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Scotsnet

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

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Original poster

1 year behind in HIgh School problems

43 replies

StripeyChina · 11/07/2019 10:28

If a child is sitting 1 year behind in High School, can they be asked to leave without sitting exams please?

OP posts:

Original poster

StripeyChina · 14/07/2019 22:29

He will be 15 end Sept this year.

When he repeated P1 his Primary Head warned he could 'leave High School with no exams' and i heard that this High School is keen to encourage students who will not perform well in exams to leave?

I was surprised at the insistence he go back into a year he is older than most other kids when he's sat in his 'correct' year the last 2 years (albeit i know the english system is diff intake / cut offs etc)

As we left at P7 level and he is the oldest i know very little about the Scottish High School system / exams so i am grateful for all input.

OP posts:

WaxOnFeckOff · 14/07/2019 22:35

Primary head was talking nonsense China. The system just isn't that rigid.

He will be old for that year but I think it's being done for valid reasons but if you are worried, I'd speak to the school about it and how they see it working. Is he academic or not? If he isn't, he will be in a good place to pick up other types of things such as foundation apprenticeships etc. The English system has a lot of DC moving onto 6th form college at what would be the end of 4th year here but that doesn't really happen here. He'll be in the school system up to the end of 6th year if he wants to be.

serenadoundy · 14/07/2019 22:40

He will be one of the oldest but if you don't have any questions regarding his academic ability there is no reason why he can't sit Nat5's in S4 like the rest of his year and go on to do highers in the senior phase.

DonkeyHohtay · 14/07/2019 22:41

Well if he's 15 at the end of September, he should be going into S4 in August. What I think previous teachers are trying to say is that if you put him into S3 (where he will be substantially older than a lot of the pupils), he will reach school leaving age in September 2020 and before the rest of the year are due to sit Nat 5s in May 2021.

You really need to drop terminology like "go back a year" and "he's in his correct year" as the intake is different.

The issue is around teaching for exams. Whenever children make their choices of National 5 subjects, they start teaching towards them in S3. If your child is placed in S4 with his peers, he is at an immediate disadvantage - he's missed half the course. As WaxOn said if he's academically able, the best course of action might be to skip National 5 exams and just progress straight into Higher.

But that will depend on the policy of your school.

It SEEMS that they are trying to be accommodating by giving you the option to put him into S3 with a younger group for the start of the Nat 5 course.

But to be honest pretty much everything you've written is jumbled and confusing and you are not making yourself clear. At all.

serenadoundy · 14/07/2019 22:55

My DS is 16 and just going into S4.

serenadoundy · 14/07/2019 22:56

Omg S5

The point was he started S4 at 15, as will OPDS.

surlycurly · 15/07/2019 05:39

Like I already explained, Scottish schools have an obligation to ensure he leaves with qualifications. They won't encourage him to leave with nothing. It's the opposite of the English system.

AgentProvocateur · 15/07/2019 05:46

It’s already quite a tough transition to go from English to Scottish school at that stage. Although subjects may be similar, curriculum will be completely different. There would be no benefit at all to him starting S4 with his actual age group. Is he going back to same area, so will be with his primary peers?

Original poster

StripeyChina · 15/07/2019 11:51

Thanks, all.
Sorry if it seems jumbled / confused I am just repeating what I was told by Primary Head (which is hopefully nonsense)

He is autistic and has dyslexia. His behaviour is outstanding but his attendance can drop a bit as he suffers from anxiety and low mood.
His academic performance (according to the english system) is low average, not low enough to trigger extra support academically but he gets support with organisation and social issues (bullying)
I don't think it will harm him to have an 'extra year' at school as it were and more time to achieve his potential and if this school's rationale than this is great and helpful of them, yes.

but he gets bullied for being 'different' so i was a bit worried about him being older than the other kids. Yes he would go back into his previous year group (but maybe 1 old friend in the class?) but he may get teased for coming back across from england possibl too.

I think i was most interested in what exams he could take when and whether he was most likely to progess in scotland rather than under the english system which seems very rigid and proscribed.

It sounds like the answer to that may be Yes??

OP posts:

paddlingwhenIshouldbeworking · 15/07/2019 11:58

A conversation with the high school would really help. Do you have a meeting scheduled ?

ColdTattyWaitingForSummer · 15/07/2019 12:05

Is the issue that if he rejoins s3 he will turn 16 in the autumn of s4, and would therefore be allowed to leave at Christmas, before taking his exams in May? A school might encourage that if the child was very disruptive in terms of behaviour, but not for academic reasons. If they weren’t able for Nat5’s they might take Nat4’s in s4 and then Nat5’s in s5 or s5.

ColdTattyWaitingForSummer · 15/07/2019 12:07

*s5 or s6.

prettybird · 15/07/2019 15:44

I agree with others that you've misinterpreted the primary head's remarks: she meant that he could choose to leave before sitting his Nat 5s if he was that little bit older, as he'd have reached school leaving age, not that he'd be forced to leave

Given that he would know people in S3 (I think ) and that many schools start their Nat 5 curriculum in S3 and that you say he is autistic and struggles a bit academically and he suffers from low self esteem and anxiety, I think it's a no-brainer that he should go into S3.

If he's going to be teased for coming from England, that would happen whether he was in S3 or S4 - and anyway, that's the sort of thing the school should clamp down on.

If he goes into S3 then it gives both the school and him time to decide whether he should be presented for Nat 5 exams (GCSE equivalent) or just do Nat 4s.

Depending on what he does, he can then go onto Highers in S5 (or even S6) or do some Nat 5s in S5. The Scottish system really is that flexible

prettybird · 15/07/2019 15:48

...or a mix of Nat 5s and Highers in S5 or even S6 - I know a friend's dd put off (re)sitting her Maths Nat 5, which she needs if she wants to go into teaching, until S6.

chzarind · 15/07/2019 16:05

One of mine did 3 highers and 2 Nat5's in S5 then one more higher and Nat5 Maths in S6

The other did 5 highers in S5 and 2 advanced Highers, a normal higher and another Nat5 in S6.

Mrsjayy · 15/07/2019 17:21

My dd had a guy in her year who did 2 6th years, I have no idea how that worked his dad retired from the forces and he did 1 6th year then another he was in a few of dds classes his birthday must have been january or february ?

chzarind · 15/07/2019 17:26

You can't stay on after 6th year and do it again though, did the kid not just do highers in S5 and again in S6?

Mrsjayy · 15/07/2019 17:30

No he was in 6th year when Dd was in 5th he took dds friend to prom he maybe came half way through the year or something.

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