Academic courses at Cademuir

The school follows the Scottish Qualifications Authority system, which includes Standard Grade, Intermediate, Higher and Advanced Higher Grade.

At the younger end of the school, most teachers offer an introductory course in their subject to enable pupils who come from education systems out with the Scottish experience to cope with course work in the first level examinations at either Standard Grade or Intermediate level. Some aspects of the Scottish 5-14 syllabus are embedded in these courses.

The Standard Grade course follows on from this. Pupils are to able take seven or eight subjects at this level, following a two-year course. In some instances, the new Intermediate levels are offered instead and these are one-year courses.

Standard Grade is examined at three levels: Foundation, General and Credit. Students need only take one examination paper, but if they fail to gain a pass mark, they fail the subject at that level. In order to ensure that they maximise their chances of a qualification, teachers usually put pupils forward for two levels, either Credit and General or General and Foundation.

Intermediate examinations are at two levels. Level 1 is roughly equivalent to General level at Standard Grade and level 2 slightly above Credit level.

Pupils wishing to take subjects to a higher level should normally obtain either Credit passes at Standard Grade or level 2 passes at Intermediate. 

Pupils may then undertake four or five Higher Grade subjects which they would need for entry to university. There is also the provision of Advanced Higher in certain subjects.