Subjectbased Banding

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Subject-based Banding
NURTURING EVERY CHILD
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What Subject-based Banding means for your child?

• Every child will be encouraged to do the subjects
  at the levels that best meet his abilities
• Removal of streams in Primary 5 and 6

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Why introduce Subject-based Banding?

• To provide more flexibility to pupils with
  strengths and abilities that vary across subjects
• To encourage greater interaction among pupils
  with different strengths

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Why introduce Subject-based Banding?

• We recognise different abilities... and help
  each student to proceed at a pace that he can
  manage.
• Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam (2006)
• Former Minister for Education

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How does Subject-based Banding work?
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How does Subject-based Banding work?
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How does Subject-based Banding work?
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How does Subject-based Banding work?
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How does Subject-based Banding work?
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How does Subject-based Banding work?
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How does Subject-based Banding work?
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How does Subject-based Banding work?
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How does Subject-based Banding work?
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How will PSLE scores be calculated?

• The PSLE scoring system remains unchanged
• The raw mark for each subject is converted to a
  transformed score (T-score)
• The T-score reflects the pupils standing
  relative to other pupils on a common scale
• The Aggregate Score is the sum of the T-score in
  all subjects
• Each subject carries equal weighting

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How will PSLE scores be calculated?

• The PSLE score takes into account the
• content and demand of each subject
• number of subjects taken

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Subject-based Banding in WSPS
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Selection Criteria in WSPS

• No pupil is worse off.
• Each pupils performance over the years in the
  subjects will be taken into consideration.
• Parents have the option at P4 level in making the
  decision on subject combinations.

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Selection Criteria in WSPS

• Pupils who fail all 4 subjects should take up the
  Foundation Subjects.
• At the end of P5, the school will decide on the
  subject combinations best suited for each child
  based on P5 exam results.

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Subject Combinations in WSPS
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Movement After P5

• To upgrade to do the Standard Subjects at P6,
  pupils must score a Grade 1 or 91.
• Rationale At Foundation Subject level, 75 of
  the syllabus is covered. Hence, it is difficult
  to catch up in the subject.

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What Parents Need to Know

• Scores in Foundation subjects would be lower as
  compared to Standard subjects as the PSLE score
  will take into account the difference in content
  and demand of any foundation subject(s) taken.
• Pupils offering at least 2 Foundation subjects
  will most likely be channelled to the Normal
  stream in secondary school.

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What Parents Need to Know

• Examinable Foundation Science will first be
  offered at PSLE in 2010.
• Pupils taking Foundation and Standard subjects
  could be in the same class
• Reduction in number of pupils taking all subjects
  at Foundation level.

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Important Schedule

• End of year Exam - Oct
• Meeting with P4 form teachers
• to collect results and option forms Nov
• Submission of option forms Nov
• Confirmation of subject combinations Nov

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FAQs
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It was mentioned that a child can offer HMT if
he/she passes all 4 subjects. What was the cut
off point for 2007 MT? Pupils passed all 4
subjects well and obtained at least high Band 2
(gt 80 marks) in HMT.
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To opt for HMT what Band should pupils opting
for HMT be scoring in the other
subjects? Answer HMT is an additional subject,
not the standard requirement. Pupils opting for
it must score at least a high Band 2 (gt 80
marks) for the other subjects. This is to
ensure that the child is strong in the other
subjects so that he can cope with the additional
subject well and need not struggle to manage
them.
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• Could you provide further details on the cut-off
  points for a child to be considered for the
  Foundation Subjects?
• What are the cut off marks that the school
  stipulates before the child is placed at the
  Foundation Subject. Will a just passed (50marks)
  be considered for the Foundation Subject?
• Answer
• Recommendation to take a Foundation Subject is
  not solely
• dependent on the SA2 score for the subject.
  Generally, a pupil who
• scores in the region of 35 marks for a subject is
  deemed having great
• difficulty in the subject and will be considered
  for the Foundation
• Subject. However, other factors like his
  performance in other subjects,
• past performance and other concerns that might
  have affected the
• current performance would be considered. Hence, a
  child will not be
• offered the Foundation Subject simply because he
  scored below 50
• marks for the subject.

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For the weaker pupils doing Standard Subject eg
MT, will the school teachers concentrate on
these weaker pupils to push them to do better
through extra lessons etc? Answer Definitely.
We will and have in fact taken steps to address
this such as having parallel lessons conducted
by our lower primary teachers, hiring adjunct
teachers to pull out the weaker pupils in
small groups for better concentration, banded
remediation etc. However, if the pupil cannot
cope and the P5 results clearly show this, then
he will have to take the subject at Foundation
level.
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Does it therefore mean that the PSLE will be
divided into Foundation Subject and Standard
Subject and with this banding, how will it
affect the entry into secondary
schools? Answer Yes. Pupils taught the Standard
Subject will sit for the Standard Paper and
those taught the Foundation Subject will sit for
the Foundation Paper in the PSLE. The demand of
the examination is different and hence will lead
to different mark calculation in the PSLE
aggregate score. Pupils taking the Foundation
Subject would have a higher chance of being
channeled into the Normal stream. However, doing
a subject at Foundation level will enable a
pupil who is weak in the subject to have a
greater chance to pass and move on to secondary
education.
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With the implementation of Foundation Subject
and Standard Subject, will there be less pupils
in each class? How many pupils will there be per
class? Answer The number of pupils per class
will generally remain the same, but the school
has been creative in how we allocate pupils. For
example, if there is a small number of pupils
doing a particular Foundation Subject, they may
be placed in the same class as pupils doing the
Standard Subject. This encourages interaction
between pupils of different abilities. The
pupils doing the Foundation Subject would then be
pulled out for some periods to be taught
separately,
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If my child is weak and of borderline ability
from P1 to P4 mid year performance, then he
managed to pick up and improve from then on,
will it affect the teachers decision in
recommending his P5 subject combinations? Answer
The school will make a decision in the best
interest of the child, taking into consideration
various factors besides his current performance.
At the end of P4, the school will make a
recommendation of subject combination but
parents can exercise their choice. However, at
the end of P5, the school will make a decision
based on the examination results of the pupil.