New Qualifications – April Update

Update for Parents and Carers

New Guide

A guide about the new qualifications is now available for parents and carers.

It is available to download from the dedicated section of our website –www.sqa.org.uk/cfeforparents

There is also a guide for young people atwww.sqa.org.uk/cfeforyoungpeopleand updated guides for teachers and employers.

On our website, you can find other useful resources such as ourMythbusterandJargon buster.

Final Documents

We have now reached a major milestone in the development process and final documents for the new National 2 to Higher Courses are available.

The final documents will be used by teachers and lecturers to prepare to teach each new Course.

The documents are still of interest to parents and carers as they give information about the skills and knowledge young people will gain.

Use the subject drop-down menu on our website:  www.sqa.org.uk/curriculumforexcellenceto find the documents for each subject.

Education Scotland has also published a suite of practical advice and guidance to support practitioners in preparing for implementing key aspects of the new qualifications.  See www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nq

The development process

To develop these 197 qualifications we have had targeted engagement with over 5,000 practitioners and other stakeholders.
We have had nearly 600,000 visits of the subject pages on the website and more than 3,400 comments on the draft documents we published at each stage of the process for review and feedback.

We have attended over 700 meetings and 15 events and our development groups, which include parent and carer representatives, have met over 440 times.

Read the thank you message from our Chief Executive.

Awards

SQA has also developed new awards for young people.  These cover work from different subject areas and are shorter than traditional Courses. They recognise success across different levels of difficulty, meaning they’re suitable for young people of all abilities. They will be marked and assessed internally and do not have any external assessments or exams.  The final documents for these are also now available – see www.sqa.org.uk/newawards
New Courses

Two new Courses –Music Technology andFashion and Textile Technology have been developed in response to feedback throughout the development process.

The new Courses in Music Technology are from National 3 to Higher.

A new Higher Course has been developed for Fashion and Textile Technology.

Next Steps
Advanced Higher We have now begun developing the new Advanced Higher qualifications which will be introduced in 2015/16 and the first draft documents have been published.

Use the subject drop-down menu atwww.sqa.org.uk/curriculumforexcellenceto find the documents for each subject.

Find out more about Advanced Higher –www.sqa.org.uk/advancedhigher

We continue to seek your feedback on these documents as the qualifications are developed.

You can give your feedback via Have Your Say –www.sqa.org.uk/haveyoursay.

CfE Events

To continue to support practitioners with the implementation of the new qualifications, SQA is hosting 10 Curriculum Area events in May 2012 and 10 in September 2012 to update teachers on the latest developments.

Between October 2012 and March 2013 we will host a series of subject-specific events, which every principal subject teacher will be invited to attend.

Our CfE Liaison team are continuing to support local events including those with parents:  www.sqa.org.uk/cfeteam

Jillian Shields

Dear All

ENABLE Scotland is holding the next in its successful series of ‘Parents Together’ events on Thursday 31^st May in Glenrothes, Fife from 9.15am – 3.00pm. This event is for parents and unpaid carers of children and young people with additional support needs. There will be information stands, workshops, and  complementary/beauty therapy ‘taster sessions’. A free creche will be available but places must be booked by 22^nd May. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

The attached flyer and timetable provides more information about the event. Please use these to help us publicise this event to the parents with whom you work and  to your networks.  Please also post on your websites and newsletters where possible.

Many thanks,

Linda

The next meeting of the Parent Council will be held on Thursday 10th May, in the school, at 7.15pm.  All welcome to attend.  The agenda can be found here.

West Barns Parent Council – Agenda 100512

Dear Parents and Carers of West Barns Primary

The Parent Council are busy organising a Jubilee Street Party to be held in the school grounds (weather permitting) on Friday 1^st June.  It is shaping up to be a great event and an opportunity for the whole school community to come together for tea and cakes, and a few sandwiches to mark this historic occasion.  Its legacy will be that the pupils will remember, in years to come, where they were and what they did to mark the Diamond Jubilee.  There will be games for the pupils to play and music to enjoy and much more.  Further details will be sent home via school bags.

Parent Council

New Qualifications

Update for Parents/Carers

New Resources for Parents

A new series of film clips, aimed at parents, has been added to the parents section of the SQA website: www.sqa.org.uk/cfeforparents.

The clips feature Dr John Allan, Policy Manager at SQA, and answer some of the most common questions from parents about the new qualifications.

Developed Qualifications – 30 April 2012

By 30 April 2012, the final documents for the qualifications from National 2 – Higher will be published on our website.

We have been publishing draft documents at each stage of the development process for review and feedback and have carried out extensive engagement with many different groups and individuals.

This feedback has been taken on board in the production of the final documents.

Qualifications in Development  

Advanced Higher

We have now begun developing the new Advanced Higher qualifications which will be introduced in 2015/16 and the first draft documents (the Course Rationales and Summaries, the blueprint for the new Advanced Highers) have been published.  

Use the subject drop-down menu at www.sqa.org.uk/curriculumforexcellenceto find the documents for each subject.

Advanced Higher qualifications will be developed in the same way as the other qualifications – our diagram shows the process – www.sqa.org.uk/developmentstages.

You can give your feedback via Have Your Say – www.sqa.org.uk/haveyoursay.

Advanced Highers allow young people to take the skills, knowledge and understanding they have already acquired from previous study to a deeper and more challenging level.

The fundamental features and characteristics of current Advanced Higher Courses will be preserved in the new and revised Courses.

Find out more about Advanced Higher – www.sqa.org.uk/advancedhigher

Feedback

The latest summaries of feedback we have received on the new qualifications have now been published at www.sqa.org.uk/yourfeedback.  

Music Courses

Following our recent engagement with stakeholders – including schools, colleges and practitioners-  about a new proposed assessment structure in Music Courses, we would like  to confirm the original proposed weighting (60% Performance/40% Question Paper) in  National 5 and Higher courses will remain. Composing skills will be assessed in Unit assessment.

New Courses in Music Technology (National 3 to Higher)

Following close working with key partners and stakeholders, we are pleased to announce new Courses has been developed  in Music Technology. The new Courses will complement the Music Courses and there will be opportunities to deliver them at the same time.  Following publication of the final documents at the end of April, SQA and Education Scotland will provide support, advice and guidance on learning, teaching and assessment of the new Music Technology courses.

CfE Events

To continue to support teachers with the new qualifications, SQA is hosting 10 Curriculum Area events in Stirling in May 2012.

The events are supported by Education Scotland and will update teachers on the latest developments.

Further events will take place in September 2012 and subject-specific events will take place between October 2012 and March 2013.

Our CfE Liaison team are continuing to support local events.  You may meet some of our team at parents’ nights:  www.sqa.org.uk/cfeteam

Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy (SSLN)

The Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy (SSLN) is a national sample-based survey which monitors performance in literacy and numeracy in alternate years.

The first numeracy survey took place in 2011 and the report has now been published:  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/03/5285.  

The first literacy survey takes place in 2012.