In response to feedback on our revised approaches to tracking across the school there are themes emerging which we hope can in some measure, provide answers to in the form of Frequently Asked Questions.  As we continue to receive feedback we will endeavor to add to this list,  but if you have a question which is not answers here, please do get in touch via the normal means of contact.

At what times in the year will I get progress reports, and what form will they take?

There are three levels of Tracking Report, Pupil Progress Report (PPR), Validate PPR (VPPR) and a full report.  The table below indicates the approximate times of the year when these will be issued to each year group.

Stage	Tracking Event 1	Tracking Event 2	Tracking Event 3
S1	PPR November	VPPR January	Report May
S2	VPPR November	Report January	VPPR March
S3	Report November	VPPR March*	VPPR May
S4	Report November	Report December	VPPR February*
S56	VPPR November	Report December	VPPR February*

VPPR tracking Events labeled with a * may be replaced with a parents evening and PPR if national guidance and local risk assessments permit.

 

What CfE Level / Stage might I expect my child to be working at?

Curriculum for Excellence defines five levels of learning. The first four levels are described in the Experiences and Outcomes, with progression to qualifications described under a fifth level, the senior phase.

The path most children and young people are expected to follow through the levels reflects the stages of maturation of children and young people and the changing ways in which they engage with learning as they develop.

Some children and young people will start learning at these levels earlier and others later, depending upon individual needs and aptitudes. The framework is however designed to be flexible in order to permit careful planning for those with additional support needs, including those who, for example, have a learning difficulty and those who are particularly high attaining.

Early	The final two years of early learning and childcare before a child goes to school and P1, or later for some.
First	To the end of P4, but earlier or later for some.
Second	To the end of P7, but earlier or later for some.
Third and Fourth	S1 to S3, but earlier or later for some. The Fourth Level broadly equates to Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework level 4. The Fourth Level experiences and outcomes are intended to provide possibilities for choice and young people’s programmes will not include all of the Fourth Level outcomes.
Senior Phase	S4 to S6, and college or other means of study.

My Child is in S1 or S2.  Why so some of the measures talk about their level achieved by the end of S3?

Because young people may progress through levels at a different pace to each other, and because they may be studying different levels in curricular areas at the same time, it can be confusing and misleading to make comparisons of a learners current level achieved, without reference to a wider set of data.  Since the end of S3 marks the end of the BGE (Broad General Education) and the transition to qualifications in the Senior Phase (S4-6) it helps learners and parents to refection on where a pupil wants to be in their learning at this key transition point, and the level of qualifications they would like to undertake in S4.  Thinking about the level of qualifications a pupil would like to undertake in S4 is important as this then knows on to the qualifications taken later in school which in turn can impact on the pathways open to a pupil once they leave school.

For example, working backwards, if a pupil wishes to pursue a university pathway, it would be normal to undertake highers in S5.  This would necessitate taking National 5 qualifications in S4, and therefore should aim to achieve Cfe Level 4 by the end of S3.

 

What is the difference between the CfE level my child is working at and CfE Level Achieved?

Some schools report on the level a pupil is working at, but given that all national benchmarks are expressed in terms of level achieved, we have adopted this approach to our own tracking.   The achievement of a CfE Level is a professional judgement based on the evidence available to show that the learner has

• achieved a breadth of learning across the knowledge understanding and skills set out in the experiences and outcomes for the level AND
• can respond consistency well to the level of challenge set out in the experiences and outcomes for the level AND
• has moved forward to learning at the next level in some aspects AND
• has demonstrated application of what they have learned in new and unfamiliar situations.

 

How do the CfE Levels articulate with the Senior Phase qualifications (old and new) and the SCQF (Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework?

 

SCQF Level	CfE Level	Qualifications (Old)	Qualifications (New)
0	Early
1	First
2	Second
3	Third	Standard Grade Foundation	National 3
4	Fourth	Standard Grade General	National 4
5		O Grade Standard Grade Credit	National 5
6		Higher	Higher
7		Certificate of Sixth Year Studies (CSYS)	Advanced Higher

Why is my child making judgments rather than the teachers?

There is strong educational research that one of the biggest factors that affects a students achievement is “self reported grades” (Ref J. Hattie 2007).  The life skills of being able to assess and evaluate our own performance is also critical to our modern world and the future prospects of our pupils.  This skill, like any other requires practice, and the sooner this is learner the greater the impact on the learner.  When a learner thinks about where they are in their learning and has to justify this, their understanding will be deeper and they will have better understanding of how to improve.

Remember though that in most of our tracking events teachers are also making judgement in the form of stating their agreement, or otherwise with the pupils views.   This is in addition to any other judgements referenced in the comments in an ‘VPPR’ or Full Report

 

Why do you use so many abbreviations and acronyms?

On this one, ‘guilty as charged’.  Perhaps more than another profession teaching (and learning) is one where there are indeed a lot of acronyms.

Their primary purpose is to save time and space – reducing phrases to a collection of letters far easier and quicker to say and understand.  This is something our modern generation are very used to with their LOL, BRB, and FOMO!  When a new abbreviation is adopted there is an initial phase of learning, but we hope that if you are not already familiar with our HHARK, HoWL, and VPPR you will be very soon.

• HHARK (Our school Values of Honesty, Hardwork, Ambition, Respect and Kindness.
• HoWL (Habits of Work and Learning, the qualities that are highly desirable in our future workforce)
• PPR (Pupil Progress Report)
• VPPR (A teacher validated PPR)
• LOL (Laugh out loud)
• BRB (Be right back)
• FOMO (Fear of missing out)