Written Question · S5W-35231 · Session 5
What advice is available to parents who are home schooling regarding preparing their children for National 5 assessments.
The question
To ask the Scottish Government what advice is available to parents who are home schooling regarding preparing their children for National 5 assessments.
The answer
The Scottish Government recognises that remote learning arrangements present a number of challenges for young people, parents and carers, particularly those learners working towards National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher qualifications. We have been working intensively with national partners to ensure that our senior phase learners are provided with the clarity and the support they need.
On 16 February, the National Qualifications 2021 Group issued an update to the Alternative Certification Model to address the current remote learning position. The details provide clarity on the assessment approach to be adopted this year, with a further extension to the submission date for provisional results to 25 June to provide more time for learning and teaching.
The priority at this time, and on immediate return to school, should be on learning and teaching to ensure that learners consolidate learning and have sufficient course coverage prior to assessment later in the academic session.
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has published a blog which aims to keep learners, parents and carers informed on changes to assessment of SQA qualifications, which can be found at the following link: https://blogs.sqa.org.uk/2021/
Local authorities and individual schools are responsible for providing advice and support to parents which is relevant to their own context and situation, and their teachers and schools draw on information and advice from the SQA and Education Scotland.
The advice from schools to parents and carers is supplemented by a range of national advice sources, including:The National Parent Form of Scotland (NPFS) provides a Nutshell guide on learning at home which they are currently updating. This is part of a broader suite of Nutshell guides for parents, available from the NPFS website.The NPFS is hosting a series of webinars on the phased return to school which will be posted on You Tube.Practical advice and support to parents is available via the Parent Club Covid-19 site, which includes specific advice on supporting teenagers with learning at home.Advice materials and further remote learning activities provided via the Education Scotland “Scotland Learns” platform.Additional study support options for senior phase learners. As part of the National e-Learning Offer, the e-Sgoil initiative has been widening access to a range of live lesson programmes covering ages 3 to 18, augmenting the work of classroom teachers across the country. In September 2020, e-Sgoil rolled out a package of free interactive online study webinars for senior phase pupils, an offer which has received positive feedback from learners. For the duration of this current period, e-Sgoil is running a new Lockdown Live programme. The e-Sgoil provision includes daytime online study support sessions, available to all schools who use the Glow platform, and encompassing National 5 qualifications.
E-Sgoil are currently looking for S4/5/6 pupils input to planning for their Easter Study Support provision. This will be held during the week beginning 5 April 2021. It is individual schools’ decision as to whether and how they wish to integrate the e-Sgoil offer as part of their own learning and teaching support to learners. Further information is available at: http://e-sgoil.com/daytimestudysupport2020/
On 16 February, the National Qualifications 2021 Group issued an update to the Alternative Certification Model to address the current remote learning position. The details provide clarity on the assessment approach to be adopted this year, with a further extension to the submission date for provisional results to 25 June to provide more time for learning and teaching.
The priority at this time, and on immediate return to school, should be on learning and teaching to ensure that learners consolidate learning and have sufficient course coverage prior to assessment later in the academic session.
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has published a blog which aims to keep learners, parents and carers informed on changes to assessment of SQA qualifications, which can be found at the following link: https://blogs.sqa.org.uk/2021/
Local authorities and individual schools are responsible for providing advice and support to parents which is relevant to their own context and situation, and their teachers and schools draw on information and advice from the SQA and Education Scotland.
The advice from schools to parents and carers is supplemented by a range of national advice sources, including:The National Parent Form of Scotland (NPFS) provides a Nutshell guide on learning at home which they are currently updating. This is part of a broader suite of Nutshell guides for parents, available from the NPFS website.The NPFS is hosting a series of webinars on the phased return to school which will be posted on You Tube.Practical advice and support to parents is available via the Parent Club Covid-19 site, which includes specific advice on supporting teenagers with learning at home.Advice materials and further remote learning activities provided via the Education Scotland “Scotland Learns” platform.Additional study support options for senior phase learners. As part of the National e-Learning Offer, the e-Sgoil initiative has been widening access to a range of live lesson programmes covering ages 3 to 18, augmenting the work of classroom teachers across the country. In September 2020, e-Sgoil rolled out a package of free interactive online study webinars for senior phase pupils, an offer which has received positive feedback from learners. For the duration of this current period, e-Sgoil is running a new Lockdown Live programme. The e-Sgoil provision includes daytime online study support sessions, available to all schools who use the Glow platform, and encompassing National 5 qualifications.
E-Sgoil are currently looking for S4/5/6 pupils input to planning for their Easter Study Support provision. This will be held during the week beginning 5 April 2021. It is individual schools’ decision as to whether and how they wish to integrate the e-Sgoil offer as part of their own learning and teaching support to learners. Further information is available at: http://e-sgoil.com/daytimestudysupport2020/
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S5W-35231 by reference.