School letters | Page 2

on the standard of classwork, homework and other observations. The level of presentation will be confirmed with SQA before the Easter holidays. What kind of work will they complete & have marked? Depending on the subject and level of presentation, learners could be asked to complete folio work, project work, provide examples of class work or sit examinations either in class or in the Assembly Hall. For more details on your child’s exams please see their teacher on Parents’ Evening. What happens if they fail an exam? With National 4, all assessments are completed in school time, mostly using class work. In some subjects they may be required to sit an exam; teachers will not administer this until the learner is ready for it. In the unlikely event of someone failing a National 4 course, they will be re-entered for National 3. With National 5, if the learner misses the pass mark narrowly they will attain a National 5 at D level, which SQA regard as a positive accreditation; National 5 at D level carries more ‘points’ for entry into further education than a pass at National 4. Should they miss the pass mark by more than 5% it is possible to be accredited later with a National 4 award. Will the school be presenting my child for the ‘new’ Higher of the ‘existing’ Higher? For session 2014/15, two types of Higher will be running in each subject: the existing Higher and the new Higher. Each subject in every secondary school in PKC has been given the choice of which to work towards. A great deal of consideration, consultation and discussion has gone into deciding this for the coming year. The rationale though has been the same for every subject: what is best for our learners? The majority of subjects in our school have opted for new Highers, whilst others have elected to remain with the existing Higher for one more year. The teachers will be able to inform you of which Higher their classes are studying towards at Parents’ Evening. Where a subject has chosen to study for the existing Higher, the Principal Teacher has made a robust and carefully considered proposal to the senior management team, including consideration of how the National 5 course in S4 matches-up with the existing Higher. Each PT has made their decision with the learners’ best interests in mind. The decision to run with a mixture of new and existing Highers is absolutely not an indication of the school’s lack of preparedness for these new courses - in fact the opposite is true: many of our teachers are local and national leaders of the new qualifications. Nor is it reflective of a desire to reduce administration or workload. There are factors specific to our circumstances that dictate that, to give your child the best possible chance for maximum attainment, it is more appropriate that some subjects remain with the existing Higher. My team and I will be happy to elaborate on any of these points at Parents’ Evening should you wish a more indepth response. Both existing and new Highers carry the same weighting with universities and colleges, there is