Differences between Scottish and English High School Curriculum / system

[ARoomWithoutADoor]

Could people advise what they feel the main differences are, please?

I have a friend who feels that the Scottish System is more flexible and that the Standard exams are 'less demanding' than GCSE's but i cant think this can be correct?

Well, given that we no longer have Standard Grades - it's been National 5s since 2014 - how much does your friend really know about Scottish education?

There are so many differences. Impossible to draw comparisons as the intake is different by 6 months for a start.

For me the main difference is the first set of exams post 16 - and the original school leaving age. English students typically study 3 subjects over 2 years and apply to uni based on predictions.

Scottish student study 5 subjects over 1 year and apply to uni on the basis of their actual passes in most cases. Then they can leave and go to uni, although most stay for their final year which allows for further specialisation or picking up other subjects previously dropped.

Well we manage to produce people who are every bit as educated as the rest of the UK 🤷‍♀️

It does offer flexibility in the senior years but it's not because anything is easier 'less demanding'

National 5s are demanding, probably more so than GCSEs. Most pupils sit 6 or 7 of them and both English language and literature is included in the English subject. When Nat 5s started, some of the content from higher levels came into Nat 5, particularly in Maths.

If you want to see what they look like, just google 'SQA Past papers' and choose some to look at.

If a child is bright, the can achieve 6/7 Nat 5s in 4th years, 5 Highers in 5th year and 3 Advanced Highers in 6th year.

Advanced Highers are credited as being worth a grade higher than A levels, ie a B at AH is equivalent to an A at A level. My DD did this and ended up with ABB (A*AA) at AH, 5 Hs and 9 Nat 5s. Plenty enough to get into the best of universities.

What is more flexible is that pupils will generally stay in the same school till they leave, and can still be working towards Nat 5 in 6th year if that's the route that suits them. Highers can be taken over 2 years and AHs aren't usually required for Uni courses, other than Medicine/Vets.

Oh yes the whole school places and application stuff down south is just lunacy. And there's no such thing as "sixth form college" or schools chucking kids out after Nat5 if they don't do well.

I did wonder how much my friend knew yes, so that is why I thought posting on here might be a better idea.

Certainly, the idea of flexibility is appealing.

In a lot of schools, there's very little choice at Advanced Higher level.

Ds was fortunate: his school was large enough that they could have a policy of offering AHs in all the subjects that they offered Highers in

But young people at other schools in Glasgow, which didn't necessarily have the staff or numbers, have the opportunity to go to the Advanced Higher Hub at Glasgow Caledonian. I don't know if other areas have similar set-ups.

The reason why most universities have 3 year degree options and not too, is because of the Scottish education system. The first year usually repeats things covered in second year A Levels.

There's also the option to "pool" students doing advanced highers - i know this happens with several local schools in my area and students travel between schools in taxis to make up the numbers for a class. This isn't new - back in the dark ages when I was doing CSYS there were two of us in my school and we were joined by 2 from the local RC high school to make a viable class.

But in rural areas with smaller numbers and opportunities to travel, it is an issue.