The Scottish Government

« Previous | Contents | Next »

Listen

section 2:
proposals for the next generation of national qualifications

1. This section outlines the Scottish Government's proposals for the next generation of National Qualifications to deliver the values, purposes and principles of Curriculum for Excellence and meet the needs of Scotland in the 21st Century. Our proposals can be summarised as follows:

(i) National Qualifications at Access, Higher and Advanced Higher will be retained as points of stability. Highers, in particular, will remain the 'gold standard' of the Scottish education system. The content of all qualifications will be updated to reflect the values, purposes and principles of Curriculum for Excellence. Some aspects of the structure of these qualifications will also be reviewed.

(ii) A new qualification will replace the present Standard Grade General and Credit levels and Intermediate 1 and 2 ( SCQF 4 and SCQF 5) qualifications. The new qualification will be available in a wide range of subjects, as at present. The new qualification will reflect the best features of Standard Grade and Intermediate. Standard Grade Foundation level will be removed and Access 3 will provide certification at SCQF level 3. (See Annex A Table 1 for illustration of new qualifications on SCQF Framework.)

(iii) New awards in literacy and in numeracy will be available at SCQF levels 3 to 5.Curriculum for Excellence brings a sustained focus on developing literacy and numeracy skills in our young people. To help strengthen this focus, the Scottish Government is proposing new separate awards to accredit young people's literacy and numeracy skills - the Scottish Certificate for Literacy and the Scottish Certificate for Numeracy. The awards will be available at SCQF levels 3 to 5. The expectation is that all young people will be presented for these awards unless there are exceptional reasons for not doing so. The intention is also to ensure that the structure of these awards is flexible enough to make them available to adult learners.

(iv) Increased flexibility to better meet the needs of young people. Suggestions include:

• studying National Qualifications over 18 months (or 2 years) as well as one year;

• introducing a winter diet of examinations; and

• encouraging the most able young people to bypass lower level qualifications and to study Highers from S4 onwards.

2. As set out in Building the Curriculum 3 - A Framework for Learning and Teaching, it is intended that planning for the new curriculum should commence in 2008/09. On this basis, approaches based on the new curriculum will be introduced from school year 2009/10. This suggests that the new and revised qualifications and any increased flexibilities would be required from 2012/13 onwards to ensure smooth progression between the curriculum and qualifications.

3. There are consultation questions at the end of each proposal. You are encouraged to consider these questions and respond using the on-line questionnaire available on the Scottish Government website or the paper version contained in section 5 of this document. (Section 3 provides further details on how to respond.)

PROPOSAL 1

1. The current range of Access, Higher and Advanced Higher qualifications were introduced in schools and colleges as part of the Higher Still development programme in 1999/2000 and remain highly respected and well-used qualifications.

2. Access qualifications - which are offered at SCQF levels 1, 2 and 3 - are wholly internally assessed and provide valuable opportunities to recognise the learning of students who were previously poorly served by the qualifications system. Access 1 is designed for students who require considerable support with their learning, while Access 2 is designed for students with more moderate support needs. Access 3 is comparable with Standard Grade Foundation level. The popularity of these qualifications (particularly Access 3) is reflected in entry figures, which have shown significant growth since their introduction.

3. Highers - which are at level 6 in the SCQF - remain the 'gold standard' of Scottish qualifications and have a lineage dating back to 1888.

4. Advanced Highers - at level 7 in the SCQF - have attracted praise as providing excellent preparation for higher education or employment.

5. National Qualifications must change to reflect the revised curriculum. SQA will undertake a review programme, with the advice and support of key stakeholders in the education and wider community, to ensure that National Qualifications at all levels build upon the experiences and outcomes being developed for the new curriculum.

6. The qualifications system must operate as a cohesive framework. Decisions taken in relation to one part of the framework will impact upon other parts. Although the changes to Access, Higher and Advanced Higher qualifications will be largely focused on content, some technical elements of their structure may well have to be reviewed in the light of decisions taken on the new qualifications at SCQF levels 4 and 5. This is in order to ensure good articulation and progression routes for young people. A further change may be necessary in relation to introducing compensatory awards (see Proposal 2). This consultation focuses mainly on National Qualifications and the units that make them up. However, the Scottish Government recognises that there may be consequences for those elements of SQA's portfolio of qualifications used mainly in college based provision. Any changes arising from this consultation will be taken into account in future work relating to this provision.

7. At all levels, the revised system of National Qualifications must ensure that young people have an effective and progressive transition from their broad general education up to the end of S3 into more specialised study for qualifications. The new qualifications at SCQF levels 4 and 5 (see Proposal 2) will offer effective progression routes from Access 3 and into Higher and Advanced Higher. This will help to ensure a coherent system of curriculum and qualifications.

8. Every young person should be able to move into the qualifications framework at a level that is appropriate to their needs. For example, vulnerable learners may focus primarily on Access qualifications in S4 and progress either laterally within an SCQF level or through other SCQF levels. The majority of young people should move into the new qualifications at SCQF level 4 or 5 in S4. Some will then be able to progress to Highers at a later point. The most able young people should be free to study for Highers from S4 (see Proposal 4).

9. It is imperative that the timescale for introducing revised qualifications ensures articulation and coherence between the revised curriculum and the qualifications framework, allowing young people to experience a smooth progression from curriculum areas into more specialised study for qualifications from S4 onwards.

PROPOSAL 1 - CONSULTATION QUESTION

Q1. Do you welcome the intention to update all qualifications at Access, Higher and Advanced Higher in line with Curriculum for Excellence? Please comment on any implications to be considered.

PROPOSAL 2

1. Our current system of National Qualifications is successful in many ways. Our young people have the opportunity to obtain challenging but achievable qualifications in a wide range of subject areas. Our qualifications system is in general highly regarded by employers, universities, colleges, parents and young people themselves. However, there is evidence that some elements of our current system are not easy to understand or use. There are particular issues around National Qualifications at SCQF levels 4 and 5 (Standard Grade Credit and General/Intermediate 1 and 2).

2. Standard Grade and Intermediate qualifications were intended originally for different year groups and they have different structures and purposes. However, some complexity and blurring of purposes has arisen over the years. The OECD report observes that one of the original aims of Standard Grade was to provide an 'exit' qualification for young people who intended to leave school at the end of S4 at a time when many more did so. This raises issues over whether the present arrangements for assessing and certificating Standard Grade remain appropriate. The OECD report suggested that Standard Grade inhibits the provision of more progressive programmes for learning, particularly in vocational options. The report also expressed concerns over whether Standard Grade prepares young people adequately for qualifications at more advanced levels of study.

3. Most Intermediate 1 and 2 qualifications are designed for young people in S5 and S6 (ages 16 to 18) and for use in colleges. (Some Intermediate qualifications such as Skills for Work have been designed specially for the 14 to 16 age group.) There is a relatively small, but growing, trend for some schools and education authorities to offer Intermediate qualifications to S3 and S4 pupils (ages 14 to 16) in place of Standard Grades. Several reasons have been suggested for this, such as Intermediate qualifications providing more up-to-date course content and better progression routes to Higher in some subject areas. However, there are some concerns about whether this younger age group always has the maturity to study these qualifications successfully.

4. The OECD report recommended that "a Scottish Certificate of Education be developed to sanction completion of an approved programme of studies or training, whether in school, college or employment. This 'graduation' certificate would have defined minimum requirements to reflect the purposes of the new 3-18 curriculum but also substantial flexibility as to content, level and duration of studies to ensure accessibility".

5. The Scottish Government has considered carefully the issues but decided not to accept this recommendation. We believe that there are significant advantages - in terms of stability and public understanding of the system - in retaining those qualifications which are seen to be working extremely well.

6. The OECD report recommended that "Standard Grade examinations be phased out as the new 3-18 curriculum is implemented and as clearer and more effective pathways are established for the whole range of young people". The Scottish Government agrees that Standard Grade does not fully meet the needs of Scotland in the 21st Century. We will retain some of the best features of Standard Grade in the new qualification, particularly its inclusive ethos.

7.Annex B explains the broad design principles that will be used for the new qualification and which will underpin future developments in qualifications at other levels. With specific reference to the new qualification at SCQF levels 4 and 5, research with stakeholder groups identified the following as the best features of Standard Grade and Intermediate qualifications:

• the 'inclusive' approach to certification contained in Standard Grade; and

• the 'unit based' structure of Intermediate qualifications.

In addition, stakeholders commented that assessment must be closely integrated with learning and teaching approaches.

Proposed features of the new qualification

8. The proposed features of the new qualification are as follows:

• it will cover two levels - SCQF 4 and 5 - and will be available in a wide range of subjects;

• it will have a unit based structure with the units assessed and possibly graded by teachers;

• the notional course duration will be similar to the existing arrangements for Intermediate qualifications;

• external examinations will be retained at all levels where they are currently used for certification;

• the course award will reflect performance both in units and in the external examination. (The consultation will explore ways in which units could contribute to the overall course award);

• the course award will be graded A-D (A-C is a pass and D a 'near miss', as in present Intermediate courses. There is an option to extend grading to E); and

• there will be compensatory arrangements for those failing the final examination. (This consultation will explore options for compensatory awards.)

Reasons for proposing these features

Coherence and progression

9. The aim is to promote coherence and progression in keeping with the principles for curriculum design. The young person should be able to move into the qualifications framework at the level that is appropriate to their needs. For example, the majority of young people should move into the new qualifications at SCQF level 4 or 5 in S4. Some will then be able to progress to Highers at a later point.

Unit based structure

10. A unit based structure would provide flexibility to meet the diversity of young people's needs, including those requiring more choices and more chances. This is because a unit based structure helps with setting short-term goals. This makes learning more manageable and provides greater motivation by enabling a young person to build up a series of achievements over a programme of study.

Opportunity to grade internally assessed units

11. Units would be assessed internally and moderated externally. This would reflect current practice in National Qualifications. At present though, units carry relatively little credibility. Our research from our engagement activity suggests that this is because they are currently marked and graded on a pass/fail basis with the content levelled at minimum competence.

12. We would like to improve the credibility of units by introducing a form of assessment that recognises the efforts of young people more effectively than at present. One way to achieve this would be to design unit assessments that allow young people to demonstrate the full range of learning. These assessments could be marked and graded on a scale A-C to accredit successful performance. Assigning grades to units in this way would enable candidates to demonstrate a range of ability levels and would help them prepare for the final external assessment. This would increase the credibility of units when they are used both as part of a course and in other ways, such as freestanding units or in programmes of study made up by colleges.

Course award that reflects performance in units and in the external examination

13. The Scottish Government is committed to retaining external examinations where these are currently used for certification. There may be scope for making better use of different types of assessment alongside external examinations, such as projects, performances and practical tasks depending on the nature of each course. Detailed proposals would be developed following this consultation. These could be subject to sign off by a national stakeholder group to ensure overall coherence.

14. Unit assessments that are marked and graded as described above could then allow for greater flexibility in what was assessed in the external examination. Unit assessments designed in this way could contribute to the overall course awards. They could, for example, contribute a percentage to the total marks. They could also be used in other ways such as providing evidence for appeals.

15. At present, teaching staff mark unit assessments in National Qualifications and determine pass or fail against a given threshold. Under this proposal, unit assessments would be marked by teachers who would be required to assign a grade rather than pass or fail. There will be a requirement to offer support for the implementation of any new system of assessment so that standards can be shared, understood and applied.

16. At present, data on performance in qualifications is collected and analysed at national and local level. This data is based on full course awards. Giving greater recognition for partial achievement (unit passes) would provide a fuller picture of student attainment. This could be reflected in future performance monitoring systems.

Course duration

17. Presently the majority of National Qualifications are made up of 3 x 40 hour units. There are some exceptions, such as Standard Grade (which is not unitised) and Skills for Work qualifications (which consist of four units and have no external examination). Under the proposal, there would be greater flexibility in the size of units if this meets the requirements of the subject. However, we would not generally expect the total number of units for a National Qualification to exceed four.

Compensatory arrangements for those failing the final examination

18. The Scottish Government wishes to introduce arrangements so that young people failing an examination have their learning towards that qualification recognised formally in some way. To promote consistency, compensatory awards would also be introduced for Higher and Advanced Higher qualifications.

19. The following options are available for the compensatory arrangements:

Option A Extend the range of grading in course awards to grade E.

This could be seen as the most inclusive option. However, past experience and knowledge of other qualifications systems suggests that there could be a risk that only grades A-C are considered as 'good' passes, particularly by colleges, universities and employers.

Option B Recognise unit passes only.

This could be seen as the option which most clearly reflects achievement at the level of course studied. This reflects present arrangements, but if grading of units is adopted this would provide unit passes with greater credibility and a better indication of actual achievement.

Option C Compensatory award at the level of the course studied with no grade awarded.

This option would allow positive recognition of learning at the level studied. The main issues with this option are in relation to how stakeholders would view a compensatory ungraded award and what value it would hold both for them and the young person.

Option D Compensatory grade C award at the level of course below that studied.

This option has featured in previous arrangements and was considered to be too low a level of award for the work done and units passed.

Option E Compensatory grade A award at the level of course below that studied.

Compensatory awards at grade A have previously been part of the arrangements for National Qualifications but were removed due to concerns that this was over-generous. This led to the introduction of the current grade D award at the level of course studied.

Name of new qualification

20. The proposed name for the new qualification is General ( SCQF 4) and Advanced General ( SCQF 5). However, the Scottish Government is open to other suggestions.

PROPOSAL 2 - CONSULTATION QUESTIONS

Q2. Early consultation has identified the 'best' features of Standard Grade and Intermediate qualifications as:

• the 'inclusive' approach to certification contained in Standard Grade; and

• the 'unit based' structure of Intermediate qualifications.

Are there any other features in the present Standard Grade and Intermediate qualifications which should be included in the new qualification at SCQF levels 4 and 5?

Q3. One of the proposals is to grade units. Do you agree that units should be graded A-C rather than pass/fail?

Q4. Do you want graded units to count towards the final award?

Q5. Which option for introducing compensatory arrangements would you most support? Please select one option or suggest an alternative.

Option A Extend the range of grading in course awards to grade E.

Option B Recognise unit passes only.

Option C Compensatory award at the level of the course studied with no grade awarded.

Option D -Compensatory grade C award at the level of course below that studied.

Option E Compensatory grade A award at the level of course below that studied.

Q6. The proposed name for the new award is General ( SCQF 4) and Advanced General ( SCQF 5). Please indicate if you are content with this suggestion. If not, please offer an alternative and explain your choice.

PROPOSAL 3

1. The OECD report suggests that Scotland performs at a consistently high standard in mathematics, reading and science in the Programme for International Student Assessment ( PISA).

2. However, the OECD report also identified challenges that Scottish education needs to address. In particular, children from the poorer communities in our country are still more likely than others to under-achieve. The Scottish Government does not regard this as acceptable. If Scotland is to achieve sustainable economic development and become smarter, safer and stronger, wealthier and fairer, greener and healthier, we must create learning programmes that develop the skills, talents and confidence of all our young people. As an essential part of this, we must make sure that all our children and young people develop good quality skills in literacy and numeracy. This will help in taking forward the national indicator of increasing the proportion of school leavers (from Scottish publicly funded schools) in positive and sustained destinations (colleges, higher education, employment or training) discussed in section 1 of this document. The HMIE report, Improving Scottish Education, also recommended that "there is a need to be much more rigorous and explicit about the development and certification of essential skills, particularly literacy and numeracy. This requirement goes beyond pupils with specific difficulties to encompass all pupils, including those entering higher education".

3.Curriculum for Excellence offers the opportunity to ensure that there is a sustained focus on developing literacy and numeracy skills. Building the Curriculum 3: A Framework for Learning and Teaching sets out the context for this approach. This will help to achieve the programme's wider vision of improved attainment and generally improved outcomes, particularly for young people in need of more choices and more chances. There are also important links to be made with Skills for Scotland - the Scottish Government's Lifelong Skills Strategy, which shows how every part of our education and learning systems can contribute to giving Scotland a world-class skills base.

4. A first step in this has been to release draft experiences and outcomes in literacy and numeracy. The supporting papers, Literacy Across the Curriculum⁸ and Numeracy Across the Curriculum⁹, emphasise that all teaching staff have a role to play in developing literacy and numeracy skills for all our young people.

5. To help strengthen this focus, the Scottish Government proposes developing new awards to accredit literacy and numeracy skills - the Scottish Certificate for Literacy and the Scottish Certificate for Numeracy. The expectation is that all young people will be presented for these awards unless there are exceptional circumstances for not doing so. The awards should be flexible enough in structure to make them available to adult learners.

Proposed features of the new awards

6. The proposed features of the new awards are as follows:

• there will be separate awards for literacy and numeracy, both available at SCQF levels 3 to 5; and

• the awards will accredit a broad range of skills on the basis of internally assessed evidence from a young person's work across the curriculum and an externally assessed examination.

7. To promote consistency, the Scottish Certificate for Literacy and the Scottish Certificate for Numeracy will be graded in the same way as other National Qualifications. It is important that these awards have credibility and parity of esteem with other qualifications.

Reasons for proposing these features

Separate awards available at SCQF levels 3 to 5

8. The main objective of the Scottish Certificate for Literacy and the Scottish Certificate for Numeracy is to accredit the skills in literacy and in numeracy that a young person has developed. There will be an expectation that all young people will be entered for the awards. Separate awards at SCQF levels 3 to 5 will give as many young people as possible the opportunity to receive this accreditation. The awards should also be made available in the college sector to post-school and adult learners. This will enable this group to improve their literacy and numeracy skills and be accredited for their achievements.

Accreditation of a broad range of skills

9. The awards will be designed to accredit a broad range of skills in literacy and numeracy. Examples of the skills which could be assessed are:

Literacy

Using skills in listening, talking, reading and writing to:

• communicate with others;

• reflect on and explain thinking;

• analyse and interpret information; and

• use language creatively.

Numeracy

• basic number processes - four operations (addition, subtraction, division and multiplication), percentage, simple fractions;

• understanding time, timetables, time management and social implications of punctuality;

• money - using, managing, planning, earning;

• information handling - sourcing (electronically and physically), interrogating, processing and decision making; and

• chance and uncertainty - concept of probability, how statistics can be misleading, probability of events happening e.g. towns being flooded due to climate change.

This will ensure that our young people are gaining experience in skills for learning, skills for work and skills for life. The awards will also provide employers and other users of qualifications with a clear and credible record of the skills that our young people have developed.

Assessment

10. Given the sustained focus on developing literacy and numeracy skills throughout a young person's education, we propose that the awards should draw upon internally assessed evidence from a young person's work across the curriculum as well as being externally assessed through an examination. For those who have already left school and/or have not experienced the revised curriculum, the internally assessed element of the awards would draw upon work done in college, employment or through social, voluntary and cultural activities.

11. These qualifications will be made available at SCQF levels 3, 4 and 5 to enable as many young people as possible to attain an appropriate level of award. Schools and colleges should be mindful of the need to strike an appropriate balance between providing opportunities for young people to demonstrate a higher level of achievement and imposing an unnecessary assessment burden. For example, the Scottish Government does not expect individuals to be presented for these awards in each year from S4 to S6.

Timing of assessment for the awards

12. We would welcome views on when young people should be assessed for the Scottish Certificates in Literacy and in Numeracy. Possible options are:

Option A At the end of S3 as part of the summer diet of examinations.

Option B In the December of S4 as part of a winter diet of examinations.

Option C At the end of S4 as part of the summer diet of examinations.

Implications for curriculum planners

13. For young people leaving at the end of S4, the expectation is that they would be able to follow a maximum of five courses leading to qualifications during the year, in addition to taking the awards in literacy and in numeracy. Having demonstrated their literacy and numeracy skills through the new awards, some young people might choose not to take English and Mathematics at the same level, opting to concentrate on subjects in which they may achieve stronger results and on which they might build future learning at college or with an employer. Many young people, however, will still elect to take English and Mathematics at the same or higher levels.

14. In taking forward detailed proposals for the awards, the Scottish Government will work with SQA and stakeholder groups to ensure that the new awards complement revised qualifications in English and Mathematics at SCQF levels 3 to 5. It will be necessary to revise the English and Mathematics qualifications to reflect the changes caused by the introduction of awards in literacy and numeracy. This provides an opportunity for English and Mathematics courses to focus on areas of learning which are not presently covered in depth.

PROPOSAL 3 - CONSULTATION QUESTIONS

Q7. Do you agree with the proposal to offer literacy and numeracy awards at a range of SCQF levels (3 to 5)? If not please offer an alternative.

Q8. National Qualifications at Access 3 ( SCQF level 3) do not have an external examination. Do you agree that any new awards in literacy and numeracy at SCQF level 3 should have an external examination?

Q9. Should the weighting between the internal and external assessments for the literacy and numeracy awards be equal? If not should more weight be attached to the internal or external assessment? Please explain.

• Equal weight

• More weight to internal assessment

• More weight to external assessment

Q10. When should young people be assessed for literacy and numeracy awards?

Option A At the end of S3 as part of the summer diet of examinations.

Option B In the December of S4 as part of a winter diet of examinations.

Option C At the end of S4 as part of the summer diet of examinations.

PROPOSAL 4

1. There have been some long-standing concerns about the uneven nature of pace, challenge and achievement in secondary school education. These have been highlighted in the OECD report. The HMIE report, Improving Scottish Education, also recommended that "the main focus for improvement in secondary schools should be on improving learning by engaging, challenging and motivating all young people better and encouraging in them a greater sense of responsibility and independence".

2. One of the main aims of Curriculum for Excellence is to provide a better planned, better connected and more progressive educational experience for our children and young people. Curriculum for Excellence will provide a rich general education reflecting the traditional strengths of a broad Scottish curriculum including the development of skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work such as literacy and numeracy; an active and healthy lifestyle and an appreciation of Scotland and its place in the world.

3. The senior phase of the curriculum will provide a continuing entitlement to experiences which allow every young person to develop further the attributes and capabilities of successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. A very important feature of this phase is that the young person will build up a portfolio of qualifications. Essential skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work, most notably literacy and numeracy, should be consolidated and extended. However, it will not be possible to deliver all aspects of the curriculum through qualifications alone. There should also be a continuing emphasis, for example, on health and wellbeing including physical activity.

4. This requires learning and teaching to strike a better balance between developing in our young people the skills for passing examinations and equipping them with skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work. The Scottish Government therefore wishes to consult on the following suggestions for encouraging greater flexibility to better meet the needs of young people in the senior phase of education. These are:

• studying National Qualifications over 18 months (or 2 years) as well as one year;

• introducing a winter diet of examinations; and

• encouraging the most able students to bypass qualifications at lower levels and to study Highers from S4 onwards.

Reasons for making these proposals

Encouraging greater flexibility to study National Qualifications over 18 months or 2 years as well as one year

5. A system that allows young people to study National Qualifications over a more extended period of time would:

• reduce the current pressures on some young people from the 'two term dash' to Higher;

• increase opportunities to raise attainment by allowing greater time and a more even pace of study for National Qualifications;

• enable those staying on beyond S4 to attain more Higher level qualifications or to gather more qualifications at SCQF levels 4 or 5; and

• free up time for schools to provide a better balance between preparing for exams and developing other skills for learning, skills for work and skills for life.

6. The ultimate decision on whether this is taken up will lie with individual schools and local authorities. The Scottish Government will work with these and other key stakeholder groups including higher education institutions and employers to encourage debate on this matter, particularly as it relates to Higher and Advanced Higher.

Introducing a winter diet of examinations

7. The main benefits of this would be:

• to provide greater flexibility for young people to study qualifications over different periods of time. This includes creating new opportunities for 18 month National Qualifications; and

• to be used at the end of school education for 'Christmas leavers' in S5 to take qualifications including the literacy and numeracy awards.

8. The Scottish Government is aware that there was a previous attempt to introduce a winter diet of examinations, although it only ran for one year. However, Curriculum for Excellence is creating a new context for Scottish education. The Scottish Government therefore believes that the time is right to reconsider the idea, particularly in view of the benefits it could bring.

Encouraging the most able students to bypass qualifications at lower levels and to study for Highers from S4 onwards

9. The main benefits of this would be that it:

• increases the amount of time available for developing other skills for learning, skills for work and skills for life;

• reduces the amount of time spent on external examinations; and

• provides greater opportunities for the most able young people to take more Higher and Advanced Higher courses than at present over the whole senior phase.

10. As with the proposal to extend the period for studying Highers and Advanced Highers, the ultimate decision on whether to bypass qualifications at lower levels from S4 onwards will lie with schools and local authorities. The Scottish Government is aware that this will require a significant cultural shift amongst the education and wider community. Some parents may also need to be persuaded of the benefits of this approach (although others have said that there is too much emphasis on passing external examinations). There is also a view that attaining lower level qualifications before Highers enables schools, young people and parents to take stock of progress and make the right choices in future learning. Young people, teachers and parents value qualifications as providing 'exam practice', particularly for progression onto Highers. These views need to be balanced against the benefits described above.

Increasing flexibility in qualifications

11. These suggestions will encourage a flexible approach to a young person's learning during the senior phase (from S4 to S6) that will help each to achieve their potential. They would reduce the number of external examinations and allow greater time and a more even pace of study where that would be of benefit to the individual. This would enable the period to be used to enhance the broader skills for life and skills for work and other learning experiences that the young person has developed up to the end of S3.

Policy on early presentation

12. We are also aware that some schools and local authorities have sought to increase pace, challenge and achievement in other ways by entering cohorts of pupils for qualifications before the end of S3. The Scottish Government has reaffirmed its commitment to the principles set out in the national guidance on early presentation issued in 2005. Decisions about early presentation have to be made in the best interests of individual pupils - not classes, cohorts or year groups. The Scottish Government would not want early presentation for examinations to continue, except where an individual young person has exceptional circumstances. It is important that the full period up to the end of S3 provides a rich curriculum allowing young people to study and have experiences both across a broad range and in depth. If necessary, the Scottish Government will strengthen the existing guidance on when young people can be presented for National Qualifications and/or arrange for Age and Stage regulations to be introduced to reinforce this policy. As signalled in Building the Curriculum 3: A Framework for Learning and Teaching, young people will still have the opportunity to begin study for appropriate Skills for Work qualifications (which do not have an examination) before S4.

PROPOSAL 4 - CONSULTATION QUESTIONS

Q11. Do you agree with the proposal to allow the study of Highers and Advanced Highers over 12 months, 18 months and 2 years?

Q12. Do you agree with the proposal to introduce a winter diet of examinations?

Q13. If you agree with the proposal to introduce a winter diet of examinations, what subjects and levels of qualifications might first be offered?

Q14. Would you agree with changes to the system which allowed the most able students to bypass qualifications at lower levels and begin study for Highers from S4 onwards?

Q15. Do you have any other ideas for increasing flexibility within the senior phase (S4 to S6)?

« Previous | Contents | Next »