National 5 Sociology

The National 5 Sociology course develops candidates’ sense of themselves as part of society. The sociological approach encourages candidates to ask questions about the social world in which we live, and to use evidence to support explanations for human social behaviour. 

Candidates develop knowledge and understanding of the sociological perspectives, theories and concepts used to investigate and explain aspects of the social world. This sociological understanding enables candidates to question commonly-held assumptions about society and to consider sociological explanations.


National 5 English

National 5 English is a Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) accredited course. It is structured in the same way as Higher English so is useful to those who wish to improve or simply brush up on their language skills in preparation for Higher English.

This year, there are three components of assessment in the National 5 English course:

  • Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation
  • Critical Reading
  • Portfolio of Writing 
The course consists of 24 SCQF credit points at level 5. Students undertaking this qualification are expected to commit to 4-6 hours of study per week.

The specific texts studied in Unit 3 of this course are the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and selected poetry of Norman MacCaig.

National 5 Mathematics

Welcome to  National 5 Mathematics, Distance Learning.  This booklet outlines the topics you will be studying, how you will study the course and be assessed and provides the contact details you need for your tutor.

In this course you will study a range of topics to build on your knowledge and skills in Mathematics.  Many other courses and programmes of study require a pass in National 5 Mathematics as an entry requirement, such as nursing or Primary Teacher training.

The course is made up of a number or different topics, each of which has a workbook with notes, examples and questions which you should complete and self-mark (the solutions are included), followed by a tutor marked assignment (TMA). The TMA should be completed and submitted to your tutor, who will mark the work and provide feedback on your progress and provide additional support where required.  It is important that you complete all the workbooks and TMAs to ensure you gain an understanding of all the topics in the course – all the topics covered may be part of the final exam.  Addition material and practice exam papers will also be available.

The topics you will study are: 

·         Significant Figures and Scientific Notation

·         Percentages and Fractions

·         Geometric Skills

·         Algebraic Expressions

·         Trigonometric Skills

·         Linear Equations

·         Quadratic Functions

·         Vectors

·         Statistics

·         Surds and Indices

 The topics may studied in any order; however, you will start with Significant figures, percentages and fractions, geometric skills and algebraic expressions.  You must complete these initial topics by mid-November.  This is to ensure you cover some of the key skills which are required for the later topics, and will also give your tutor a chance to monitor your progress at this stage.  It is expected that these topics will be completed by mid-November, to allow sufficient time to complete the remaining topics before the prelim and final exam.  If you think you may struggle to complete these by then you must let your tutor know – if you are not able to complete these topics by then you may not be able to cover the remaining topics and progress to the final exam.

 Studying the course via distance learning means that you will be able to access and work through the course material at your own pace, while keeping in regular contact with your tutor.  To ensure you get the most out of your course it is important you keep in contact with you tutor, especially with any questions you may have as you work through the course material.  Email is usually the best way to keep in touch – and don’t worry about trying to explain a particular question in an email, if you are able to then send a picture or screenshot of the question.  It is important you ensure that you set aside time each week to study and are able to submit your TMAs regularly.  You will also need to purchase a suitable scientific calculator – we use the Casio fx-85GT plus models, although any scientific calculator will do.