Mackie Academy Learning in the Broad General Education

The curriculum at Mackie Academy

• Will there be opportunities for students to perform in a show in the future?

It is the intention of the school to put on its first theatre show in June 2023 with a planned performance of Grease the Musical

• Where can we find out more information about the electives in S2?

A booklet and presentation of information will be made available to students and parents when they make these choices in the spring term of 2023. Students are asked to choose their top three and we aim to ensure they get one of these choices.

• How do we find out more about the subjects we may not know a lot about?

Use the Faculty pages on this site and you can find out lots more about each of the subjects. As students move towards the Senior Phase of the school you can find all relevant information on our Senior Phase site here.

• How can we learn more about how students use Google classroom?

We are looking at ways that we can promote this with parents and hope to produce a short video in the near future.

• What is the difference between Maths and numeracy?

Numeracy means understanding how maths is used in the real world and being able to apply it to make the best possible decisions.

• How far is the school into its journey with the Excelerate programme?

The school is in Year Two of the journey in 2022-23.

• Is there ever a situation where choices may clash?

This is possible but we do our best to sort things out for our young people. We ask students to make reserve choices so that if a clash happens we can discuss with them other options.

• Do students get a free choice in their subject options?

Yes they do.

• Why are certain subjects, such as RMPS, considered to be "core"?

That is a decision made by the Scottish Government. In the BGE English, Mathematics, PE, RMPS and PSE are all considered to be core and have to be studied by all students.

• Would it be possible to learn more about project based learning?

Yes - we have a site developed to show what is happening in S1 which you can find here and there will be a showcase of S1 work for all parents to see at the end of this academic year.

• Are there opportunities for students to engage in extra-curricular options e.g. music lessons, Duke of Edinburgh

The school has a wide range of opportunities for young people. We do not currently offer Duke of Edinburgh but have links to local organisations that do offer this opportunity.

• Do students with additional support needs always study the same curriculum as everyone else?

We look at each young person on an individual basis to make sure that their curriculum is right for them.

• Is homework an integral part of the curriculum?

Yes it is. Our young people need to consolidate their learning outside of the classroom and that can be done in a number of different ways. We have a homework club that operates Monday to Thursday from 15.30 - 17.00 in the library to support our young people with their work. It is open to all years.

• How many subjects do students take when they go into S4?

The majority of our students take seven subjects.

• Why is curriculum provision restricted in some year groups e.g. no Computing Science class in S2?

We find certain subject areas particularly difficult to recruit into; this is sometimes a national issue and sometimes a more localised issue. We have to take this into account when deciding what to teach where to ensure quality of learning and teaching for all our young people.

Tracking, Monitoring, Interventions and Reporting

• Do students still do exams?

In the BGE ongoing assessment forms a much more significant part of student progress than summative assessments such as examinations. However, students will still experience end of unit assessments and some exam settings prior to moving into the Senior Phase.

• What other forms of assessment take place in addition to exams?

If you read the information on the Faculty pages you will be able to find out the different ways that subjects assess their areas to ensure that they know where young people are at.

• If a child is struggling with a subject will you contact the parent?

Yes we will. We have a system of learning interventions which are used at all levels to ensure that parents are kept informed of any concerns and actions being taken by the school. This will be done at a time when evidence supports the need for such an intervention.

• What happens if parents are separated or divorced regarding reports and parents evenings?

All those with parental responsibility receive information about their child and a copy of their report. We ask, where possible, that parents attend the same appointment on parents evenings so that we can maximise the number of parents a teacher can see.

• Outside of parents evenings is it possible to arrange meetings with specific teachers to discuss any concerns we may have?

We would ask that your first port of call is your child's Pupil Support and Attainment (Guidance) Leader and they can take your query from there. You can also contact Faculty Heads directly using their emails which are available through the school.

• Can students ask for support outside of class time?

Yes - most staff operate an open door policy and often lunchtime clubs operate to support those that wish to attend.

• Will we always get an appointment at parents evening?

Unfortunately that may not always be possible where staff teach multiple classes in the same year. This becomes less likely as your child moves up the school but we have no perfect solution for this. What we would always say is to focus on the report that will often precede a parents evening and focus on those areas where you feel your child may need support and / or is thinking about in terms of progression in their pathways choice.

• Do you use SNSAs to allocate students to particular classes in S1?

The answer is no; all our classes are mixed ability in S1. There is an element of setting in Maths from S2 onwards.

Climate for Learning

• Would the school consider lock boxes for mobile phones at the beginning of lessons?

The school has a simple Red, Amber, Green system for use of mobile phones. We have secure areas for them to be stored during PE but do not currently have such a system. We aim to make our young people responsible users of technology through self-management where possible but will step in if an individual is struggling to do this themselves or use a device inappropriately.

• Are there safe spaces and chill out zones for students in school?

Yes there are. We are very lucky to be well resourced in this area and our senior students support this work too.

The National e-Learning Offer complements the delivery of teaching and learning by schools and settings, local authorities and Regional Improvement Collaboratives in Scotland.

Online interactive sessions for learners can also be accessed through e-Sgoil where a range of lessons across the Broad General Education can complement school based learning.