Comparisons of Scottish and English schools and music course set-up
Larbert High was the only Scottish school I was able to go to, but what I learned is that the Scottish system is totally different than the English system. So along with trying to learn what Andy teaches and how Musical Futures fits in and influences the music program, I was also trying to learn how the Scottish school system as well as the music curriculum works. Here are a few main things I took away that are different between the English and Scottish systems. I sought the help of a few teachers to help me iron out some of these details so it is more accurate than just my own takeaways.
Classes
The Scottish secondary schools go from age 11 through 18 – they call it S1-S6. This is kind of like 6th through 12th grade in the US. Students are only required to stay at school until they’re 16, though many stay through age 18, and the school is targeted to get them into a “positive destination” be this a college course, job or apprenticeship. Students can leave school at the age of 16 if they want to (4th year at high school) but at Larbert High School they can only leave if they have somewhere to go. There is graduation at the end of 6th year to celebrate them leaving school and completing high school but it is not the same degree of celebration as in the USA. Colleges are somewhat of a precursor to university in the UK – they are not interchangeable terms, the way we tend to use them in the US. College courses are one option for students when leaving school that allow them to explore different paths into their career. A college is normally for students aged 18 and above who will usually work towards Higher National Certificates (HNCs) over 1 year or Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) which take 2 years to attain. Students can also complete qualifications at college that they did not necessarily take in high school.
The English secondary schools are from ages 11 to 16 (called years 7-11), which is like 6th through 10th grade in the US. Then age 17 and 18 are more like an optional type of curriculum (they call it a college) that prepares them for university. All students in England have to be in some form of education up to 18, this could be college or apprenticeships. From the government website for England: “You can leave school on the last Friday in June if you’ll be 16 by the end of the summer holidays. You must then do one of the following until you’re 18:
· stay in full-time education, for example at a college
· start an apprenticeship or traineeship
· spend 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training”
In both systems, a lot of students choose to go to a college but many don’t. The students who are planning to go to university typically do go to a college, but some of the ones who don’t plan on going to university still go to a college. It’s worth doing because, sort of like community college in the US, they do get credit for each level they pass, or each qualification they earn.
In both systems, people don’t really “graduate” at age 16 or 18. They just get their certificate or qualification for whatever level they have passed.
Rotation of courses
Another thing about the differences is the rotation and timetable of classes. Scottish schools have the same classes each week. They have 6 periods on Monday/Wednesday/Friday and 7 on Tuesday and Thursday; school day times vary from school to school.
Whereas in England, there are five periods every day. Some English secondary schools are on a two-week rotation, meaning their courses come around every two weeks instead of each week. But some English schools have the same classes each week. I visited schools that had both types of schedules.
Music for middle-level grades
The music set-up is different at the middle school level in both countries. In England, students are required to take a general music- type of class each of those years (Years 7, 8, 9). In Scotland, students are required to take a music class in S1 (first year of secondary school). Then they can opt in for different music courses in S2 and S3. On one hand I think this is a great option because students actually choose to be in there to some degree. On the other hand, if they don’t choose to take it, they don’t get any more music after S1. In addition, every primary student has and entitlement to music in Scotland, so the goal is that they get at least 30 minutes per week. The team at Larbert all goes out to teach primary music, though Andy indicated that, unfortunately, this is not the case in every school district in Scotland.
Music as a focus at the upper level
In both countries, students choose a major focus of study in year 9/S3. Similar to English schools, students in Scotland choose what their electives, or their qualification subject will be for year 10, so that’s the same in both countries. So that is the year that students choose if they want to do music as one of their major subjects or not (they can choose things like additional sciences, maths, art, etc as a focus). And in the if they do, they take a lot of classes focused on music – it’s a really deep study of music at the secondary level. They do that for grades 10, 11 and 12 in Scotland, unlike in England where they do it for years 10 and 11 only and then that’s where the colleges come in for years 12 and 13. In both countries, however, at the end of their schooling, whether it is year 11, year 13, or S6, the students have to take exams for all of their courses. For their main coursework that they chose, these are high-stakes exams that, if they chose music, require them to perform, compose, and listen and describe music. If they don’t pass these exams, they don’ get their “qualification,” and that is a big deal. To me, this is what I would equate to high school graduation exams. They are always in May, so the entire school year and secondary school curriculum is building up to these exams. However, again, they don’t call it “graduating.”
A different option in Scottish secondary schools
The really cool thing I love about the Scottish system is that students who, for example, might choose maths or sciences as their major focus when they are at upper level, they can come back to take a music course as somewhat of an elective. I love this because it gives them freedom to do more music at the upper level but not have to devote their full curriculum to it. It’s a great opportunity for them to choose to do music but not a deep dive if they are not interested in that.
Anyway, those are a few major differences that I took away. I am still a little blurry on some of the terminology and requirements at different levels, because, well, I was only in the UK for a short time. But I think it’s interesting to note the differences and similarities. Suffice it to say that all of it is very different than the US education system, as well as the music education curriculum at the secondary level. And there are certainly pros and cons to all of it.
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