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?

Didn't spot she's interested in primary teaching, think you need higher maths (used to anyway I think)

For primary teaching its now only N5 Maths at B you need and H English at B. Doesn't matter what other subjects are, as long as you have the grades.

If the school is v low in league tables maybe teachers dont have much experience with higher education. Frame the taxi as something they need to provide rather than is it something they do.

No. You need H English and at least a B in Nat 5 maths, plus other Highers, obviously. DD is in her first year of a primary teaching degree.

I agree with other comments that it all depends on staffing and demand. DD was all set to do H Psychology in S6 when the only teacher qualified to offer it retired.

My kids were at a big state secondary with lots of kids going on to uni and staying for S6. They didn't offer classics or Italian although there was a really good mix on offer including things like Drama and Design and Manufacture. Also things like volunteering and a chance to get a refereeing qualification. If your DD is thinking of primary teaching I'd also advise asking whether they can factor in time volunteering at a local school into the timetable, DD did 9-10.30 every Wednesday morning all year and found it very useful to get an insight into primary teaching from the teacher's perspective and to have relevant things to talk about on her UCAS form.

It is really appalling that this is what stands as education in Scotland.

We need a radical shake up so academic DCs who want to go to uni can go to schools that offer a wide range of highers and AHs.

My dd did Higher Psychology at the local FE college - the school had an arrangement that pupils cold go there for some highers. I assume that's not an option?

In my area the school only offers a few popular Adv Highers but other schools offer alternative ones, as does the FE college.
A taxi is provided.

In S6, when they are going to university the following year, they are supposed to be more mature and independent and able to cope with learning in different environments with new people.
In my day (back last century!!) a lot of kids destined for university went after S5.

The school have not put up the higher/adv higher options yet but the options page has been updated with what is on offer through the LA and local FE college.
LA is offering some foundation apprenticeships but all appear to be 2 year courses so not possiblle in S6 plus DD says she's 'not interested'. I have friends who work in the employability field of delivering FAs, who say a lot of employers drop out so the promise of work experience does not always come to pass.
College options seem to be along the lines of 'skills for work', baking, cabin crew, mechanics, construction, sport, tourism, social care, hairdressing.
Nothing that would interest DD, I know without even asking her.
I hope they will add some other ones but unlikely.
Last year, the college did have some subjects that may interest DD but they were all at the furthest away campus. So DD nor any friends are interested.
Some of her friends are leaving after S5 for university but DD is probably the youngest in her year (she's 16 in February) so whilst she might have the academic ability, she isn't ready emotionally or socially.

I remember 2 friends of my DC starting foundation apprenticeships in S6 (one film/media and one engineering) despite them being 2 years. I'm guessing they got some qualification from the 1st year. However if your DD not keen on the subjects offeref then no point checking.

Is there a private school nearby? Our local one used to allow local students to do language AHs with them for free (probably helped their charitable status). Is that a possibility?

I'm glad my middle on went to uni after S5. He was a bit like your DD and wouldn't have travelled for AHs so would have just studied random subjects (and been a nuisance to his mates who needed to improve their grades).

If her S5 results are very good she could work for a year before uni instead of doing S6.

Is there a private school nearby? Our local one used to allow local students to do language AHs with them for free (probably helped their charitable status).

This is a good point. They will have a wider selection of AHs and will run the classes even if there's only 2 or 3 students who want to study it.
If there are any within a reasonable travelling distance they may offer her a place in AH classes if her school approaches them.
As PP says it helps with charitable status

have checked local private school, they don't offer Highers or Adv H anymore. Just the international bacculerate (sp?).

Unfortunately it might be that she can't get what she wants. She does have options of doing more Highers or even more Nat 5s but doesn't want to. Or leaving school and going to college, or getting a job. It is really crap for them when it doesn't all fall into place for them, I have had the same with both my older two who have had timetable clashes and other issues with not being able to do exactly the combination they wanted and having to compromise.

Surely studying any subject she might end up teaching at a primary school would be helpful, or for philosophy degree anything that helps with essay writing or logical thinking (English, modern studies, RMPS, history).

Just rereading the Op, in primary teaching she will end up doing a lot of things she currently finds too hard or boring!

Having just googled Higher Care, it seems like it would be excellent for would-be teachers.

I'm also not sure what you mean by needing 3 more Highers. If she gets good passes in the 5 she is sitting in S5, she will more than likely get an unconditional offer for teaching. She doesn't need 8 highers for primary teaching.

With over 1000 applications last year to Strathclyde alone (this is what they told us), I am sure that in reality they need a bit more than the stated 5 Highers to get an unconditional!

No... not at all. DD had 5 unconditional offers this year with AAAAB in her Highers including primary teaching at Stirling, Queen Margaret, Strathclyde and Glasgow. I would take the "1000 applications" with a pinch of salt, DD applied to Strathclyde and Queen Margaret for teaching to fill up the choices on her UCAS form, she never had any intention of going there. There is a limited pool of universities who offer primary teaching, and if that's what you want to do, you are going to apply to 5 of them.

She did 1 x Nat 5, 1 x Higher and 2 x Advanced Highers in S6 but the offers were not conditional on those.

the uni admissions page should also say what offers are typically made at. Eg my son has applied for CS at Glasgow and it has the required grades and says offers are usually made on the basis of 6 As at higher after s6.

Other than medicine etc or year 2 entry for some I’d be surprised if most courses require more than 5 or 6 highers by the end of s6. They also have the personal statement and the other info on the UCAS to base offers on.

Plus OP you say your child is at a school very low in the league tables - are contextual offers a factor here?

contextual offers are confusing. She may meet the contextual requirements for Strathclyde and UWS based on where she goes to school.
Seemingly not for Glasgow though - our SIMD is too high and they don't seem to consider your school. Stirling's contextual requirments are not clear enough.
DD is keen on Strathclyde and Glasgow but trying to get her to look at Stirling too. UWS too far away but as you say, it is a 'just in case' option.

If she wants to do primary teaching she could do a general degree for 3 years in almost any subject then do the PGDE after so she'll still be qualified in 4 years.

DD thought about doing primary teaching but was advised by a very experienced teacher that she should do a general degree and if she still wanted to teach, to do a PGDE because they don't get into a school until 2nd year of the degree course and if they decide it's not for them, it's much more difficult to do something else.

DS currently taking Higher English, Higher Music, Higher Chemistry and Higher Biology this year (S5). He has just dropped Higher Maths as he was not coping with the work - his prelim results confirmed this. He will apparently get a Numeracy Level 6 instead but has to stay in the class to obtain that.

For S6 he plans on doing Higher Apps and Higher Music Tech. And possibly something vocational so that would mean a partnership with the local college I think??