Why is all the Education stuff on M.Net about the English system and no mention is given to the different systems in Scotland and N.I

[figleaf]

We need info too. I've only lived here a year and thought that M.net would help me understand the education system. None of the Education explanations are helpful as they are all about England. Why is this? Will Scotland and N.I be added soon?

[AbbyMumsnet]

Hi, I've passed on your request and will come back to you. No need to email en-mass - it's being considered as I write.

[Miaou]

Good stuff - been meaning to raise it for a while but kept being distracted - thanks MNTowers (from Miaou in Scotland )

[AbbyMumsnet]

Upshot is that we'd be happy to include this information - if you know someone who would be happy to put it together for us! Let me know what you think.

[Tamum]

This has been promised for ages and ages though, I'm sure I remember a thread about two years ago.

[bobsmum]

Hurrah Figleaf

We need a knowledgable teacher-y type person who could put something together that mirrors the current English page.

Is LieselVentouse a teacher?

[bobsmum]

Tamum- was probably me - I emailed in 2003 and again a few times over the years and was promised over and over that a page would be put together "shortly". It never was.

Here's hoping it's different this time round.

[Tamum]

Ah you beat me to it- I just found a thread here about your email of 2003. That is quite a while ago, isn't it

[bobsmum]

Good grief - I hadn't realised I'd moaned about it then too

Hope our persistence pays off!!!!

[lemonaid]

Presumably no one with knowledge of the Scottish system has volunteered to put it together in the course of the last few years...

What about pointydog? (just off the top of my head and with no offence intended to any other Mumsnetters involved in the Scottish edication system). She's a teacher in Scotland, I believe.

[Tamum]

I don't think anyone has been asked before this though. Bobsmum says in that thread that she emailed lots of information- do you still have it bobsmum? I wonder if we could do a joint effort on a thread to draft something?

[Miaou]

That's a great idea. My kids are being educated in Scotland but tbh I'm not very knowledgable about it all - dh were trying to find out about standards/intermediates/highers/advanced highers the other night, with little success!

[Blandmum]

You could start a very polite MN style chant.

'What do we want?
Info of Scotland!
When do we want it?
Sometime in the next 4 years, if that isn't too much trouble!'

[AbbyMumsnet]

Well, we've said we'll put it up if you can find someone to write it, so now's your chance! (Adds quietly, wasn't me who promised this 4 years ago )

[Blandmum]

don't look at me, I'm Welsh and teach in England!

[Tamum]

Hurrah, martianbishop volunteers, most kind

[bobsmum]

The information I had was just stuff I googled - wasn't hard to find tbh.

Surely the scottish exec or some council sites would have a simple breakdown which could be nicked paraphrased?

[bobsmum]

Hi bobsmum

Thank you so much for your wealth of information. This was certainly an area that we wished to address and felt we needed both more information and a link to a site with more information. We will add this to our Big issues guide over the next couple of weeks.

Many thanks once again for your help,

With very best wishes

Rachel
www.mumsnet.com

To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 12:24 PM
Subject: Scottish education system info

Dear folks at Mumsnet,

A couple of weeks ago there was a thread on the discussion forum about the education opportunities available in the UK. I mentioned that the Scottish system was entirely different to that operating in England and Wales. I've found a couple of sites which might help you to add to your information.

The Scottish School System is based on two levels:-
Primary age 4.5 years ? 12 years
Secondary age 12 years ? 16+ years.

The Primary system is not divided into infant and junior although some schools take children aged 3.5 years in a nursery school.

All primary schools in Scotland have a single entry date at the beginning of the Autumn Term (usually towards the end of August). The year the child enters is based on his/her age on the previous 1 st March. A child who is 4 after 1 st March will not start school until August/September the following year when they will be 5.5 years old.

Transfer from primary to secondary school is dependent upon a child having completed seven full years of primary education. Most children transfer between 11.5 years and 12.5 years and complete four years of secondary education (S1 ? S4) before reaching the minimum school leaving age. These are broadly comparable to Y8 ? Y11 in the English system.

Years S3 and S4 in the Scottish system equate to Years 10 and 11 in England and are used to prepare pupils for external examinations. In Scotland the Standard Grade examinations are broadly comparable with GCSE's. Both types of course place considerable emphasis on assessment of course work in addition to formal examinations.

At 16/17 they sit Highers (AS Level equiv) which can be used for university entry and 17/18 those who stay on for a final year take Sixth Year Studies (CSYS roughly A level equiv.) A new qualification called a Higher Still has been introduced for the brightest pupils, but I'm not too sure of the details on that.

As far as I know, "Key Stages" are not used in Scotland - instead they follow the "5-14 curriculum". SATs are no longer being used in Scotland and league tables have been abolished too.

The Scottish Primary school page: www.gcwebber.freeola.com/resource.htm
Learning and Teaching Scotland: www.ltscotland.org.uk

Hope this is useful. Google is a wonderful toy!!

Thanks for mumsnet,

(aka Bobsmum)

Oh dear oh dear oh dear.

Dated November 11 2003.

I have named and shamed!!!!

[JustineMumsnet]

Oops... Well we most definitely want to put this up and we'll do it tomorrow, honest. What's the little matter of four years between friends?

Thanks so much for the reminder Bobsmum.

[JustineMumsnet]

and figleaf!

[Blandmum]

Ahem, School report mode

'Justine is a happy student who is often a pleasure to work with. If Justine wants to make progress she has to keep up to date with her paper work, and not put things off for 4 years at a time'

[Miaou]

rofl mb!!

[Tamum]

Actually it's been so long since bobsmum's excellent summary that the 6th form stuff has changed again to Advanced Highers, at least here. See, you need to get your skates on to keep up, we're so dynamic

[lemonaid]

"In S6 students can go on to study Advanced Highers, or can pursue more Highers. To get an award at Higher, Advanced Higher or Intermediate levels students also need to pass the internal unit assessments known as NABs (from the National Assessment Bank)."

Is that the current position, Tamum? (lifted from another site)

[bobsmum]

I feel old.....

Are my SYS's worth nothing now??

[Tamum]

That's about the size of it, lemonaid. The best quick summary I know of is this pdf. Bobsmum, take heart, Advanced Highers will probably be out of fashion soon too