P4 Parents’ BriefingP4 Parents’ Briefing

9 March 20129 March 2012

Subject-Based Banding in Primary Schools

2012

An Overview

Why Subject-based Banding (SBB) ?

• Guiding Principle - To provide Ability Driven Education

- Pupils have different strengths and talents

• Philosophy To customise and differentiate the learning

experiences for pupils of varying abilities so that they will be able to learn at a pace that is most suitable for them in order to achieve as high a level of learning as possible.

What SBB means?

• Differentiated subject curriculum - Based on pupils’ aptitude & abilities

• Flexibility - Pupils can offer combination of subjects

• Standard (more subject content)• Foundation (less subject content)

How does SBB work?School recommends a subject combination

based on P4 examination results

Parents can opt for a different combination or take up the school’s recommendation

SBB Option Form is issued to Parents

Pupils take the subject combination that parents have opted for in P5

Subject Combination – 4S 1HMT

Performance Recommendation

• Passes all subjects• Performs very well in MT language

• 4 Standard Subjects• Higher MT language

Subject Combination - 4S

Performance Recommendation

• Passes all 4 subjects • 4 Standard Subjects

Subject Combinations - 4S

Performance Recommendation

• Passes 3 subjects • 4 Standard Subjects

Different Subject Combinations

Performance Recommendation

• Passes 2 subjects or fewer

• 3S 1F• 2S 2F• 1S 3F

At the end of P5Pupil takes the subject combination determined

by the school

Pupils who do very well upgrade or continue with the same subject combination

Pupils who do not meet expectations will switch to taking the subject at F level

Decision is based on his / her results in P5

Note: Pupils taking all F Subjects will continue with the subjects in P6

In SummaryIn Summary

4 Standard (S) + HMTL 4 Standard (S) 3 Standard + 1 Foundation (3S1F) 2 Standard + 2 Foundation (2S2F) 1 Standard + 3 Foundation(1S3F) 4 Foundation (4F)

Curriculum hours outside school hours - exposure time differs for S and F - additional time for HMTL

Impact of subject content when pupil moves to secondary school

A) STANDARD SUBJECTS - Express Course - Normal Academic ‘N’, ‘O’ levels, ‘A’ Levels…

B) COMBINATION SUBJECTS - Express Course - Normal Academic / Normal Technical Note: F Maths has less content

C) FOUNDATION SUBJECTS- proceed to ITE after NT Exam

Pupils who Pass PSLE PSLE score decides

– which secondary school courses eligible for– posting to secondary schools

If offer Foundation subjects– 3 examinable foundation subjects

• not likely to be eligible for the N(A)

– 4 examinable foundation subjects or at least 1 subject at the standard level

• more likely able to be eligible for the N(A) / N(T), if they do well in these subjects at PSLE

Monitoring of child’s / ward’s work, revision every day

Regular attendance in school, for remediation, enrichment

Home support – someone to address pupils’ queries

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