S4, Highers, the columns and timetable ...

[dancemom]

So dd got her columns issued and they just don't work for her. She's having to sacrifice a second MFL when she wants to study languages and the only option for her to take in that column is Maths which is the only subject she really wanted to drop. She's at a C for Nat 5 maths and does not want to take it at higher at all.

The only other options in that column are sciences which she didn't take at Nat 5 or else Nat 4 travel and tourism which would be a complete waste of her time.

School have said timetable is fixed. She's asked about the possibility of taking a MFL independently in that timetable herself but teachers weren't keen although haven't flat out said no. With some rejigging she could instead take music independently in that timetable space but I don't know how feasible that is either.

Had anyone come up against this before?

Our school is the same, columns are fixed and they strongly encourage continuing English and maths into S5 as a lot of further education courses need them. We are in S5 choosing for S6. A couple of tips:

If she wants to study languages at uni some need nat5 maths at a B so she's might need to take higher to improve her grade. Does she have uni courses in mind? Check their entry requirements.

Plan ahead columns into S6 too.

For music does she play two instruments already? If she is G4 standard then the performance part is pretty much there. For the theory/listening piece there is a lot in the internet - mostly links to schools but v useful. The hardest part will be composition but if the school could set her in the right track with occasional check in then it could work.

Re languages in my experience it’s v important to understand the marking scheme plus all the various elements that make up the overall mark - much harder to do on your own, however if you could get a tutor than I’d try and push this as an option.

I definitely wouldn’t be trying for higher maths if nat 5 was a C. Another option would be biology if a science is an absolute must and pick up the other language in 6th year alongside AH in the language she is taking in 5th year.

Or as a final option retake Nat 5 maths to improve the grade.

My son's school allows MFL to be studied outside school (via a tutor) and they will enter the student in for the exam if they prove they are capable. I've known this happen for N5 to AH level.

My own son studied N5 French outside school (as an extra subject as his school only offered 6 N5s). He saw the tutor at most once a week but could get a lot done in that time 1:1.

Thanks for the replies.

None of the courses she's looking at require any specific Nat 5 grades, just higher and advance higher grades. She's actually predicted a B for Nat 5 Maths but we dont forsee that and regardless, Maths has been a slog involving tutors at various times and she has no intention of continuing that.

She can't pick up a science at higher as she didn't take any sciences at Nat 5.

She is Grade 6 in one instrument and Grade 3 in another so taking music in that column might be the better choice than trying to take the language in that timetable slot.

Guess we will need to go back to the school again and plead our case. It's so frustrating as she had her highers and advanced highers all planned out and just assumed she could make it work with the columns.

My second child is in S4 and choosing her options for S5 at the moment, her columns don't "work" either. She is similar in that she would much prefer to be doing History but it isn't in the one column she has free. She has the choice of taking Higher Modern Studies without doing the nat 5 first, or a Nat 5 in business management, neither option she's happy with.

I can see it from the school's point too, the timetabling must be a nightmare and they can't offer every possible combination.

I studied languages at Uni many years ago and although I did have two at Higher when I applied for Uni, many people on my course didn't. Uni offered special accelerated classes for people who had Higher / Adv Higher French and wanted to pick up Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, German or Italian. Many of these students went on to joint honours in two languages.

She may also be able to do the second language as a Higher in S6, assuming she;s planning to stay on.

The issue is that the classes run at certain times, and even if the school "allow" her to do her own choice, there's likely to be one (say) Spanish class and its running at the same time as she's already going to do French. Have the school said if there are any college options? (I don't mean leaving to go to college, I mean taking a specific subject at the college).

It's frustrating when it's like that. I think our school didn't have columns for fifth year. One advantage of it being really big is they can offer more flexibility. It's not impossible to do biology without having done NAT 5 if she is keen. Also, does the school offer applications of maths which is a slightly more practical course? Also, do they have a period or two of an extra fun subject, which could be used to keep one of the languages ticking over till 6th year, my son is doing this.

careers adviser here. She will have many more options available to her if she takes Maths, including MFL at university. She could also take another language in S6 so one each year.

Raspberry. My son took 'crash' Modern studies in S5 along with four other highers. He found this really hard going and got a B grade which was the only grade he's ever dropped. In sixth year he went on to do to AH modern studies, RMPS and music and got all As. He actually found the 'crash' RMPS AH easier then the 'crash' Mods Higher in 5th year. The workload is greater in S5 and also he was the only student 'crashing' and didn't get any special attention.

She absolutely will not be taking Maths at higher.

She has contacted her language department to see if any of the teachers have a free period during that timetable slot and could support her 1 hour per week if she was allowed to take a language independently. She has also contacted her music teacher to ask the same. She's very competent in music theory so this may be easier to take without attending class.

She already has plans for sixth year subjects so really wants to get both her higher languages done in fifth year.

Thanks everyone for your responses.

Sorry missed some questions

@horseymum no she wouldn't want to pick up a science again, she's very focused on languages / modern studies / geography / English type subjects

No application of maths offered and no college options either, it's a small school

Teachers won't know the timetable for next year so will not know if they have a free. That's a really big ask actually. If arranged by management that would count as a contact period for them but if I did that that's an extra hour I'd have to stay after school to make up for missing the time. Why not pay for a tutor to do the same.

She has discussed this with the school management team before contacting her teachers. If it's music she wouldn't need a tutor, just someone to make sure she's on track for what's required.

Keep pushing the school, and definitely look at college options. My DS friend studied a language independently as 6th Higher so it's certainly possible.

She's right not to continue with Maths from C at Nat 5, it's a big step up and better to focus her energy elsewhere.

For anyone interested she's been given permission to take Higher Music independently in that column and is very relieved!

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions