PRIMARY 6 Parents’ Briefing

13 January 2020

Strong Fundamentals, Future Learning

Agenda

• Principal’s Time

• PSLE grading system

• Direct School Admission (DSA)

• FAQs

• Briefing by your child’s Form and Subject Teachers in the respective classrooms

PRINCIPAL’S TIME

Ms Regina Kim

Vice-Principal

(Administration)

Mr Chua Chye Hock

Vice-Principal

Our Vision

Lead with Character, Serve with Talents

Our Mission

Nurturing concerned citizens with integrity and a spirit of excellence through holistic education

KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH THE SCHOOLMaintain regular communication through official school channels.

1. Official email from teachers or you may email / call theGeneral Office

• Do inform the office if the matter is urgent

2. Do note that the school is guided by MOE Service Standards

• Acknowledge the email and provide an interim reply

• Provide the final reply within 3 working days

• Follow up an enquiry that requires further investigationwithin a week

KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH THE SCHOOLMaintain regular communication through official school channels.

3. Student diary

4. Parent-Teacher-Meeting

5. Phone call during working hours:

• Teachers are not expected to provide their mobile

phone numbers to parents

• Please keep contacts with our teachers within office

hours

6. Parents Gateway: To receive school/ class

announcements and consent forms

7. Letter to parents

MOE Assessment Changes

• This P6 batch is not affected by the MOE assessment changes

• They are the final batch of pupils to receive the PSLE T-Score

PSLE 2019

• We did well in PSLE 2019

• More than 24.0% of P6s achieving a T score of 250 and above

PSLE 2019

• All our subjects are above national mean in term of passes and quality passes

• Generally, all our subject passes are also above MOE comparable school mean

• The school has sustained good PSLE results.

Preparation for PSLE

• Good Regular Work

• Keep Healthy

• Manage Expectations

• Monitor Stress Level

• Reflects the relative achievement level of

pupils within their peers

• Places pupils into different courses

according to their academic ability

• Enables posting to secondary schools by

merit and as far as possible into a school of

their choice.

PSLE - A Placement Exam

What is PSLE Aggregate Score?

It is a sum of scores.

What are these

scores? Are they

raw

scores?

Can raw scores be used?

NO.

Why Not?

• Different subjects have different

levels of difficulty

• So are the spread of marks from

the average mark, i.e. the

standard deviation

(spread = standard deviation)

DOLLY

I scored 85% in

both English

and Mother

Tongue !

H U R R A Y !

Dolly scores 85% in both EL and MT

85%

EL

EL average

= 60

MT

MT average

= 80

Her performance in MT is very

close to that of other pupils

She did much better

in EL as compared to

other pupils

0 100

A need for standardisation of

the raw scores

Transformed Score

or T-Score

What is T-Score?

• It gives the relative position of a pupil’s

performance as compared to the

performance of all the other pupils in

that subject

• The raw mark obtained in the exam

only shows how good the pupil is in

that subject, not how good he is as

compared to others

How is the T-Score Calculated?

• To know how well a pupil performed relative to his peers in a subject, the marks for each subject are converted to a T-score using the following formula:

x: pupil’s mark for the subjectm: average mark (mean) scored by all pupilss: spread of marks around the average mark

(standard deviation)

Example:

Pupil’s mark (x) in exam = 50.0

Average mark (m) scored by all pupils = 68.0

Spread of marks (s) around the average

mark (m) = 14.0

T = 50 + 10 (50 - 68.0)

14.0= 37.14

How is the Aggregate

Score calculated?

By adding the T-Scores of

the 4 subjects

An Example

Subject Total Mark T-Score

English 200 105 34

MT 200 152 51

Maths 100 67 53

Science 100 58 47

Aggregate: 185

ALL SUBJECTS :

English, Math, Science

& Mother Tongue

are given equal weighting

at PSLE

T-SCORES & GRADES:

Is it possible for a pupil with

3A* and 1A to be ranked lower

than another pupil who has

only 1A* and 3As?

Yes, it is possible

John’s Susan’sSubj

Mark(Grade)

T-Score

Mark(Grade)

T-Score

EL1 182A

60 190A*

68

MT 185A*

70 180A

68

MA 91A*

60 80A

58

SC 92A*

56 86A

55

Agg T-Score: 246 249

The PSLE can be a positive experience if parents set the following goals:

Purpose: Find out how your child is wired in personality, interests, learning styles and natural talents.

Self-discipline: It is your child's exam, not yours, so he/she needs to learn diligence, time management, independent studying and balanced living.

Learning: Ensure your child acquires the basics of reading, writing and mathematics, plus knowledge of the world around him/her.

Excellence: Help your child develop an attitude that seeks to give his/her best in everything he/she does, even those things he/she does not like.

Let's not forget to give our children their childhood.

Prize Giving Day

• Prize Giving Day 31 Jan 2020

• Prize-winners would have received notification and invite last week.

YEAR HEAD’S BRIEFING

STUDENT DEVELOPMENT

TEAM (SDT)

Year Head: Mr Muhammad Sadhiq

Assistant Year Head: Ms Sheila Zheng

ROLE OF HPPS SDT

We oversee the design and delivery of a holistic learning experience that all students undergo throughout their 6 years of primary education.

Our key role is to provide a quality school experience for the students, with emphasis on values education and the development of their socio-emotional needs.

LEVEL HIGHLIGHTS

(PRIMARY 6)

• Revision classes – 1 to 3 June 2020, 8 – 12.30 p.m.

• Remedial and stretching classes– Mondays and Tuesdays from 1.45 p.m. to 3.45

p.m.

– Commencing in Term 1 Week 5 (3 February 2020)

• Sungei Buloh learning journey

• Post-PSLE activities

• Graduation celebration

PRELIM AND PSLE DATES

(TENTATIVE)

PRELIM SCHEDULE (2020)

(Tentative)

• 27 – 28 July: Prelim EL Oral & MT E-Oral

• 19 Aug: Prelim LC

• 20 – 26 Aug: Prelim written papers

PSLE SCHEDULE (2020)

(Tentative)

• 13 – 14 Aug: PSLE Oral

• 18 Sept: PSLE Listening Comprehension

• 1 – 7 October: PSLE Written Papers

CHOOSING A SECONDARY SCHOOL

Entering A Secondary School

PSLE/S1 Posting Process DSA-Sec

• Based on a student’s PSLE score

• Most students enter secondary schools this way

• Based on a diverse range of talents and achievements in specific academic subjects or non-academic areas, beyond what the PSLE recognises

• Allows students to access school programmes to develop their talents

Choice of Secondary SchoolFactors to consider

Besides school’s academic standard, there are other important factors to consider:

• Distance

• School programmes/CCAs

• Child’s interest & aptitude

Useful Resources

• “Choosing your Secondary schools booklet for admission in 2021” which will be issued in Aug/Sept 2020

• Secondary Schools’ Open Houses

• WESTORIES

– http://online.fliphtml5.com/uhhre/hpzu/#p=4

• MOE’s Website

– https://beta.moe.gov.sg/secondary/schools/how-to-choose/

– https://sis.moe.gov.sg/SchoolDirectory.aspx

DIRECT SCHOOL ADMISSION FOR

SECONDARY SCHOOLS (DSA-SEC)

Is the DSA-Sec right for my child?

YES, if your child …

• has specific talents which a school offers the DSA-Sec in

• is passionate about and committed to developing his/her strengths and interests

DSA-Sec can support your child’s development in his/her talent area.

Which school should my child apply to?

• Look for a school with programmes that match your child’s strengths and interests

• Get the latest information about what each school offers by:– Visiting schools’ websites–Attending schools’ Open Houses to also

experience their environments and cultures– Visiting the MOE’s DSA-Sec website

Tentative timeline for DSA-Sec(based on 2019)

8 May - 4 June(4 weeks)

Apply for DSA-Sec through DSA-Sec Application Portal.

17 June - 31 August

Shortlisting and selection by secondary schools. Each secondary school has different selection criteria for its categories and programmes. Schools will inform you of the selection outcome by Aug.

Rank your offers, if you receive offers from multiple schools

Late-October

You will know whether you have been allocated to a school through the DSA-Sec, at the same time you receive your PSLE results.

Late-November

44

Features of the DSA-Sec Portal1. Centralised online applications

– Applications will be centralised across all participating secondary schools

– The form will be easy to fill – you only have to key in contact details and your school and talent choices

Optional: The portal will also allow you to indicate any non-school-based achievements and activities related to the talent areas you applied for.

– You do not need to submit testimonials or hardcopy documents to the secondary school during application.

2. Application using Singpass

– Parents can access the Portal via their SingPass login. Only one parent’s SingPass login is required.

– Parents who are unable to access their SingPass can approach the primary school for assistance.

3. No application fees

– No fees charged for DSA-Sec application and selection.

– We encourage all students who are passionate about and committed to developing particular talents to apply, regardless of family backgrounds. 45

4. Making choices in the DSA-Sec portal

– Through the portal, you can easily identify schools that offer programmes for your child’s talent area.

– You can indicate up to three choices. For each choice, you will need to choose a secondary school and a talent area from that school.

– The order of the choices does not matter during application.

– Of the three choices, up to two choices may be used to apply to the same school, for two different talent areas of that school. This is to cater to your child’s multiple interests, and allow your child to choose different schools which can develop his/her strengths and interests.

– You and your child are encouraged to consider your choices carefully, and manage the time and effort participating in multiple trials and interviews.

46

Features of the DSA-Sec Portal

Note. Students can apply separately to School of the Arts and Singapore Sports School, on top of the DSA-Sec choices made through the DSA-Sec Portal.

Examples of Possible Choice Combinations

47

Your child can apply to up to three different schools, with no restrictions on the talent areas.

If your child chooses two areas in one school, he/she can apply to two different schools only,

Your child cannot use all three choices on one school. He/she can leave the third choice blank or choose another school.

EXAMPLE 1

Talent(s) School(s)

Choir School A

Choir School B

Choir School C

EXAMPLE 2

Talent(s) School(s)

Choir School A

String Orchestra School A

Choir School B

EXAMPLE 3(Not allowed)

Talent(s) School(s)

Choir School A

String Orchestra School A

Mathematics School A

What are schools looking for?

Generally, schools are looking for candidates with:

Talent, passion, commitment

Strong personal qualities

Good academic fit

Schools may look at achievements and participationSchools may also conduct tests, trials or selection camps to identify students with strengths, or sound fundamentals and potential, in particular areas.

Schools may look at CCA records and VIA participation.Schools may also conduct interviews.

Schools may look at primary school results to ensure students can benefit from the school’s pace of learning.

What are the possible DSA-Sec outcomes?

• Confirmed Offer (CO) Your child has a place reserved in the school, as long as his/her PSLE results qualify him/her for a course the school offers (i.e. Express, Normal (Academic) or Normal (Technical)).

• Wait List (WL) Your child will be given a place in the school if other students with Confirmed Offers do not take up those offers, and if his/her PSLE results qualify him/her for a course the school offers. Allocation will be based on students’ rank on the school’s Wait List.

• Unsuccessful Your child has not been given a place in the school. If your child still wishes to enter the schools he/she applied for, he/she can apply through the S1 Posting process using his/her PSLE results.

49

How are DSA-Sec places allocated?

Example: Confirmed Offer vs Wait List

Hani is given Confirmed Offer by Courage Secondary. Hani selectedCourage Secondary as her 2nd choice.

Victor is offered a Wait List by Courage Secondary. Victor selectedCourage Secondary as his 1st choice.

Who will be considered for a place in Courage Secondary first?

Hani will be considered for a DSA-Sec place in Courage Secondary beforeVictor, as she has a Confirmed Offer.

50

If my child has a DSA-Sec Confirmed Offer, does it mean that his/her PSLE results will not matter?

• Your child’s PSLE results will still be used to determine the secondary school course he/she is eligible for (i.e. Express, Normal (Academic), Normal (Technical))

• Even if he/she has a Confirmed Offer, he/she must qualify for a course offered by the school to be admitted to the DSA-Sec school.

51

Example: Leo has a Confirmed Offer from Courage Secondary, which offers the Express Course only. However, Leo’s PSLE results qualify him for the Normal (Academic) course. Hence, Leo will not be able to go to Courage Secondary through DSA-Sec. If he is not allocated a place in another DSA-Sec school whose CO/WL offer he had accepted at the School Preference stage, he will participate in the S1 Posting.

52

Where can I find more information on the DSA-Sec?

• Check the MOE DSA-Sec website for important dates and timelines, and for information on how DSA-Sec will be conducted.

• The updated 2020 DSA-Sec information will be published around April 2020.

• The MOE DSA-Sec website also contains information on DSA categories and secondary schools offering them.

FAQS

DSA

1. For DSA application, do we need to keep the school informed of external achievements e.g. overseas performances with external orchestra group or external music competitions or is the application based solely on school accomplishments? There is a row item “others” where parents may key in external achievements related to the talents that they would like to highlight about the child during the application.

2. How can teachers help identify the strength of students to recommend any DSA school to further develop & deepen child’s skill & strength. DSA does not look at the strengths of the child alone. It takes into consideration the child’s passion and commitment as well. The school strongly encourages the decision to participate in DSA to be a joint decision between the child and parents. Teachers can support in terms of giving feedback and observations.

3. Is the DSA application web link available instead of applying directly to each school? Yes it is a common portal now where parents can make their application. Parents can go to this website: https://beta.moe.gov.sg/secondary/dsa/ and access the different DSA schools involved and talents they are looking out for. Specific details on the selection process differ from school to school. It is best to check with the respective school websites for more information.

DSA

4. If I have accepted my DSA offer, am I still able to choose another secondary school during the S1 posting exercise after PSLE?If your child is successfully allocated a secondary school under DSA-Sec, they will not be allowed to opt for secondary schools during the School Choice Submission Period after PSLE.

5. Do we need teachers’ testimonials for DSA? There is no need for teachers to write testimonials for students. However, if such a requirement is indicated in the secondary school’s website, do email your child’s Form Teacher with a screen shot of the requirements and the school will support accordingly.

What is HPPS's plan and strategy to

prepare P6 students for the PSLE?

• We will cover all syllabus for PSLE following MOE guidelines.

• Assessments (formal and informal) are checkpoints for teachers to assess students’ learning and to find out if there is a need to reteach or revisit subject content.

• To meet students’ learning needs, we tap on differentiated instructions, as well as further support the students through customisation of lessons. (eg. remedial/stretching classes)

• Teachers do regular monitoring of students’ work, and give constructive feedback for their improvement.

• Introduce students to stress management tips.• Work closely with parents on the well-being of the

students.

How different is the curriculum/homework

for P6, compared with P5?

• The P6 curriculum/homework load is similar to the P5 curriculum/homework load.

• The P6 syllabus will be completed in July.

• Revision in HPPS takes place throughout the academic year.

• Term reviews help to assess students’ prior knowledge and prepare them.

It seems that HPPS completes the

syllabus rather late compared to other

schools, hence P6 students will have

less time to review and prepare for the

PSLE. Can teachers adjust the schedule

to allow more time for students to

review all subjects?

• Our scheme of work follows MOE’s guidelines. We have factored in curriculum time for revision. We encourage students to revise progressively and not start revision only after the syllabus has been completed.

Can the school provide the mean &

standard deviation derived from this

year’s internal exams so that we can

have a gauge of our child’s

performance in relation to the PSLE?

• At the PSLE, the students are benchmarked against the national cohort. Henry Park’s population is not representative of the national cohort. As such, we do not provide this information.

When will CCA be suspended for P6

pupils preparing for PSLE?

• CCAs for students who are in school teams would end roughly in April after their competitions.

• Recreational CCAs would end after the last session in semester 1.

If my child has doubts and questions,

can he get extra help from the teacher?

• Yes. Your child can approach the teacher to get help. If need be, he/she can also book a consultation session.

THANK YOU