S3 Course Choice Handbook
Welcome to the Third Year Information Handbook
The presentation from your Course Choice evening will be viewable here, but all of this information is also contained on the page below.
Jan 2025 – Course Choice Information Evening
Dear S3 Learner
This handbook is for you and your parents. It includes a range of topics which will help you in some of the important decisions you will require to make for your future in Peebles High School and beyond.
Your handbook is not just about making subject choices but helping you to consider the consequences of whatever decisions you make. When you have to make decisions, do not just do what you would like to do, but also consider what is likely to have the best or, at least, good consequences for you.
You should set yourself challenging targets in the senior school and can only expect to achieve them by working hard. You are and will be in competition with many talented learners across Scotland. We believe that you can be up there with the best of them.
I hope you have a successful year.
Yours sincerely
Kevin Ryalls
Rector
Support Programme
This handbook is full of information to support you and your child make the best choices and contains:
- An overview of the curriculum on offer
- An overview of the support programme
- A course choice preparation form to support conversation at home (from the pastoral team)
- The course choice sheet
- The course choice descriptors
- The link to enter choices online at home
- Links to various support websites e.g. PlanIt Plus and My World of Work.
Further support and information:
- From December: all young people in S3 are offered a 1:1 interview with Skills Development Scotland which will continue until deadline
- From January Pastoral teachers will be working with their PSE classes on the S3 options process, giving information and advice
- If your child is finding it difficult to make their choices they can request an interview with the pastoral team. You will find out more in the presentation mentioned above
- The S3 reports issued on the 20th December
- The S3 options completion deadline is the 31st January. Please note that this is online and should be done with parents at home. The S3 course choice presentation will walk you through the process.
- It is important that choices are submitted on time as late submission may increase the chance of your reserve choice being used
Using the handbook
The contents have been thought out carefully to support you.
You should refer to this handbook from time to time for advice.
Please consult with your pastoral teacher if you require clarification on any point.
Which courses are for you?
Before selecting a course you must carry out research to ensure that you understand fully what you are going to study, how hard it will be and how you will be assessed. You also need to know why you are taking the course. Is it because it is an essential entry requirement for further study or employment, because you enjoy the area of study and/or because you feel you have talents in this field? It might even be all three!
Curriculum Pathways
Peebles High School faculties have created a series of maps or pathways to help understand the progression from one course to another throughout your years at school. Click on the links below to help you understand how your senior years in PHS might look. Check on the Meta-skills and Career Pathways pages too to see how the subjects you’re interested in could lead to your future career, and how you can build skills in these areas in your time at school.
- Art & Design
- BCT
- Biology
- CDT
- Chemistry
- Drama
- English
- HLS
- Maths
- Modern Languages
- Music
- PE
- Physics & Science
- RMPS
- Social Subjects
Career Pathways – Life Beyond School
- Apprenticeships
- Apprenticeships offer a great variety of ways to blend learning with the world of work. Some can be started while still at school (Foundation Apprenticeships), others you can gain qualifications while you work at SCQF Level 6 & 7 (Modern Apprenticeships) or Level 8 and beyond (Graduate Apprenticeships). Click on the link below to find out more
- Further & Higher Education
- Further Education describes any course studied at Level 6 beyond school, while Higher Education describes any course at Level 7 and above. Click on the links below to find out more
- Career Pathways
- The links below are a way for you to work backwards from the careers you are interested in to the subjects you choose in school, or forwards from the subjects that you like most to see where a career in those areas could take you
S3 Courses everyone will study (Core)
- Mathematics – 4 1/2 periods
- English N345– 4 1/2 periods
- Physical Education – 2 periods
- Religious & Moral Education – 1 period
- Personal & Social Education – 1 period
Your Choices
You also have the opportunity to choose four additional subjects.
You will be timetabled to 5 periods for each of these.
You need to choose a reserve in case one of your choices is unavailable.
Course Choices Descriptors
| BCT |
| · Admin & IT – N4/5 |
| · Business & ICT – N2/3 |
| · Business Management – N4/5 |
| · Computing Science – N4/5 |
| · Enterprise and Employability – NPA Level 4/5 |
| Borders College (This link takes you to the Schools Academy Site) |
| · Land-based Agriculture
· Forestry · Racing Yard Routine · Horsecare · Skills for Learning & Work · Early Learning & Childcare · Social Services, Children & Young People · Social Services & Healthcare · Animal Care · Engineering Academy · Cyber Security · E-Sports · Beauty & Hairstyling · BASE |
| CDT |
| · Design & Manufacture – N4/5 |
| · Graphic Communication – N4/5 |
| · Practical Craft Skills and Design & Technology – N3 |
| · Practical Woodworking – N4/5 |
| · Furniture-Making – Level 5 NPA |
| English & RMPS |
| · Philosophy – N5 |
| Expressive Arts |
| · Art & Design – N3/4/5 |
| · Drama – N4/5 |
| · Music – N4/5 |
| · Music Technology – N5 |
| Foundation Apprenticeships |
| · Social Services, Children & Young People
· Hospitality · Automotive Skills · Social Services & Healthcare · NPA Construction Craft & Technician |
| HLS |
| · Fashion & Textile Technology – N4 |
| · Food Health & Wellbeing & PE – N2/3 |
| · Hospitality: Practical Cookery – N4 |
| · Hospitality: Practical Cookery- N5 |
| · Hospitality: Skills for Work – Level 5 NPA |
| · Physical Education – N4 |
| · Physical Education – N5 |
| · Mountainbiking – Level 5 NPA |
| Modern Languages |
| · ESOL – N4/5 |
| · French – N4/5 |
| · German – N4/5 |
| · Italian – N4/5 |
| · Spanish – N4/5 |
| Sciences |
| · Biology – N4 |
| · Biology – N5 |
| · Chemistry – N4 |
| · Chemistry – N5 |
| · Lab Sciences – Level 5 NPA |
| · Physics – N4/5 |
| · Science in the Environment – N2 |
| · Science – N3/4 |
| Social Subjects |
| · Geography – N4/5 |
| · History – N4/5 |
| · Modern Studies – N4/5 |
| · Social Subjects – N3/4 |
| · Travel and Tourism – N4/5 |
| · Criminology – NPA Level 5 |
Course Choice Sheet and Link to Online Choice Entry
S3 Course Choice Sheet – to be added Jan 24
Please remember to enter your choices online below. (You will need your unique log in details – these will be distributed in PSE in January):
https://www.studentoptions.co/PHS-S3Options
(Please enter your choices above by the 31st January at the latest as a late submission may increase the chance of your reserve being used)
RECOURSING POLICY
Please take the time to read our recoursing policy below:
PHS RECOURSING POLICY – Updated January 25
Further information
Further information on curriculum developments and the shape of the new National Qualifications that your child will sit in the Senior Phase can be found on the SQA website. www.sqa.org.uk
The SCQF is a way of comparing Scottish qualifications to other qualification frameworks. It does this by giving each qualification a level and a number of credit points. See the diagram below:
