Scottish National 5's

[ronniescue]

DD has her choice sheet home this weekend and has to choose a subject from each of 4 columns, and they do maths and English as well. She has chosen computing science, business management, administration and physics. She seems confident that these are good choices but I'm a bit sceptical as she hasn't chosen a language. Is that something that I should be encouraging her to do? When I chose we had to pick a science, a language, a humanity etc so the idea of dropping language altogether is quite alien to me.

I'm sure dd has to do a language too as she is moaning that she can't drop Spanish

Is there not a language column?

No there isn't a specific language column. That's what I had many years ago but now the columns are mixed and they just choose a subject from each hence her not choosing a language.

If she's only able to choose 6, I presume she is choosing in S3 for going into S4, as opposed to in S2 for going into S3 (the schools that do this are able to do up to 8 Nat 5s).

If that is the case, then she doesn't need to do a foreign language (which is supposed to be compulsory to the end of the Broad General Education/S3).

A few Unis (Edinburgh?) might still have a requirement for a MFL at Nat 5 for certain subjects (eg History?) - so depending on what she want to do post school, you need to check.

If she's done a MFL for 3 years and then finds she needs one for get Uni course, she may be able to crash it in S6.

Dd hasn't had her choices sheet out yet for next year. She is S3 just now and is supposed to drop 2 subjects I think. So language isn't compulsory? Wonder if her school makes them take one

Yes pretty going into S4. Everything is so different now! She says the option to crash higher in S5/6 or just to take a language at nat5 level later is there.

Ds could have dropped French, but he would have had to keep graphical comms which he hates. Chemistry and Spanish are in the same column too so a lot of kids will be dropping Spanish if they are going forward with the science instead.

Dd has 9 subjects in S3 and will drop 2 i think

Why is there only 6 subjects? My DC are doing 8 Nat 5s. In my day (O grades) it was 7

Why is there only 6 subjects? I have no idea.

I got 10 O grades. Was supposed to be 9 but was still registered for one I thought I'd dropped so sat it anyway!

Apart from English and maths there are no compulsory categories. It’s worked out well for my Dd who has dyscalcula and can focus on Arts, music and languages. It gave her a lot of flexibility to pick subjects she was confident in, she could not have copped with a science subject.

That's the benefit of continuing the BGE properly to the end of S3 - there are more subjects that they can crash at least in principle in S5/S6.

I can't remember if a MFL was still compulsory at ds' school, where they made their choices in S2 for S3, so that they can do 8 Nat 5s (ie whether there was a column with nothing but a MFL: French/Urdu or Spanish/German - they alternate years between Spanish and German). For my perspective, he didn't have a choice about doing a Nat 5 in a MFL (he chose French).

We're the same at the moment, DS's school have them choose 5 subjects plus maths & English. Our columns were always a language, a humanity, usually two sciences plus any 'extra'. DS has gone for computing science, physics, chemistry, history and Spanish (he wanted to do graphics but not option in that column..). I didn't really like a lot of the options TBH.

A lot of his teachers have pushed kids to complete Nat4 already, so at least they leave S3 with that qualification.

Ds is In S2 doing 9 subjects when he gets to S4 he’ll drop 2 and do 7 NAT5s. His year will be the first year at his school to do 7.

DD is in 2nd year and is now choosing her subjects for 3rd year.

She’s picked 2 sciences, history, Art & Design and Graphic Communication in addition to English, Maths and MFL which are all compulsory (students must also pick at least one science and a social subject, I.e., history, geography or modern studies).

At her school, they all have 8 subjects, I’ve never heard of students dropping subjects going into 4th year, does this happen in Scottish schools?

Dd1 is in S3, they just do 6 nat 5s in s4, but can do additional ones in s5. She's dithering between the 3 sciences and history, or 2 sciences history and music. Not even considering a language!

Ds picked 9 subjects at the end of S1, English/maths/physics/chemistry/geography/modern studies/French/graphical comms/PE

He’ll study these in S2/S3 then drop 2 for S4 and do 7 NAT5s.

7 NAT 5s are fairly common in Scotland. Some schools only do 6 still, but I think the goal is for all to do 7 eventually.

DS is doing 8. His school has a MFL as a Nat5 requirement along with Maths and English. He reluctantly accepted this

He still wishes he could have done Latin as his MFL!