Subject Pathways

To achieve this, we need to raise the awareness of the many different pathways that are available for pupils. It is important to view the BGE (S1 - S3) and the Senior Phase (S4 - S6) as a 3-year experience rather than a single year-on-year approach. We already have a track record of success in planning positive destinations from St Margaret's Academy, but we want to build on this and ensure all our young people move onto a job, training opportunity, college course or university place when they leave us. Learners need to have parallel plans; a plan A, B and C, and keep their options open. 

S2 into S3

To keep their options open  we recommend a wide curriculum up until the end of S3 which is why S2 learners should personalise their subjects under the main curricular areas by choosing one subject from each: Science, Social Subjects, Technologies, Creative and Performance, Languages. Pupils can also choose to deepen their learning in one curricular area by adding a subject from that area in their free column.  

An example S3 Personalisation is below:

Pupil A

S3 into S4

Moving into S4, our S3 learners should consider their Pathway - do they want to progress on to University, College, Apprenticeship or Employment when they leave school? What subjects do they need and are these the ones they are succeeding in at the moment?  S3 should progress in their best 5 subjects for maximum success in S4.

An example S4 progression of Pupil A  is below.  They have been doing well in Social Subjects and Sciences in S3 and so have decided to progress in these areas.  They also enjoy Spanish and HFT and are progressing well in these so they have decided to also progress in these subjects

S4 into S5

In S5 it is vital that pupils gain as much success as possible as this is the set of qualifications that Universities are most interested in. Maximising Highers and being successful are the two main priorities for S5.  Pupil A is progressing well in many subjects but struggling in Maths and not interested in progressing in HFT.  They have decided to progress in their best five as shown below:

S5 into S6

S6 gives an opportunity for pupils to further deepen their understanding by undertaking Advanced Higher qualifications or add to their Highers/take on a college course/undertake appropriate work experience or volunteering, depending on their pathway.

Here, pupil A has decided to study Humanities at University and so has progressed into S6 as follows:

Find out more about the pathways available in each subject area here.