Do I understand National qualifications correctly?

[sweethomepa]

As someone who studied standard grades, I hoping someone on here can tell me if I understand the national qualifications correctly.
In my head, I am thinking that national 3 is the equivalent if standard grade at foundation level, nat 4 is general level and nat 5 is credit level??
In general, are pupils all taught in the same class?
Thanks in advance!

Never really heard of Nat3 tbh
Nat4 and Nat5 would be studied in the same classes. Nat4s are assessed in house whereas Nat5s are externally assessed with exams

You normally get told which level your child is working towards.

i dont know how they compare to standard grades as I'm old and did O Grades. Think my younger sister did standard grades but I know nothing about them

Depends on the school.
I have an s4 class made up of 80% Nat 5 and the rest Nat 4. They all started at N5 but it soon becomes apparent, through evidence, who is not able to meet the standards required at N5. We then move those pupils to N4 but they remain in the same class.
This works for us because the content of my subject is the same at n4 & N5. I believe that’s not the same for all subjects.

nat 4 and 5 taught in same class in some subjects but split in others at DS's school.

i think nat 5 A/B/C are equivalent to standard grade 1/2/3? and i think nat 4 is more equivalent to foundation/general (i.e. 4/5)?

How does it work with school years? My dc is in 3 rd year is doing Nat 4s but has been told in one subject he has done enough to get his Nat 4 already ( strange way to motivate) and I have been told he is doing a mixture of Nat 5 plus higher work in another subject. Will he just do carry on doing Nat 4s in 3rd year and do his Nat 5s in 4 th year?

Do they mean he's at Nat4 level rather than aiming for a Nat4 qualification? I imagine he'll expand into Nat5 work in S4 although it depends how the school works it.

My ds had to choose is Nat5 subjects at the end of S2 and then only had 7 subjects in S3 and S4. My dd was 3 years ahead of him and didn't drop to her 7 subjects until the end of S3.

I can't remember NAT3 ever being mentioned. ds picked his 7 NAT5 subject at the end of S2.

At the end of S3/beginning of S4 they were all doing NAT4 units in class and some were told they would not be put forward to NAT5 exams that year and if they wanted to do their NAT5 it would be in S5 instead. All classes were a mixture of NAT4 and NAT5 pupils except maybe English and Maths which were in sets, so only the lower sets would be mixed.

This might help show the comparison between the old and new awards.

https://scqf.org.uk/media/zd0f4ka3/old-v-new-final-web-updated-june-2022.pdf

Yup, Standard Grades were SCQF levels 3,4 and 5.

National 3 is SCQF level 3
National 4 is SCQF level 4
National 5 is SCQF level 5

There are also National 1 and 2s for pupils with ASN.

scqf.org.uk/media/zd0f4ka3/old-v-new.pdf

Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply, all very helpful