S6 Wider Achievement

S6 wider achievement

To allow opportunities for volunteering and study, all S6 learners have 3 periods each week which are not timetabled to a class.

In addition, those choosing to study 4 rather than 5 subjects in S6 will find they have more time (another 6 periods) to develop their skills and independence.

To support this, we offer a wide range of activities, which involve a commitment of around 2 or 3 periods/week, and ask all our S6 to indicate their 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices from the list provided. One of these options will form part of their timetable in S6. Please note this exception: learners studying 5 subjects in S6 are not expected to choose a wider achievement option, unless they wish to.

If a learner wants to be involved in more than one wider achievement option, they can discuss with guidance/year head in June 2024 to sign up to other options. These could be from the list below, or may reflect a new leadership opportunity the learner wants to be involved with/initiate, following discussions with staff at the school.

The YASS courses (see below), offered by the Open University, are a different kind of wider achievement option, focused on deepening learning in a specific area and requiring a greater commitment of time than the other wider achievement options we offer. They are well suited to learners wanting to study at level 7 (Advanced Higher) and prepare themselves for the self-discipline and drive needed to succeed at university. The YASS courses listed below are those available for 2023/4 and we await the release of the 2024/5 courses, although they are likely to be very similar. If a learner chooses YASS as their main wider achievement option, we will meet with them in June to discuss the course options and how to apply.

Wider achievement options

Sports Leader

This course develops the learner’s coaching skills and involves close links to local primary schools. Those choosing this option will develop a range of skills as they inspire and support younger children and encourage their involvement in sport. This course is well suited to learners considering working with children in the future, as well as anyone looking towards a career in sport and fitness.

MVP

The Mentors in Violence Prevention programme uses a peer education model within schools to discuss important issues faced by young people in Scotland. The programme asks S6 learners to mentor younger learners through the delivery of interactive workshops in school. Topics for mentoring include dealing with bullying, gender-based violence and social media use. The S6 learners involved will receive training to work on these topics, act as positive role models and in the process will develop their leadership, presentation and communication skills. Pupils will spend 2 days off campus doing initial MVP training. On return to school a further 3 double periods of practice & training will take place. Thereafter pupils will deliver MVP sessions to S1 PSE classes 1 period a week for 6 weeks.

Young STEM Leaders

The SCQF Level 6 Young STEM Leader Award is a nationally recognised qualification that enables young people to support, engage and inspire others in STEM in their school, community or youth group. The course focusses on the skills, qualities and behaviours of a good leader and how YSLs can act as positive role models. It also encourages YSLs to consider how they can positively challenge the stereotypes, misconceptions and outdated views that exist in STEM.

On completion of the award, the Young STEM Leader will be able to plan, lead and evaluate a series of STEM activities, events or interactions to engage and inspire others in STEM.

YSLs will gain 3 SCQF credit points.

Young Enterprise

Young Enterprise provides an excellent opportunity for S6 learners to learn more about businesses and how they operate. As a member of the Young Enterprise group you will set up a business of your own to run from school for the session. Within the group, you will appoint a Managing Director and other Company Directors for other areas of the business including Marketing, Finance and Operations. This activity will be timetabled and you will have the support of a Business Education adviser (someone who works in the business world). It is, however, your business and all the ideas and decisions will come from the group. Young Enterprise is supported by Young Enterprise Fife and you will have the opportunity to compete against other schools in Fife and Scotland to become the Young Enterprise Company of the Year. As a member of a Young Enterprise Company you will also receive an award at the end of the year for your contribution to the business

DYW ambassador

Develop your leadership, team-working and presentation skills by helping junior learners, Primary School learners and parents understand how to access and understand careers information and think about the world of work as part of our Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) activities. At the same time improve your own understanding of the world of work, application forms, interview skills and CVs.

Rights Ambassadors

By becoming a Rights Ambassador, you will become a rights champion in the school. You will play a key role in school improvement as you will be instrumental in helping the school on its journey from Bronze to Silver Rights Respecting School Award. You will participate in many activities to raise awareness of children’s rights and global citizenship issues within the school. You will improve your communication skills by possibly speaking to peers at assemblies and liaising with several members of the school community. Your participation will enable you to gain a Saltire Award for your efforts. This will look good on job, college and university applications.

Eco Ambassadors

By becoming an Eco Ambassador, you will become a champion for action on environmental issues within the school and local community. You will play a key role in school improvement as you will be instrumental in helping to gain and maintain Balwearie’s Green Flag Award by working closely with the school’s Eco Committee. You will participate in many activities to raise awareness of environmental issues within the school. You will improve your communication skills by possibly speaking to peers at assemblies and liaising with several members of the school community. Your participation will enable you to gain a Saltire Award for your efforts. This will look good on job, college and university applications.

Literacy/Numeracy ambassadors

Use your skills to develop those of others. By volunteering you can support either the literacy or numeracy of junior learners, important areas for all our students to develop. Not only will you be honing your coaching and leadership skills, you will be making a real difference in building the confidence of a younger learner. You can also receive recognition for this through the Saltire Award (see below), so by helping others, you are simultaneously improving your CV.

Home Economics Health & Wellbeing ambassadors

Use your skills to develop those of others. Be part of a group promoting nutrition, healthy eating and hydration, or help out Breakfast Club and Food Cam as we tackle hunger and poverty.

Volunteering ambassadors

Encourage volunteering across the school and in different year groups. Volunteering gives confidence and skills while supporting others, and looks great on CVs and applications. You will become a Saltire Award expert and work with Fife Voluntary Action to link learners to a wide range of opportunities.

SCQF ambassadors

Help students and parents make sense of pathways and understand how to make choices about their future. Become an expert in the Scottish Qualifications Framework and so that everyone in the school community can find the route to their ideal career.

Powering Futures

Powering Futures develops young people’s abilities and meta-skills through the theme of sustainability. They will take on real-world sustainability challenges, set by a sponsoring business. They will research and collaborate on a solution before they present it to a panel of industry judges in April/May.

Mock Trial

Pupils will gain an understanding of the law and court procedure. They will take part in a national mock trial competition where they take on the roles of people involved in a court case developing their public speaking, sense making and critical thinking skills. There will be opportunities to learn from legal professionals and visit court(s).

Saltire Award

Many of the activities listed above are examples of learners volunteering, something they can have recognised through a Saltire Award. By registering with Saltire, the learner can use the website to record any hours they do volunteering, whether it is at school or with an organisation like a charity outside school. As they clock up hours, the learner can achieve different Saltire Awards (certificates are issued for 10, 50, 100 and 500 hours of volunteering), which they can refer to in applications and on their CV as they prepare for life beyond school. To register, and for more information about recognition for voluntary work, please look at the Saltire Award website: www.saltireawards.org.uk

YASS

YASS (Young Applicants in Schools Scotland) is a scheme run by the Open University. It allows learners to self-study online modules in a range of areas, gaining an Open University module, improving their knowledge and developing their independence. These courses are suited to very self-motivated S6 learners who already have at least 2 Highers from S5 and are looking for something to complement their other qualifications, support their future plans or deepen their learning about a topic of interest. They are broadly the same difficulty as an Advanced Higher, although shorter and with less content. These courses are self-taught with the support of an on-line tutor and so require considerable self-discipline and commitment. Module choices are detailed below. The Open University uses a system called ‘credits’ to indicate the size of the course: 30 credit courses require around 10 hours/week for the period of the course (most modules run from Oct to March), 10 credit courses require around 3 hours/week.

URSES 2021/2022

Arts (30 credits)

English for Academic Purposes

Making Your Learning Count – Arts Pathway

Business & Management (30 credits)

Communication Skills for Business and Management

Fundamentals of Accounting

Engineering, Computing & Technology (30 credits)

Engineering: Origins, Methods, Context

Introduction to Computing and Information Technology 1

Technologies in Practice - Higher Computing required

Health & Social Care (30 credits)

Making Your Learning Count – Health & Social Care Pathway

Languages (30 credits)

Exploring Languages and Cultures

Beginners’ French

Beginners’ German

Beginners’ Spanish

Intermediate French - Higher French required

Intermediate German - Higher German required

Intermediate Spanish - Higher Spanish required

Law (10 credits)

Law Making in Scotland

Maths (30 credits)

Discovering Mathematics

Introducing Statistics

Essential Mathematics 1 - Higher Maths required

Science (10 or 30 credits)

Contemporary Topics in Science (10 credits)

Physics and Space (30 credits) - Higher Maths or Physics required

Social Science (30 credits)

Economics in Context

You and Your Money (personal finance focus)

Making Your Learning Count – Social Sciences Pathway

Sport & Exercise Science (30 credits)

Making Your Learning Count – Sport and Exercise Pathway

For more information on these courses, please visit: