senior phase options (school)

[thegruffalosmaw]

Am I the only parent who thinks the school options choices are utter shite? Also annoyed with DD as she's not making it easy either.

DD is currently doing 5 Highers and is probably the youngest in her year (February born). The school is amongst the lowest in the league tables.
She will be choosing her subjects this month for S6 and so far:

1. There are limited Adv Highers available at her school. Only one is a subject she is currently doing a Higher in but that Adv Higher is not available at her school. She would need to travel to a school in the neighbouring town which she is adament she will not do as its too far, its not near a rail station, there's seemingly no school transport, DH and I will be working so can't do lifts and she won't know anyone. I think its ridiculous that of all the Adv Highers the school offer, only two seem to be available at our particular school.
2. There are also too few Highers available that she either hasn't already done in S5 or is interested in. She doesn't like science (finding chemistry tough), doesn't like music, languages, technical or PE. She feels Higher Maths is too hard (she got a B in the N5 but was predicted A) and apparently there's only one teacher who teaches H Maths and DD doesn't like that teacher. She got an A for N5 Art but found it boring.
3. Several subjects have been without a teacher for a while and are relying on supply so that is also putting DD off those subjects as she sees her friends struggling. Some highers have been cancelled due to too few students choosing them, only 3 picked H Geography so it got removed.
4. She is thinking of H Photography (this is a hobby in RL) and maybe H Geography. No idea what else. She says 'no' to every other Higher (and there's limited choice available).
5. Also not interested in doing any N5s and for the university course she wants to do, she will need at least 3 more highers or some Adv Highers.
6. Not interested in a Foundation Apprenticeship due to a, the limited choices and b, the fact the timetable indicates time on the FA would take up her whole week limiting what other subjects she could potentially do. I myself have heard bad things about some of the FAs on offer via this school and local college.
7. Not interested in other college senior phase school options - many courses are N4/N5 level, skills for work etc (eg hairdressing) and DD would want to do a Higher or Higher equivalent. Also most courses seem to be at the campus furthest away (the college is WCS) so again how would she even get there? No mention of travel provision.
8. We did speak about leaving and going through UCAS clearing but DD doesn't want to do this and would still only be 16. She doesn't want to leave for college either as she doesn't feel ready or like the options.

Sorry for the long post but I feel frustrated at the school, the (lack) of options and travel support and also at DD for being stubborn.

Is anyone else having a similar experience or have any suggestions?

DD did an HNC after S5 and got direct entry to 2nd year of her chosen degree: any options like that locally? HNC is the same level as Advanced Highers (SCQF Level 7.)

Thanks, I should have added the fact her boyfriend and best friends are staying for S6 is also influencing her to stay at school.

The no options for advanced highers thing is nothing new. I left school in 2005 and my school only offered advanced higher maths, no other options.

You have a long list of what she's doesn't like, but what subjects would she/you like to see offered? What's missing?

It sounds like maybe she's outgrown school and ready to move on?

Is it a competitive course she wants to do? If she needs at least 3 more Highers that needs to be your starting point, no point looking at foundation apprenticeships etc.

None of mine would have contemplated going to another school on their own, they would have needed someone bolder to copy. If you want her to do that, I think you'd need to promise to pay her taxi fare. TBH when mine did AHs they were hard going and needed a bit of drive behind them. I think you'd be better persuading her to pick up some Highers that she can do well in.

She sounds to me like she needs more of a challenge but also needs to mature quite a bit. It's a hard time.

It was fine at s4 to s5 for my eldest as he was doing the typical 5 highers but s5 to s6 was a bit shit. He has ended up doing 2 crash highers in subjects he’s not interested in, 1 AH in a subject he is interested in at our school, and has to travel to a (worse) school for the other AH. He has an unconditional for Uni now thankfully so less of an issue.

I am more concerned for my youngest who is in s4 and I doubt will be able to do any highers or at most maybe one but has to go back to school as he’s also young for his year. God knows what subject choices he’ll be offered.

The council pay for a taxi for mine to travel to the other school though. Means I now get shite Groupcall texts from 2 schools 😂

@TooOldForThisNonsense That's my worry too, that DD will just 'pick anything'. No word on paying for taxis but I could ask DD to find out if that's an option (doubt it but can get her to ask). I think like you say, she wouldn't do it unless a friend was doing it too.

@Invisimamma Highers she may be interested in, if our school offered them, would be things like Philosophy (she likes RMPS), Classical Studies (she likes History), maybe Psychology, maybe Italian (as we're going to Italy in summer). She enjoys her higher D&M, its her best subject, but not available as Adv H.

As I said, none of these are on offer at our school or even in our LA area and I don't see them on offer at the local college either.

As well as the standard Highers of English Maths, Science, social subjects, business etc, there is H Drama, Higher Food Technology, H Care, H Dance, - none of these are things that particularly interest DD or related to what she wants to do.

Speak with school. When I was in school the council paid for taxis for kids doing courses at other schools.
I can't imagine that is something that would have changed.

The local authority where I worked had a variety of options for returning to S6 pupils. Consortia agreement where they accessed courses at another school. I'm not sure of travel arrangements. Also they could access courses at the local college. Advanced Highers being offered were based on the numbers electing to take them and available staff. There were lots of different things the school supported. I feel maybe your daughter isn't giving you the entire story and perhaps has outgrown school.

Does school offer OU YASS (same level as AdvH and good subject choice)? Learning is online but there are face to face tutorials plus tutor available for questions (DDs was brilliant). DD found good prep for uni.

Or Advanced Higher Hub (Glasgow Calendonian) if you are in Glasgow area (everyone new so not like joining new school on your own)

I'm aware of the OU option but its not offered by our school (and DD not interested in anything online).
Its a very low performing school with much more focus on vocational learning as most pupils go onto apprenticeships or FE rather than HE.
DD is also stubborn as fuck and digging her heels in about what she doesn't want to do.

My DSes went to a similar school. They usually managed to run AHs in Chemistry, Biology, Music and Art. You could be lucky with numbers for other subjects like English and Maths but anything else was a taxi to a neighbouring school in another town (paid for by school). Some left after S5 to either go to another school which had their subject choices or to college/uni to do HNC/HND/degree.

What is your DD hoping to study at uni?

Italian, Classics and Pyschology are a bit niche tbh, I’ve not heard of a state school running those.

I think you need to look at what skills she has and where that leads her. If she likes History, Modern Studies and/ or Geography would be good. You mentioned Photography, that would be good if she likes design.

*Highers she may be interested in, if our school offered them, would be things like Philosophy (she likes RMPS), Classical Studies (she likes History), maybe Psychology, maybe Italian (as we're going to Italy in summer).
*
I've never heard of any of.those subjects being offered at a local authority secondary school. Maybe expecting too much from the school. If she likes history then I'd suggest Modern Studies, it's a very easy crash higher if you have good essay writing skills. Have you spoken to the school, what do they suggest?

Higher psychology might be offered at a local college?

No point being annoyed at the school though - I doubt they thought, let's offer a limited range of options for fun, it's all about budgets and staffing - try to remember education when the next elections come.

There are real teaching problems at this school - supply teachers, teachers off sick etc.
Yes I know her interests are quite niche, she's thinking of either primary teaching or philosophy at university. Not quite decided yet. Wanting to go to Glasgow or Strathclyde, maybe Stirling but not further and not staying away from home.
Modern Studies was discussed, she says no.

A few state schools do offer more niche subjects: DD1 did Higher Classics and Higher Philosophy at our local state secondary. It isn't a high achieving school but it's very big, so the range of subject choices is wider. It's a shame your DD doesn't have those subjects as an option, but if she needs 3 extra Highers for the course she wants to do, I think I'd put to her that she'll just need to pick what she thinks are the least worst options on offer to get in to the course she wants to do. If she is interested in philosophy at university level, there are some good MOOCs available to give her a taste of what that might be like (and as a plus, to show evidence of an interest in the subject when she writes her personal statement).

I think your daughter also has to come and go a bit and see the subject choices for what they are ie a means to an end. She doesn’t have to have a lifelong love for a subject to study it as a crash higher for a year.

As an aside she’s not going to need 8 highers for those subjects is she? Other than likes of med, dentistry and vet med that seems pretty unusual

TBH I think this is less about the school and more a stubborn teenager arguing with mum for the sake of it. I'd shrug and leave her to it. You've given her good advice and options.

Sadly the reality is a school can only offer subjects in line with their staffing capacity and the needs of their students. From what you've said it sounds like the school is trying to cater to a very broad range of pupils, offering lots of vocational courses means that fewer staff will be available to deliver AH courses. AH isn't always the best option anyway - if needing a certain number of qualifications most universities only count each subject once (the highest level obtained). If your daughter needs additional H qualifications that is probably a more sensible route anyway.

As a separate issue though, it does sound like the school offers a reasonable range of H courses to choose from, and not taking courses because they don't like a teacher isn't really appropriate decision making! All members of staff will be qualified to deliver the H Maths, for example, and there is surely no guarantee that it will be timetabled to the same member of staff every year!

State school DD attended did offer H and AH Philosophy but a few years ago now. Also would suggest OU YASS - again DD did this and really enjoyed it

She would really be wise to try to do higher maths if possible, could she do applications instead, it's more real world I think. She needs to look at some prospectuses to see what she wants to do. Although there is always a way of she misses out eg college, night classes. Our consortia arrangements mean they get a taxi.

It sounds like there are a fair range of subjects, but she doesn't want to do them. Can't see how that can be blamed on the school.

Agree with @horseymum about H Maths. Presume she'll need to do at least basic logic as part of a philosophy degree so maths will come in handy (useful for primary teaching too).