5th year subject options in scotland ,

[muchogusto]

My daughter is currently deciding which subjects to choose for 5 & 6th year in scotland. She is doing 7 nat5 subjects, but because of teacher availability and the way the subjects are put into coloums for her school, she is faced with doing 4 highers having to drop history as it conflicts with modern studies , English, art, chemistry. The school is trying to force her to take higher maths ( taking as nat 5 ) as that's the only option in one column yet to pick and she doesn't want to do this. She would happily do history or a biology higher as an alternative but it's not an option due to her other choices. She plans to pick these up in 6 th year though, but really doesn't enjoy maths

What I'm looking for is any advice or guidance here, we have offered to take a non academic course such as bakery or digital media, but she doesn't fit the criteria apparently, so please help mumsnet

Ooh - so many schools have one column where the choices are maths or non-academic subjects. So annoying.

Even lots of HE courses don't require maths and it's a really common subject to drop good grades in. (My DD got AAAC - the C for maths).

Some schools let able pupils do one higher without going to most of the classes - if the teacher is happy to mark their work and see the pupil at lucnhtimes/after school once a week/or similar.

Many schools offer after-school supported study classes in the most common subjects in the weeks running up to the exams too.

You could also ask the school if she could do one of her subjects as an AH instead of a higher if that would fit with the timetable.

My DCs school allows some pupils to take a subject at another local secondary if the time tables allow it. In fact I think they said that the local independent school allowed some students to study one subject with them (probably Latin and other foreign languages) - I suspect this was to help their "charity" claims. Might be worth investigating particularly if there are other secondary schools nearby.

Could she not go into the higher maths class with the intention of taking it over 2 years, and maybe see if she can sit the Nat 5 maths after 5th year? My son just scraped a credit pass at maths last year and this was the route he took in maths. He's not sitting the Higher last year, but having another year in the class so hopefully he'll be ready next year.

I do sympathise though, my Dd is taking 8 Nat 5s but can't get all her choices in the 5th year. She wanted to take Higher German and crash Higher French, but they clash. Hopefully she can take it in 6th instead. I guess it's very difficult to make everyone happy.

they have suggested this but she just doesnt want to do it, she is expected to get a good math grade at nat 5 and finds that will be enough math for whatever she chooses to do which will like be artistic in nature. I was wondering if any parents had experience of kids going to college for a few hours or similar, thanks for your input

Ask the school what courses they can offer via ODL (Open and Distance Learning) We use a lot of these courses (N5 and Higher) in Highland. This gives an online tutor who is backed up by someone in school who administers the tests. My DS is sitting Latin this way.

My school offers all sorts: languages, photography, Modern Studies etc.

Is there a different Higher she could do despite not having done the Nat 5? Geography? Design and Tecnology?