S3 into S4 – PHS Mathematics

In S3, young people engage with the course most appropriate for them and they are placed in classes which, although they attend Maths in two columns, are set in a different manner than in S2. They are set in classes 1-10 (the class name does not reflect the set, for example 3X2 is not the second set nor is 3Y3 the third set). S2 class teachers use their assessment data and professional judgement to place each young person on the most appropriate course for them. Young people are placed in one of 6 courses in S3. Some placements are not finalised until mid-S3 (usually January) to allow young people every opportunity to show their capabilities. Sets 1-6 follow the same curriculum in S3 from June to January, covering work on two National 5 level Units; Expressions & Formulae and Numeracy, both of which are assessed in S3. Final decisions on placement for the different courses taught in sets 5, 6 and 7 take place mid-S3 and are based on S3 assessment information and class teacher judgement.

By early in the winter term in S3 all young people are placed in the class on the most appropriate course for them and any further movement between classes is very unusual. The curriculum for the courses is increasingly divergent and differentiated as students start to complete the pre-N3, N4 and N5 courses of S3.

Classes are set as in S3.

At the end of S4:

Sets 1-4 attempt both N5 Mathematics and N5 Applications of Mathematics.
Set 5 attempt N5 Mathematics.
Set 6 attempt both N5 Applications of Mathematics and N4 Mathematics.
Set 7 attempt both N5 Applications of Mathematics and N4 Mathematics (course is completed in a different order than Set 6 to allow greatest movement between sets until mid-S3).
Set 8-9 attempt both N4 Mathematics and N3 Applications of Mathematics.
Set 10 attempt N2/3 Applications of Mathematics.

In addition to this, sets 1-10 are given the opportunity to attain N4 or N5 Numeracy, which is a standalone award.

N5 Courses are externally assessed in the annual SQA examination diet. N2, N3 and N4 Courses are internally assessed in units using the SQA instruments of assessment.