Planning Your

Senior Phase of

Education

Oldmachar Academy e-Magazine

Inside this magazine

Describing the Senior Phase 4—7

S4 Curriculum and Achievements 8—9

S5 Curriculum and Achievements 10—11

S6 Curriculum and Achievements 12—13

Special Features

Read about

Personal Development

Building Learning Power

SQA Leadership Awards

In the senior phase of education, young people

work towards qualifications and awards, which in

turn help them to plan and achieve positive

destinations from school. Their pathways are

towards employment, further and higher education.

Young people need to be thinking about different

ways to progress.

Our Aim for Learners

Oldmachar Academy takes seriously its responsibilities to support all our young people in planning a positive destination from school. Our planning for the senior phase of educa-tion in Curriculum for Excellence is based on this idea.

This leaflet contains information about the senior phase of education and what young people can expect at each stage of it. It should help them to make decisions about op-tions available to them and understand the relationship between the curriculum we have planned for them and other support mechanisms that are available to help them to achieve and have their achievements recognized.

The leaflet should be seen in the context of other information about the senior phase which is set out in a related series of leaflets. These are:

Planning Positive Destinations from School

Describing Learner Pathways through the Senior Phase of Education

Clue Yourself Up (Future Mentoring Scheme)

Describing the Senior Phase of Education

The Senior Phase of Education covers the years S4—S6 in Scotland. Obviously, not all students stay on to com-

plete the entire senior phase, so it is important that any planning done in school provides young people with

clear pathways, but also flexibility to exit school at the moment which is most suitable to them. Out curriculum

plan, which is described below, allows this.

In the senior phase, young people study curricular subjects towards SQA qualifications. In addition to the num-

ber of subjects, the school has planned supports and programmes of achievement to add to the young people’s

experiences and qualifications, so that they have the kinds of experiences which prepare them for the destination

they aspire to have on leaving us.

Employability skills and leadership opportunities feature prominently in our planning and we are building a num-

ber of important partnerships to help young people achieve.

Overall, our plan works towards the objective of ensuring that all young people become successful learners, con-

fident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.

Curriculum Map Our Curriculum Map structures the pathways

for young people.

In S4 learners study six curricular subjects, each

of which are allocated four periods of study.

There are two periods of Physical Education,

one periods of Religious and Moral Education,

one period of Study and two periods of Senior

Phase Entitlements, which are described inside.

In S5 young people follow a curriculum of five

curricular subjects, which are allocated five pe-

riods of contact. In addition, there are two pe-

riods of accredited Enterprise activities, two

periods of Sporting Activity (Get Fit for the

Weekend) and a period of study, which also al-

lows an experience in RME.

In S6, young people have four subjects of study,

supplemented by the SQA Leadership pro-

gramme, a programme of learning towards Pos-

itive Destinations and a unit of study, which al-

lows experience of RME.

This is all supplemented by learning about

Health and Wellbeing, profiling and our Global

Issues programme. 4

Describing Pathways

Underneath our curriculum

map sits a plan for learner

pathways through the senior

phase, which is shown in the

graphic (left).

In set activities which are de-

scribed in this leaflet, students

work to orientate themselves in

relation to these pathways.

It is important to stress that

the pathways are not mutually

exclusive and that the young

people are encouraged to con-

sider alternative plans in each

of them.

You can never be too clued up

about your future and young

people can benefit from re-

flecting on different possibili-

ties that there might be for

them.

In fact, the message of the

school goes further: take con-

trol of your life; take control of

your learning—it’s your future.

To support this message,

Oldmachar Academy provides

a range of opportunities

throughout its senior phase for

young people to learn.

5

S4 Curriculum

In S4 learners undertake six curricular subjects, which must include English and Maths. Therefore, they can

choose four subjects from their S3 curriculum to take forward to S4. It is really important that students choose

things that they are good at and which will open up the pathways that they are most interested in. In addition

to the six subjects, students also gain awards in Literacy and Numeracy.

However, it is also important that the school is open to the possibility of young people changing direction at dif-

ferent points. The work we do in planning a seamless transition to S4 is painstaking. It begins with a briefing to

parents and a separate one to students about course options. Then, Guidance colleagues discuss options with

young people as we build our curriculum plan for the forthcoming year. We aim to make sure that everyone

feels that they have had a curriculum planned to meet their needs.

The school offers a wide range of options in S4 at National 3—5 levels. Included in this is a number of Skills for

Work courses, which are delivered in partnership with employers. Some of these courses are delivered at Aber-

deen College.

Student Parliament

Our Student Parliament reviews our cur-

ricular provision annually and helps the

school pan future developments. The

parliament involves all students in the

year and meets once per term with Mr

Brown.

The curriculum we have designed for our

students has been heavily influenced by

the views of our students who have expe-

rienced the programmes.

This session the parliament has focused

on ensuring that we promote ambition in

all of our young people.

The students agreed a set of values

which have become school policy.

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Planning Options for S4

Most young people are advised

to keep their options as open

as possible for as long as pos-

sible. This means trying to

maintain as much breadth in

their choices as they can.

Generally, undertaking learning

in sciences, social subjects, the

arts and languages is a good

thing, although some young

people may prefer to narrow

their focus towards a particular

area.

Students are advised not to do

four subjects from the same

curriculum area, as this can

become too restrictive later.

Choosing a Skills for Work pro-

gramme can be a useful option

if you plan to leave school and

enter a particular job, which

relates to one of our Skills for

Work courses.

Most importantly, you need to

be happy when you finally set-

tle on your options. You need

to feel that the subjects are

relevant to you.

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SQA Personal Development Award

8

An Integral Part of the S4 Plan

All students work towards the S4 Personal Development Award. It is a mechanism by which we structure the

S4 year. The year begins with a week of induction activities (late May), in which students complete their S3

profile and build their Senior Phase Plan. The centre piece of this week is a Careers Fair, two which parents

are invited. Students identify three jobs they are most interested in and select an area of career interest.

At the end of June, students go on a week of Work Awareness with an employer in the industry or career

area that they have identified. This week becomes an important element in the Personal Development

Award.

Throughout S4, a programme of Senior Phase Entitlements runs for two hours per week, in which Skills for

Learning, Life and Work are developed. Employers support the delivery of this programme.

In addition, through the Clue Yourself Up Scheme, we hope to go give all S4 students a Future Mentor from

the world of employment. The mentor and the student will be paired up based on the student’s interests.

We also hope that this scheme will provide additional work experience for the young people.

9

SQA Employability Award

10

SQA Award

This session we have a number of students in-

volved in working towards the SQA’s Employa-

bility Award. This scheme is taken up by young

people who have particular aspirations with

regard to progressing directly into work after

S4 or S5.

We launched the programme last month with a

three day Business Challenge, which allowed

the young people to learn about creative team

work, production, sales and marketing.

This month they were involved in a three pro-

gramme of preparatory activities, which would

lead them towards work—this programme was

coordinated by Your Future in Energy and in-

volved representatives from various sectors of

the Energy Industry.

However, there was enough to engage even

those who did not necessarily see Oil and Gas

as being their future career destination. This

was because the focus of the activities was on

developing skills for the workplace.

Students did presentations on their particular

area of interest, at the end of the three day

programme.

Nicole Smith said “It was really great for build-

ing our confidence. The day after the pro-

gramme finished, I had a trial for a job and I

got it. I am sure it was because the pro-

gramme made me more confident in myself.”

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Tailored Work Experience

As a result of the preliminary pro-

grammes we have run, we now know

what our young people wish to do for the

two weeks of work experience, which is

at the heart of the Employability award

programme we have designed for them.

Students have identified areas of career

interest, which we will satisfy during this

programme, by providing a work place-

ment in that career area.

In the five week programme, we will

build in time for the young people to

evaluate their work and to ensure that

they learn from the experiences they

have.

There will be a focus on the process of

applying for jobs and ensuring that the

young people understand how best to sell

themselves to future employers.

We are building a number of key partner-

ships to ensure that this programme is

relevant and challenging to the young

people and that they gain from it.

Most importantly, we want the young

people in this group to know that we are

investing in their futures and that we

want to make sure that when they leave

us they go on to do something they want

to do.

A Student’s View

“A group of us have been doing the Employability Award.

So far, we have done two challenges, both of which last-

ed three days. The first was making cupcakes and selling

them to raise money for the Aberlour Trust. Our second

challenge was a three day thing.

People from companies came into our school and helped

us to make a presentation about what we wanted to do

when we leave school. We got treated like we were in a

workplace, the main rules were “trust and respect”.

The course is very enjoyable and it has given all of us a

major insight into what the difference are between school

and work.”

Cassie Fraser

Skills for Work Courses

Study Skills Evenings for S3/S4 Parents

14

What are Study Skills Eve-nings?

Study Skills Evenings are designed

to build the learning power of stu-

dents and to help their parents un-

derstand some of the principles of

active revision.

Parents are encouraged to attend

the events along with their young

people, so as to help them build a

better understanding of how best

to prepare for major assessments.

We use the S4 briefing to launch

our S4 Building Learning Power

mentoring programme, explaining

the principles of mentoring for

young people.

The S3 event is used to mark the

beginning of the process of prepar-

ing for the transition to the senior

phase of education and the course

option process that will take place

in advance of their S4 timetable

beginning in June.

The study skills night was to encourage S4 and S3 pupils to prepare productively

their exams. We had three workshops in which parents and pupils took part.

The first workshop was about distractions. This workshop was to show what kind

of things that will put off your study, for example: mobile phones, technology and

social activities.

The second workshop was about active revision. This workshop was about ways

to study. You must take regular breaks and rewards yourself. You must break the

revision into sections and avoid spending a few hours on one subject which can

be tiring and can stress you out needlessly.

The final workshop was about creating a timetable. This helps pupils to have clear

structure when studying but it can be challenging to do—-and even the parents

were struggling as well!

Mr Reid is joined by David Norvall, Caylum Matson, Rachel Millar, Christy Foster

and Georgia Gifford. Along with Malcolm Law, they delivered the workshops on

revision for parents and S3/S4 parents.

15

Why do we do this?

There are three reasons why we

run study skills evenings:

1.Our Parent Council asked us two

years ago to run workshops for

parents on how to study. The

Study Skills Evenings are how

we have planned to meet this

request.

2.In our Building Learning Power

surveys a number of our S3 and

S4 students told us that they

were not confident in certain

areas of studying. While we

have coordinated activities to

address these issues in school,

it is important that parents are

aware of the kinds of issues

young people can encounter in

studying and how to help them

3.The main source of tension in

many families prior to exams is

the pressure that young people

and their parents feel in prepar-

ing for examinations. Parents

have anxieties about whether

young people are studying ef-

fectively, or enough. Students

worry about whether or not

they are going about studying

properly. By helping families

understand these issues from

different viewpoints, we can

support everyone’s health and

wellbeing in the run up to ex-

ams.

Students Teaching the Parents!

Christy Foster (S6) said, “I enjoyed

the evening. I wasn’t nervous at all

about leading a workshop.

It will be of benefit to the people

who came.”

Have a Plan

Rachel Millar (S6) said, “It is good

that parents can come in with their

sons and daughters to get help and

make a proper study plan.”

Take the Stress Out!

Mr Reid (BLP Coordinator) said,

“Having an organised approach can

take the stress out of the pre-exams

period. If you know what you are

doing and have confidence in that,

you feel a lot better.”

Studying is Important

Malcolm Law (S6) said, “It is im-

portant for the students to revise

and stick to the timetable if they

want to get their qualifications at

the end of the year.”

S5 Curriculum

In S5 learners undertake five curricular subjects, which for most students includes English and Maths. It is rec-

ommended that students continue on from subjects they studied in S4, as this continuity is important in ensuring

successful progression routes.

Subjects studied at Higher level are particularly important in relation to planning applications to university and

college. Students need to think carefully about the entry requirement tariffs for such courses and also seek in-

formation from universities regarding whether or not the going rate for entry has been different to the published

entry requirements in recent times.

The courses in S5 are challenging and students can experience a jump in level, which can be demanding for

them. Students must prepare for success by applying themselves fully from day one. Good study habits are re-

ally important, as students will testify.

In addition to the curricular subjects, we also have a number of Enterprise programmes, which are included in

our curriculum, so that young people benefit from them.

Student Parliament

The Student Parliament for S5 this ses-

sion worked on developing advice for stu-

dents about successful preparation for

examinations.

A series of posters has been developed

and information about these has featured

in the school’s monthly magazine.

Students reflect on the importance of

good organisation, which is an important

part of maintaining your health and well-

being, whilst negotiating challenging pro-

grammes of learning and preparation for

very demanding examinations.

The message is: if you want to be suc-

cessful, learn to manage a busy life.

16

Planning Options for S5

This session, in response to

feedback from our S5 student

parliament, we have revised

much of the information we

use to inform young people

about the course options avail-

able to them.

It is important to us that stu-

dents have relevant infor-

mation that they value. We

reflected on this and made a

change.

The students in S5 wrote a

magazine for their counterparts

in S4, explaining the nature of

S5, the options process and

what Higher courses are like.

We hope that the S4 students

find this useful. In addition to

this information, we are

providing more technical infor-

mation about new Higher

courses at a later date, when

we are sure that the students

are ready to process the infor-

mation.

17

18

How We Plan Options for S5 in Oldmachar

David Norval

The Process

The process of making course choices for the upcoming school year begins by simply considering

your options; what can you move on to, and what would you like to study?

What does it mean to ‘consider options’ however? It simply means, thinking about courses. This usu-

ally involves discussion, and above all else, reflection on the previous year. After this period of re-

flection and consideration, it comes to decision time; what you have decided to take, and what you

will be leaving behind. This decision will be based mainly upon what you feel is possible to pursue,

and what you enjoy in school, with consideration to future aspirations.

Once all the choices have been made, and a timetable has been drawn-up, the moment arrives –

your new courses begin.

That’s easy said, but how do you go about with the whole process? What is there to consider?

Things to Consider

This rather appropriately titled section covers the various aspects involved in the consideration pro-

cess. This comes down to four main points: What subjects do I like? What am I good at? How well

can I possibly do in these subjects? And how will this assist in achieving future goals?

The easiest of these steps is deciding what you do and don’t enjoy. Consider the following points: do

I enjoy this subject as a whole, do I enjoy how it is taught and do I enjoy specific topics in this sub-

ject? Or is it just my relationship with the teacher that makes it good?

The next step is to see how good you are at the subject. This may seem to be the simplest question,

but there is more to consider when asking it.

Questions to consider:

Are you good at the whole subject, or are there areas that you find hard?

What makes someone good at the subject? Can you make yourself better at it?

Are you ready to work hard to get on top of it?

19

Then ask, “Can you become better at the subject?” This could be in respect to, your understanding of the

subject, your use of the subject, your ability to transfer the skills from the subject and so on.

Finally, “How will this help me with future goals and aspirations?” This is perhaps the most important

question to ask, whether your goals are long or short term. A subject will be useful for your future if it

fulfills any of the following points:

- Does it allow you to take future courses (as in, apprenticeships, college courses, university, etc.)?

- Do the skills learned in the course fulfill a goal of some kind?

- Does it allow for progression towards a career?

If you can answer these questions for yourself—and are confident you have the right answers, you are

probably ready to choose your courses.

Help During the Process

The first port of call for help would be to take time to think about

the courses on offer. As discussed earlier, do you enjoy the

courses, are you capable of studying them… This reflection or

‘clueing yourself up’ should hopefully make choices easier.

Then, speak to your friends and family. If in doubt, they will be

able to lend some insight, and although they will be helpful, keep

in mind that it is your choice to make. It is important to note,

however, that as it is your future you will be concerned with, do

not do what your friends do, simply because they are taking the

subject.

Also on hand to offer help with course options are your various

teachers. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses in each sub-

ject, they will be able to offer valuable insight into potential

courses.

Guidance teachers will also offer help with the selection process,

often handing out support sheets, and the actual course form.

20

What’s Involved in S5 at Oldmachar?

Reece Gibb

C onsortium Arrangements

T he whole idea of the consortium arrangement is something that I was apprehensive about.

I should explain what a consortium arrangement is: it’s going to other schools for specific

subjects, which aren’t offered at your school.

I go to Bridge of Don Academy for Tech Studies for example. Following my initial nervousness, I

began to enjoy it. It was great to get to see and use some of Bridge of Don’s equipment. They have

great computers and a really comfortable working environment. If you have the opportunity to go,

you definitely should! Also, it’s nice to get a break for the walk up or to take the bus, a nice change

of scenery!

S tudy Habits

O bviously, in fifth year it is vital that you study at home

and keep up with any homework. I personally have my

own style of working and prefer to take my time doing

homework and recap at the same time, then when ex-

am times come nearer I’ll start to do past papers – lots

and lots of past papers!

I think you should know yourself if you haven’t done enough stud-

ying, and it will show. Really, it’s all down to you how well you do,

or how badly. Don’t put off studying, it’ll catch up with you!

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P relims

T he prelims for me were good fun – I like tests however. I know a lot of people find them a

very stressful time and struggle to cope. The best solution to that is exercise. That’s part of

the reason I don’t mind doing tests. The Jesmond Gym provides great facilities to get a work

out done and to get your mind off of all the theory and equations you’ll have to learn. I per-

sonally go to Bannatynes gym, I love to go there to lift some weights or have a nice run. It really helps

me to de-stress!

If that’s not your thing, then a glass of water and reading a book should help, but DON’T TOUCH YOUR

PHONES!

A berdeen Pupil Voice Group

T he Aberdeen Pupil Voice Group is something I’ve been involved in for 2 years. It involves peo-

ple from different schools all getting together and discussing things about our schools. We talk

about the differences, why they exist and how we can eliminate them, all contributing towards

trying to promote a more positive experience for the learners in Aberdeen. So basically we

just all get together, have a chat and see if we can make any schools better. It’s something I’ve really

enjoyed doing and would love to get more people from Oldmachar involved.

Get in touch if you’re interested!

22

The Students’ Views on Studying

Students in the S5 Student Parliament came

up with a number of ideas which we have

organised under four headings, all of which

are pertinent to planning effectively to be

successful in examinations.

The four headings are:

Maintaining Your Health

Being Organised

Active Revision

Overcoming Challenges

The advice offered in this section is ex-

pressed on a number of posters which are

being published around the school.

The images pictured here show how the stu-

dents expressed the ideas themselves in a

number of collaborative activities.

We hope that sharing this blueprint for suc-

cess helps people to understand how they

can cope better with the challenges examina-

tions present.

23

Looking after your own health is central to being suc-

cessful in the stressful time of examinations. Stu-

dents suggest:

Include time for exercise / recreation in a study plan

Have a good night time routine: get enough sleep

Eat healthily and avoid things that damage health

Have a good breakfast every day

Maintain good mental health by doing the following:

Don’t compare yourself with other people

Be positive about yourself and what you can do

De-stress yourself: have a hobby

Take time to have a laugh with friends and family

Build on success—reward yourself if things go well

S5 students thought that personal organisation was

central to being successful.

They suggested that students preparing for examina-

tions should:

Organize time—devote portions of time each even-

ing to study in a clearly described plan

Make sure that the study plan describes clearly

what is to be covered

Make sure all subjects are equally covered

Make sure all tasks are completed

Do a bit each evening to get on top of the problems

caused by examinations

Keep your notes tidy and well ordered

S5 students believe that coping with difficulties and

challenges was central to being successful. They sug-

gested the following strategies:

When you panic, recognise that it will pass soon—

this allows you to take a few deep breaths and start

again

When you have a setback, recognise the problem,

put doubt aside and begin to bounce back

Remember, that bad situations pass—recognise the

big picture and don’t get overwhelmed

Find the positives in difficult situations—you can

always learn something

Using active revision strategies is critical to success.

Students advise the following:

Don’t just read over notes—it’s not enough; you need

to work with the material more creatively

Have a clear task for each study session (do or make

something that you can measure at the end)

Making mind-maps or lists can help you process infor-

mation actively—remember that you need to work

with information to get it into your head

Short bursts of studying more frequently are helpful

ways to build your confidence and learning power

Going over things until you are confident that you

know it well—get someone to test you on what you

have worked on

Ask for help when you are not sure about some-

thing—we are here to help you

S5 Enterprise Programmes

24

Textiles

As part of my textiles Enterprise

programme I designed a baby’s

dress targeted at new born babies

to be worn during the Summer

months.

The product had to be light weight

and safe for a young child to wear.

I chose to design a child’s dress

because I thought it would be a

simple thing to sew for my first

project however due to it being so

small I found it challenging to com-

plete.

In this course I have learned many

valuable techniques such as

threading a machine and gathering

and fitting processes. I am enjoy-

ing the course.

Hannah Ross 5B

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S5/6 Enterprise –

Fashion and Textile

Technology

Creatively we have progressed

since the start of the year. Design-

ing a bespoke cushion for the

home has developed our crafting

abilities. The cushions we de-

signed have 1960’s influences re-

flecting our personal taste.

We appreciate how you can apply

your individuality to any format of

textiles. We made a large decora-

tive cushion for a bedroom.

The target market for the project

was women aged 16- 30 years of

age and the unit was called:

“Your Life is a patchwork

Quilt”

Louise Clark 6B & Stacey Dale 5E

S5: Enterprise Programmes

26

Textiles

Our Young Enterprise business is called Linked Aberdeen. After much deliberation we decided our

products would be wooden plaques with various quotes on them with the aim of inspiring people.

We sold them at many local school fairs and parents nights.

At the end of November we took part in our first judged fair at Inverurie. This fair really made us

aware of the standard of the other businesses we were competing against and allowed us to see

what we needed to improve on.

Our final judged fair was at the start of December where we had a stall for a weekend at the Bon

Accord Centre alongside the other schools. The week leading up to this was all go for the team.

We advertised on our social networking sites and tried to perfect our stall. The thrill of selling and

excitement of answering the judges’ questions was the highlight for many members. Our hectic

weekend was all worth it when we received the ‘Best Product’ award at this event. All the sore

feet were forgotten at this point.

However the hard work does not end here for the Linked team. We now have a report to com-

plete and hopefully we may progress further in the competition.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone on behalf of the team who has supported

us and bought our products.

Young Enterprise has been an amazing experience. It pushes you to become a stronger more con-

fident person. I would encourage anyone to take part in this rewarding experience.

Taylor Legge, Managing Director

27

S5/6 Enterprise –

Fashion and Textile

Technology

The Young Enterprise programme

runs as an extra-curricular experi-

ence. It is an important opportuni-

ty for young people to learn im-

portant skills in entrepreneurship

and creative team work.

The students develop a project

which leads them to learn about

how enterprise work.

Apart from the important skills they

learn, they also gain valuable expe-

riences that they would not have

otherwise.

The young people have to make a

commitment to their project that

spills over into Out of School Hours

Learning—with weekends being set

aside for parts of the project.

The organisation of the group also

helps the students to see how busi-

ness works, with groups estab-

lished to help them learn about

specific roles, such as Managing

Director.

Youth Philanthropy Initiative

28

XdysleX

Many with dyslexia lack self esteem

due to educational challenges and dif-

ficult experiences through their school

years.

At XdysleX, we aim to support them to

gain confidence, and by coming along

to our youth club (where their aca-

demic and processing abilities are not

the focus), find out what their

strengths are and be themselves with-

out any judgement.

We have discussed organising a camp

for some time and the YPI money will

go some way to making it more of a

possibility.

With the help of this YPI money, we

hope to be able to put a training pack-

age together that will offer that possi-

bility to other Dyslexia Scotland

branches across Scotland.

For a large charity, £3,000 might not

have gone very far, but for our small

local charity, it will help make a huge

difference to many youths with dyslex-

ia; helping them to appreciate their

own worth, strengths and build self

confidence that they will need to sup-

port them in life's challenges.

Thank you again for organising the

YPI event, it really does make a differ-

ence!

Kind Regards, Susan Strachan

XdysleX Youth Leader

XDyslex XDyslex is a charity run by volunteers, many of whom have dyslexia or have

children affected by it. It holds monthly youth clubs for dyslexic children of

all ages to go along to and just have fun. It acts as almost a safe area

where they don’t have to be worried or embarrassed about their dyslexia. If

given the right support dyslexia need not hold you back in life.

Our aim for our presentation was to make it interactive and interesting. We

tried to combine everyone’s skills. We chanted a cheer about dyslexia,

played an interactive game with the audience and judges allowing them to

experience what having dyslexia is like and also included a variety of music

and video clips throughout.

Overall we all found the experience of competing in YPI rewarding, as it al-

lowed us to gain knowledge on dyslexia, develop our communication and

presentation skills and gain an idea on the hard work that goes into volun-

teering at a charity. We know that the £3000 we won will make a tremen-

dous difference to the charity. Taylor Legge, Emily Meldrum, Rebecca Anderson, Kimberley Tosh,

Joanne Mitchell

29

How does YPI Work?

In the Youth Philanthropy Initiative,

young people compete to earn

money for a charity of their choice.

The Wood Family Trust provide

£3000 for the winning team in each

school to donate to the charity con-

cerned.

As part of this, the students in each

group select a charity to research.

Depending on how well the present

a case for this charity to get the

funding, they may be able to win

the funding for them.

Presentations are made to an ex-

pert panel of judges.

Students need to show how they

have engaged with the charity and

that they understand its mission to

help others.

Successful pitches often show how

young people have tried hard to

get to know what the charity is and

what it does. They also tend to be

able to get over to an audience the

importance of the charity’s work.

In this way, our young people

show their philanthropic interest.

Beards for Bairns As part of our YPI project, we chose to research The Archie Foundation.

When we went to Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital for our visit, we discov-

ered that Archie was running a special fundraiser, Beards for Bairns. This

meant that we had to approach as many male teachers as possible so that

they could be sponsored to grow a beard. This was independent fundraising

separate from the YPI competition.

We are grateful to the following teachers currently sporting a beard for a

month who supported this fundraiser:

Mr Booth, Mr Brown, Mr Fogiel, Mr Lambrou, Mr Mann, Mr Paterson Sophie Gill, Megan Gill, Lauren Reid, Chloe Emslie

S6 Curriculum

In S6 we create space in our curriculum for students to specialise in areas of importance to them. Deeper study

at Advanced Higher is one example. Consequently, we stipulate that young people should undertake four aca-

demic courses in S6, and can reduce this to three if they are following three Advanced Highers or a Baccalaure-

ate programme, since this will involve significant amounts of individual study.

However, some students require to undertake a programme of five academic courses due to their circumstances.

Guidance colleagues engage in a detailed conversation about these options as part of the planning process.

The periods in the week which are not allocated to courses are set aside for other types of learning, such as

community involvement and leadership activities. We expect our S6 students to play a leading role in the school

and to be a means of supporting younger learners in classes and in our support base. Some young people en-

gage in support activities at local primaries and special schools.

Student Parliament

Our S6 Student Parliament focused on

the ways in which the school ensures that

all young people are successful learners,

confident individuals, effective contribu-

tors and responsible citizens.

They reflected on planned activities and

the kinds of achievements that our learn-

ers work towards. They made a list of

these things, which the school will use for

self-evaluation purposes.

The students also gave advice on plan-

ning future developments to our learning

programmes for S6.

30

Planning Options for S6

S6 is not for everyone. You

should only really consider an

S6 year if you are prepared to

sign up for what is involved.

Most importantly, unless you

have a relevant and challeng-

ing academic programme, it

will most likely prove to be an

unsuccessful experience.

Mrs Stopani meets all S6 stu-

dents prior to the year begin-

ning to ensure that they have a

clear project plan for the year,

which incorporates academic

courses and also significant

personal challenge.

Consideration should be given

to studying a Baccalaureate

project, or a Skills for Work

programme, as these can help

young people tailor their expe-

riences towards a particular

route.

31

32

Transitions to S6 Scottish Baccalaureate: Social Subjects Christy Foster

What was involved in the Baccalaureate?

For the Social Subjects Baccalaureate, you have to come up with a project that has value—

it’s to be important to you, but also something that others might need to know or learn

about.

In my case, I am looking into the laws which affect young people as they leave home. For

example, laws related to leases and contracts. The biggest complaint that some people have

about school is that they can leave school without knowing about tax laws and the laws af-

fecting daily life. I wanted to provide a leaflet that could help people have a basic idea of

what was going to affect them.

What was the experience like?

I started off just studying information I found on the internet. Then I went on to interview

Seb Cooke (Police Liaison) and then Kevin Davidson (a lawyer). I also e-mailed the universi-

ty halls for information. The other thing I did was a survey of other S6 students to see which

areas of law they would find it most useful to know about. I also wanted to find out from

them how they would like the information to be presented.

Then I put this information together into an information leaflet for students. There are six

sections on the leaflet, which will be published for all S6 students before they leave. The

leaflet focuses on the following: tax law, employment law, leases, car insurance and student

loans.

Oldmachar Academy is one of the top schools in Scotland for the Scottish Bacca-

laureate programme—here two of our students, Christy Foster and Fraser Stra-

chan give their perspectives on the programme. In the Baccalaureate, you need

to do two Advanced Higher courses. You also do an interdisciplinary project,

which allows students to work across subjects on an area of particular interest.

33

My next stage is to hand the leaflet to S6 students and get feedback on it. I also plan to

consult parents at parents’ evenings to get their feedback as well.

How you can use what you have learned in the future?

I am hoping to move away from home next year (to study Law in Glasgow). A lot of the in-

formation I found out I would not have known if I had not researched it. It definitely makes

you feel more confident knowing it.

I hope that other people feel the same—that they feel more

confident and clued up about the future. I hope that every-

one is more motivated to find out about the laws which affect

them. My research did not surprise me. Most people lack

awareness of the kinds of issues which will affect them.

When I did research, I heard a lot of stories of people being

caught out by not knowing what to look for in their lease, for

example. I am trying to provide something simple that can

help.

The leaflet was a good format for me to use to present infor-

mation. I am sometimes a bit wordy in how I communicate.

The leaflet format helped me to prioritise information and to

be succinct.

The other point to make about the Baccalaureate is that it

gives you a different dimension in the application process for

university. I wanted to have something to make my applica-

tion stand out and make the university consider me. This pro-

gramme was part of how I did that.

34

Scottish Baccalaureate: Science Fraser Strachan

What was involved in the Baccalaureate?

In the Scottish Baccalaureate, we first had to come up with an idea for an interdisciplinary

project. For the Science Baccalureate, it had to be science based. I am doing three Ad-

vanced Highers in Maths, Chemistry and Physics (and have done Human Biology last session

as well) so I wanted to do something related to them.

I also pay the cello and thought it would be interesting to do something music related. I

thought about how when you study you listen to music, which is something that I always do

and that a lot of people do. I wanted to investigate whether or not listening to music when

you study actually helps you and whether you should actually do this.

The interesting thing about the Scottish Baccalaureate project is that you get to do some-

thing that you are interested in finding out about, that integrates different subjects: in the

case Music and Neuroscience.

What was the experience like?

For the project I did a lot of on-line research as this was the quickest and easiest way to gain

information. I e-mailed lots of different neuroscientists and some of them replied. These

people directed me towards relevant articles and helped me with some queries that I had

about things that came up.

I also did an experiment, firstly with S6 students. It was a recall test in which they had to

remember as many words from a list that had been shown on the board and then removed.

I played different types of music while they undertook the test.

35

The results showed that there was not a large difference overall between the types of music

that people listened to and the results of how they performed in a test. The one feature that

really stood out was that overall when heavy metal music was played they did worse. This

conclusion has to balanced: while overall people did worse when listening to heavy metal

while undertaking a test, some people’s results improved—so the experiment was not a total

disaster for lovers of heavy metal. This will be great relief to them.

How you can use what you have learned in the future?

The study I have done has made me think about whether I should actually listen to music

when I study and whether my study habits at the moment affect what I am learning.

Others might also benefit. I plan to produce a leaflet for oth-

er students and also a presentation. I hope to do the presen-

tation to S6 students in the near future—this is to give back

something to those people who helped me with the experi-

ment.

I am not considering a career in neuroscience, which I knew

before I started the project. I just found it interesting. I

have developed important research skills, though, as the Bac-

calaureate involves independent study. The teachers I

worked with know a bit about this area, but much really. So

my research allowed me the opportunity to learn about some-

thing that even allowed them to learn something.

I also learned time management skills because you are work-

ing independently and have deadlines to meet.

The relationship with the teachers involved was different—

more like a university tutor-student relationship.

S6 Leadership Programmes

In the following pages we describe some of the leadership projects that our S6 stu-

dents undertake. All S6 students work towards the SQA Leadership award, which

has two components:

Introduction to Leadership

Leadership in Practice

This programme allows young people to develop important skills in a practical way

and to prepare themselves to lead in future situations. Students agree to undertake

certain projects on behalf of the school and work collaboratively to deliver them,

dealing with all the issues involved in planning and realizing them.

The projects we highlight here are actual things that the young people have deliv-

ered, each of which had a positive impact on other people.

36

Training Leaders for Next Year

S6 students undertook two days of leadership de-

velopment activities in preparation for the im-

portant role that they will have in the school next

session.

Students researched leaders they admired and

completed the first of the two Units involved in the

SQA Leadership Award. They also investigated

leadership styles and behaviours.

Reflection and Planning

In addition, students underwent a Myers Briggs

personality profiling exercise to help them reflect

on their own behaviour preferences and the impact

that these might have on others.

Finally, there was extended discussion of how to

manage projects successfully from conception to

closure. This work will underpin all of the planning

of projects that the group will deliver next session.

37

S6 Team Building

The Team Building Day

Our S6 students recently spent a day at Balgownie Playing Fields. We hired a

number of inflatables for the day and laid on a barbecue.

The students organised the day themselves.

A number of personal and team challenges were built in to the day. The pic-

tures here show the students enjoying themselves. The quotes provided

show the positive response to the young people.

38

“We really enjoyed the chance to work together and have

fun. It will help us to bond as a team in future.” Christy

Foster (Event Organiser)

Mains of Scotstown

“Thanks to Martin Young,

Proprietor of Mains of

Scotstown for laying on a

barbecue lunch for every-

one.

Martin has been a staunch

supporter of the school over

the past few years and we

appreciate his efforts on be-

half of the young people.”

Caylum Matson

“The team building day was a day of fun team building activities which the whole of S6 participated in.

It was a great day in which the whole day communicat-ed with each other.”

“I would definitely do this again!!!”

Cameron Inglis

39

Inflatables Challenge at

Balgownie Playing Fields

Cameron Inglis

“The day was buzzing. There were loads of activi-ties to keep you busy for the day. It was interesting working with other people that you don’t normally speak to.”

Jack Alexander

“It was a very enjoyable day—it was good to get everyone speaking and get-ting along.

The activities were exciting and fun. I would, for sure do something similar again. It was a very worthwhile experience overall.”

Hope Wilson (6A)

“During the Primary 7 visit, the sixth

years volunteered to show the P7

students the varying subjects which

take place in the school. I took stu-

dents to Biology and Music—they

also went to the library and Maths.

By allowing the primary 7s to interact

with children from different schools,

teachers and students of Oldmachar

Academy helped them get used to

the idea of coming into S1.

This in turn builds a strong connec-

tion with the P7 students and

Oldmachar Academy, making the

transitions from primary to second-

ary an easier process.

It was good fun to do.”

Primary 7 Curriculum Day

40

Building Links with Primaries

Last session we built a comprehensive programme of curricular transi-

tions with our associated group of primary schools. This was done to

improve the community links between Oldmachar Academy and the dif-

ferent schools. It was also to ensure that teachers worked together

across the sectors to learn about each others’ practice.

The programme also created leadership opportunities for our students.

These students in S6 take a great deal of responsibility for managing the

transitions days and for ensuring that the P7 students have a great ex-

perience.

In these pages, there are images from the day. You can see the inter-

action between the students.

41

Caylum Matson

The P7s came to Oldmachar Acade-

my to experience the curriculum of

the school, and also the school as a

whole. They were taken around by

many S6 students who volunteered

and they took them to many different

classes, such as Music and Maths.

Also, half of them did a team building

game, called The Trading Game. This

tested their ability in Maths, Problem

Solving and also communication with

students from different schools.

They worked in teams to trade as

countries of the world with each oth-

er—learning about Fair Trade in the

process.

This was a huge success and an im-

portant experience for both P7 and

S6 students. It gave the S6 students

an opportunity to organize an event

and develop our leadership skills in

different ways.

“Both during and after the

debate the pupils ques-

tions, comments and be-

haviour were first class

and are a credit to the

school.

The opportunity for young

people to engage with

both sides of the debate

and ask questions is a

major part of this process,

particularly given it is the

first opportunity for 16

and 17 year olds to vote.”

Callum McCaig (Yes Scot-

land)

The results of the poll we did on the day of the debate with S4—S6 students voting in a mock election. These results were shared with candidates at the start of the debate.

Referendum Question Time Event

Our Referendum Project Leadership team pictured with speakers after the event

42

Question Gen Yes No Undecided

Will you be eligible to vote

in the election?

M 84% 16% 0%

F 86% 14% 0%

Do you have a clear idea

at this stage of how you

will / would vote next

M 63% 34% 3%

F 56% 43% 1%

Do you agree that Scot-

land should be an inde-

pendent country?

M 24% 64% 12%

F 11% 73% 16%

“I think it is a fantastic

way of engaging students,

not only in the road to the

referendum but, in de-

mocracy and citizenship.

Politicos and pundits al-

ways talk about declining

turnout at elections, by

engaging with people

when they are younger

and still studying it helps

enhance their understand-

ing of the whole demo-

cratic process and the val-

ue of playing their role as

a responsible citizen.

I hope that more events

such as this can help raise

awareness and under-

standing and in the long-

term help improve turnout

at election time.

The pupils I spoke with

afterwards were engaged,

articulate and intelligent, I

was genuinely very im-

pressed.”

Ross Thomson (Better To-

gether)

Political Literacy at Oldmachar

On Wednesday 18th September the school hosted a referendum question

time event in the common room to inform S4-S6 pupils of the upcoming

referendum on Scottish Independence.

Representative for the Yes Scotland campaign, SNP councillor Callum

McCaig, and representative for the Better Together campaign, Conservative

councillor Ross Thomson attended the event. Henry Hepburn, a journalist

who is a former pupil of the school, chaired.

Each representative had a university student who supported their views

with them to reinforce their arguments. Hepburn asked the representatives

questions which pupils had contributed to him and it was so successful that

the event ran over time. The audience were able to ask questions at any

time as well which helped contribute to the event as a whole. Pupils were

also able to stay behind after the event to speak to the representative one-

on-one if their questions had not been answered.

Mr Brown introduced the event and helped four 6th year students—Rebecca

Anderson, Scott Hendry, Ryan Taylor and Shannon Hadden—organised the

event. They were very much pleased with the outcome. and are planning

another event in six months’ time to mark the six months before the refer-

endum on Scottish independence to inform the students even further.

They hope this will give pupils a full understanding of the referendum in an

aim to develop the political literacy of young people, which is something the

September event managed to achieve for the pupils who attended.

Shannon Hadden (S6)

43

The panel debates the issues at stake.

Film in Education Project

44

Giving Pupils a Voice in Ed-ucation

We were approached by Scottish

film producer, Beatrix Alexander

about doing a film project.

The idea is to help young people

learn to tell their stories through

the medium of documentary film

making.

Beatrix has worked with a number

of students in S6 since the start of

session. Every Monday they meet

to plan, shoot and edit the films.

Thanks to Beatrix for supporting

our students and for providing

them with this important oppor-

tunity.

Pictured right are four members

of the group: Jason Donald, Leon-

ard Atorough, Lauren McNaught

and Hannah Gough (all S6).

What students have learned about

Students have learned about all aspects of production and have worked in pro-

ject teams, so as to have the experience of making films in a way that repli-

cates the conditions in the film and television industry. This is a work experi-

ence project as well as a Student Voice project.

In the future, we plan to give more students the chance to make films about

their experiences in school and to build up a library of films about our school.

The students involved in the project are: Ebony Diack, Leonard Atorough, Jason

Donald, Lauren McNaught, Emily Reid and Hannah Gough.

Ebony Diack

Our film has S1 students speaking

about their experience of coming to

Oldmachar Academy. It also has

teachers describing the process that

we go through to help new S1 stu-

dents settle in.

In our team we had me, Leonard

Atorough and Jason Donald. We

worked well as a team.

Emily Reid and Hannah Gough

We made a film that focused on the

support that S6 students provide for

the new S1. We had lots of film of

the S6 students explaining what they

did to help.

Our team had us in it and also Lau-

ren McNaught. We decided together

what things we needed to include.

45 45

Leonard Atorough

We call the Film in Education Pro-

ject Film Club. It has been running

since the start of the year. There

are six of us involved and we have

worked in two teams. Each team

has made a short film.

We made films about first year pu-

pils settling in to Oldmachar Acade-

my. The pictures shown here are

from our film.

We had a lot of challenges to over-

come in making the film. We lost

some of our footage and had to

start again.

But we learned a lot about making

films and how to put them togeth-

er technically.

We showed the films to parents at

the S1 Parents’ Evening. They

seemed to like them.

After nearly a whole year of planning and fund-

raising our journey had finally begun on the 8th

June! 24 hours of travelling later and the group

had made it to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

We were all extremely tired but it didn’t stop us

taking in the first moments in the busy city. We

couldn’t enjoy it for long though as our first tasks

were to find accommodation for 24 people, ex-

change money to the local currency and arrange

transport for the days ahead!

The pupils were responsible for all decisions that

were made throughout the expedition. Our first stop

was to the Cameron Highlands where we were to

embark on four days trekking in the Malaysian jun-

gle.

For four days the group struggled up the jungle ter-

rain, however making it to the top of a mountain

during day three was a mutual favourite of the whole

trip.

The tough treks seemed worth it after that! An-

other highlight for many in the group was how our

first week ended; white water rafting! Flowing

down the river while working as a team with close

friends was a frightening but unbelievable experi-

ence!

The second week of our expedition was undertak-

ing our project at a disabled home for all ages.

Residents had wide-ranging disabilities from downs

syndrome to the inability to move their legs. Many

were severely disabled and unable to respond to any

attention the group were providing.

We had brought simple things such as colouring pen-

cils and soft toys which the residents were grateful

to receive.

World Challenge

Our days were spent drawing pictures and occu-

pying the residents which many of us found quite

challenging to begin with, however it got much

easier as the week went on.

After an emotional project phase the group were

able to enjoy a couple of days resting and relaxing

in the city.

We managed to visit the Batu Caves, see the sights

on a hop-on-hop-off bus and go up the worlds larg-

est twin towers; The Petronas Towers. Our final

meal as a group was spent at the top of the KL Tow-

er in the revolving restaurant which we would all say

was a wonderful well-deserved treat! The expedition

by far was life-changing for all that took part.

We had all realised that the littlest things like cold

water and a decent shower was something we

had taken for granted!

We all certainly realised how lucky we were and

without a doubt would not hesitate to participate

in another World Challenge.

Diana Award Winners

Congratulations to all of our Award Winners

Every year we submit the names of S6 students whom

we think have achieved highly in community volunteer-

ing activities. This year we had seventeen award win-

ners, which is a record. This is partly due to the in-

creased opportunities open to students in the senior

school to undertake leadership roles.

In November we staged an Award Ceremony in

school to present the successful students with their

awards. Pictured above are people attending the

event, which was held in the Oldmachar Academy

staffroom.

Mr Brown presented awards to all of the young peo-

ple who are shown here.

Pictured on this page are the members of the Senior

Student Leadership Team (2011 – 2012). They are:

Katie Milne, Kris Mavor, Gaynor Lawrence, Iain Scott

and Alan Simpson.

This team worked closely with the Senior Management

Team on behalf of the school to ensure that students’

voices were heard in the school. They also organised

Parents’ Evenings, Charities Events and other major pro-

jects.

We are proud of all of the students and are sure that

they will all go on to be successful.

The Senior Student Leadership Team (2011 – 2012)

with Mr Brown

Hannah Pirie also won an award but was unable to

Congratulations to the E-Sports Committee

Pictured to the right are members of the E-Sports Commit-

tee. This group developed and ran a programme of extra-

curricular activities throughout last session, often raising

money for charities.

The boys involved showed a lot of leadership, excellent

teamwork and a real commitment to bringing together the

gamers of the student community.

Some members of the group were unable to attend. We

thank them as well.

In particular, the Children in Need Dance-a-thon, which

involved teachers and students in competition was one of

the highlights of last year.

Pictured above we have Conor Smith, Scott McEwan,

Thomas Hyland, Carson Cheung, Ali and Ahmad Baker.

Well done to the boys on their Award.

Congratulations Lewis Parley

Special mention has to go to Lewis Parley who won a

special category of Diana Award. This award was in the

Diana Champion Volunteer category and is a new award.

Lewis very much deserves this award for his commitment

to Eco-Schools throughout his five years in Oldmachar

Academy.

He coordinated projects in recycling and led a team of

volunteers to do so. He also designed and manufactured

a sign for the school’s Bike Shed.

He was instrumental in the school being awarded an Eco

Schools Green Flag.

He made a noteworthy contribution to Northsound’s Cash

for Kids project.

We feel this award recognises Lewis’s entrepreneurial

flair and his dedication to help others.

Well done Lewis!

Websites that Can Help You

http://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/

http://www.myworldofwork.co.uk/

http://www.planitplus.net/

http://www.careerstudio.co.uk/

http://www.workingcareer.co.uk/

https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/yourcareer/careerchanges/

http://www.sruc.ac.uk/info/120176/student_services/128/careers_advice

http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/education-and-training/by-discipline/medicine/careers-

and-recruitment/careers-guidance.aspx

http://www.rehis.com/about/careers-advice

http://www.indeed.co.uk/Careers-Adviser-jobs-in-Scotland