TinTinBanana · 21/02/2019 05:42

I think my ds will struggle with languages. I know they do french at the secondary school he will be going to. Will he have to take it up until S3 or S4? Or will there be an option to drop it before then?

dementedpixie · 21/02/2019 06:59

Dds school let them drop it after S3

TinTinBanana · 21/02/2019 07:55

I wish he didn't have to do a language:( He struggles enough with English

dementedpixie · 21/02/2019 08:09

Some schools make you take it to S4. Dd swapped to Spanish at the start of S3 but decided she didn't want to do a language to Nat5 and dropped it when they chose their options at the end of S3

YouBumder · 21/02/2019 09:21

I’ll be pissed off if they make mine take a language to exam level (unless they want to). I love languages and did 2 to higher myself but the way languages are taught in our school really irritates me! Depending on what primary you went to you have to do either French or German and don’t get the chance to swap or pick up the other one. I just think it’s so backward compared to when I was at school and did both French and German to higher. Also my 2 boys will be coming to the high school from different primaries so the one currently there does German and his brother will do French.

Original poster
strangerthongs · 21/02/2019 09:30

I'm not happy that DD will not be studying German as we have German ancestry and thus would have been able to give her lots of help with learning it. But her high school is French or Spanish.

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YouBumder · 21/02/2019 09:32

I’d rather son 1 did French as his GF lives there and we go to France on holiday often so it’s more useful. I also remember much more of my French than German which I’ve never used since I did my higher!

ClerkMaxwell · 21/02/2019 13:22

DDs friend did a national 5 in German despite the school only offering French and Spanish. However one parent is a native speaker and language spoken at home. School helped out with grammar, exam practise, study books . So it can be done if your son is keen and not overloaded with other subjects.

prettybird · 21/02/2019 13:46

Ds' old school did 2 MFLs for two years: French/Urdu/either Spanish or German (alternate years - ds was in a "Spanish" year).

Iirc his subject columns correctly, he could drop one of the MFLs at the end of S2 (which he did), but had to keep one MFL going (he chose French). I suppose if he hadn't been doing 8 Nat 5s, he could've dropped French at the end of S3.

I think the BGE (Broad General Education) phase which is supposed to last until the end of S3 is required to include a MFL - but it's a long time since I went to the talk at the school about it Blush

WaxOnFeckOff · 21/02/2019 16:38

My DSs school is probably closer to the model that CfE was supposed to work in that no choices of anything are made until end of S3 and that's their Nat 5 choices (7 in their case). They start S4 a bit earlier than normal in order to accommodate the extra teaching hours required. neither of mine were required to take a language at Nat 5 but one DS took french and the other dropped language completely. The reality of the lack of choice sometimes forces choices they wouldn't normally like.

I believe they now offer Spanish as well as French and have submitted people self studying German for the relevant exams.

TinTinBanana · 21/02/2019 18:45

Oh well looks lIke ds will be doing a language until S3. He won't be happy. He does french at primary and hates it.

Is it easy to make friends in S1? My ds won't know anyone except from the transition visits.

dementedpixie · 21/02/2019 18:48

Do they do a residential trip in P7? My ds met boys there that went to the same high school and he is friends with them now. He was only friends with 1 or 2 boys from primary school

TinTinBanana · 21/02/2019 19:12

We have moved house but ds didn't move primary. His primary has a residential but everyone who goes on it will be going to a different high school.

WaxOnFeckOff · 21/02/2019 19:15

My two both went up not knowing anyone - well DS2 knew DS1 but that doesn't really count. They both made a really nice group of friends. Mine are both very quiet. I'm sure your DS will be fine and they do watch out to make sure everyone is okay. There were a few reshuffles of registration group in the first year to make sure that friendship issues weren't impacting. Unless there is a major issue later on, they are then expected to be able to manage their relationships without having to resort to moving classes which I think is fair. Most of the moves seemed to be involving the girls though. I'm not going to go into gender stereotypes because most of that is hogwash but there does seem to be a lot more drama generated by s1 girls than any other demographic.

TinTinBanana · 21/02/2019 20:30

Thats great that your two got on so well WaxOn. Ds has been to one transition event so far and the school were very good about getting everyone mixing together. As ds gets older I have noticed there seems to be a bit more falling out with the groups of girls. So far ds has been lucky and not had any major friendship issues.

Original poster
strangerthongs · 21/02/2019 20:37

DD is lucky in that the majority of kids from her school are going to this high school, including her closest friends, but of course friendships can change.

Knowing people was the reason we did not send her to the school in the neighbouring authority which is apparently in the top 20, compared to our school which is near the bottom of the table.

They dont do a residential with other schools, just in their own school in P7 which was in November.

DD is going to start a local youth group next week and hopefully will meet kids from other schools who are going to the same high.

We haven't had any letters yet about transition visits or similar.

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YouBumder · 21/02/2019 20:45

Our cluster schools do lots of events involving the p7s from all the schools in the cluster so they get to start meeting other kids there. My youngest has now moved to a much smaller school in the cluster and will be only one of 20 from his current school going up although having only just moved in p6 he’ll know the cohort from his previous school which was much bigger.

Son 1 appears to be mixing quite well.

WaxOnFeckOff · 21/02/2019 21:02

They do cluster events at ours too, but DSs went to non catchment school so that wasn't part of the cluster. I really wouldn't worry too much. There were DC that arrived at the school from completely different areas/countries who hadn't been to any cluster events and still got on fine and made friends.

WaxOnFeckOff · 21/02/2019 21:02

cluster events or transition events I meant to say.

prettybird · 21/02/2019 23:31

Ds was a placing request although a fee from his primary school also went to that academy (which is not much further, but a different direction, to the catchment academy), including one of "Three Amigos" friendship group he'd been in since P1. Plus he already had a few friends from the rugby club who were going to the school.

Yet his lasting friends - the ones he is still seeing when he comes down from Uni - aren't any of those. Although they are the group of friends that developed during S1.

They will make new friendship groups when they start at secondary school.

Thinking back (a looooong way back WinkBlush), that's what I did too - made a whole new circle of friends when I started at secondary school.

Original poster
strangerthongs · 23/02/2019 11:46

Ima bit baffled this week as two kids who DD has not mentioned much have invited her to play dates and sleepovers.

I suspect this has something to do with preparation for high school and their parents trying to get these kids into social groups.

DD is a kind girl though and I've always encouraged her to include everyone. The more friends the easier the transition should be after all.

Just find it interesting to see the parents preparations at work!

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Groovee · 23/02/2019 13:05

Dd ended up with just 1 friend from primary in her class. The splits were odd as half went to one school and the others went to the other. So some classes had 4/6 from primary and others had 2/3.

They were all quite close in primary. Dd still keeps in touch with most people. But amazing how many "friends" ignore her now she lives in Dundee.

Ds was a better split for classes and made more friends from his sport as well and ask he plays 3/4 times a week so they spend time together.