Raffles Institution (Year 1-4)

[JPGRTB]

Hi, May I know the below please esp from those whose sons are in the Arts DSA.


1. Do the Visual Arts DSA students generally cope well with the demands of both academic and additional arts curriculum?
2. Will these students be integrated in the same classes as those entering via PSLE results as well as subject DSAs?
3. What kind of support will be provided for those who do not cope well with the academic expectations of the school?
4. What is the schedule like, for the Visual Arts program? Do they still take another CCA in addition to the AEP?
5. Will they be taking the O’Levels Art Exam in Sec 4?

[qms]

bridesep\" post_id=\"1998751\" time=\"1602659483\" user_id=\"22309:

Dear Parents,

May I know if any parent can share the experience of the subject Knowledge and Inquiry? DS is Y4 and soon have to submit subject combo.

There is one whole thread discussing about this subject. Since this is not school-specfic, your post will be merged with the https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=68307 thread.

[Ironman1]

Hi All,

Have y’all seen and ordered the class photos this year? My DS pass me the photo order form with QR code. Very user-friendly website and photos are different this year, instead of taking them in a group, they were taken individually.
Go check it out!

[december21]

Hi! I would appreciate if anyone from Y4 this year can pm me the list of Year 4 math topics. My son’s math is not strong so he would like to go through the topics for the first two terms during holidays.

Thank you.

[bridesep]

qms\" post_id=\"1998758\" time=\"1602661108\" user_id=\"5718:

bridesep\" post_id=\"1998751\" time=\"1602659483\" user_id=\"22309:

Dear Parents,

May I know if any parent can share the experience of the subject Knowledge and Inquiry? DS is Y4 and soon have to submit subject combo.

There is one whole thread discussing about this subject. Since this is not school-specfic, your post will be merged with the https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=68307 thread.

Thanks, qms. The trend of discussion was very useful !

[iRabbit]

I know this has been asked before but I’ve totally forgotten what I’ve read previously. Here comes my question -


a) How is RA different from H3 in JC?

b) Is there RA for Y6 as well?

c) Are there students who take RA but not H3? Why do that when H3 is supposedly more recognized at the higher level (at least this is what I feel with RA only specific to the school)?

d) Does RA cover the A level syllabus?

My son did some RA in sec level but I suppose it’s different in JC. Thanks.

[sharonkhoo]

iRabbit\" post_id=\"1999098\" time=\"1602864130\" user_id=\"51587:

I know this has been asked before but I've totally forgotten what I've read previously. Here comes my question -

a) How is RA different from H3 in JC?

b) Is there RA for Y6 as well?

c) Are there students who take RA but not H3? Why do that when H3 is supposedly more recognized at the higher level (at least this is what I feel with RA only specific to the school)?

d) Does RA cover the A level syllabus?

My son did some RA in sec level but I suppose it's different in JC. Thanks.

I'll answer based on my daughter's experience, which was 3 years ago. She didn't do RA in Y3-4, so I can't compare the Y5-6 RA with the earlier years.

RA is school-internal, for students who want to do more in a specific subject, mostly out of interest. I suppose it does help in A levels in the sense that an added understanding of the subject can't hurt. The students will take the same promo, prelim and A level exams as the rest of the cohort. (I can't remember if they had specific RA exams as well - they probably did.) RA students are taught separately from the rest of the cohort, meaning that A level material is also covered, but they do more. It's mainly for students who want to stretch themselves, and it is also evidence of interest/ability when applying for scholarships and, possibly, to some universities (not the local universities if admittance is based on grades alone).

RA continues through Y6.

H3 are official exams under SEAB. The results will appear on the A level cert. Students only take H3 in Y6, and the exams are mostly at the same time as the rest of the A levels. Most H3 teaching is done within the JC by the JC teachers, but a few are taught by external teachers in the universities. For the H3 under the universities, I believe the exams are earlier.

The reasons why some students take RA but not H3 depend on the individual. Maybe they aren't interested enough in the subject, or want to focus on the A levels, or don't want to take extra exams during the A level period? Some H3 papers focus on quite narrow topics within a subject, and if the student doesn't want to focus on those specific topics, he may not bother with taking H3. Some students find A levels a challenge, and prefer to focus on the H2s which are what count for university entrance. You can't use an H3 grade for university entrance.

Then you have students (like my daughter), who take RA in one subject, and H3 in another. This can be because between choosing a RA subject at end-Y4 and choosing an H3 subject at end-Y5, interests and focus change. In my daughter's case, she only started studying Econs in Y5, then decided to take H3 Econs rather than H3 in her RA subject (Chem).

Hope this answers your questions.

[iRabbit]

Hi simkhoo,


Although my son is largely independent nowadays, I tot it’s still nice as a parent to understand the full picture in terms of RA/H3.

You’ve been crystal clear. Thanks.

[sharonkhoo]

iRabbit\" post_id=\"1999192\" time=\"1602933541\" user_id=\"51587:

Hi simkhoo,

Although my son is largely independent nowadays, I tot it’s still nice as a parent to understand the full picture in terms of RA/H3.

You’ve been crystal clear. Thanks.

I so agree with you! Both my girls are in university, but I still keep a (distant) eye on things, just so I know what they are doing. I rarely interfere, but especially for one of them, I feel it's good that I'm there in the background. When my daughter (the one who was in RI) was deciding on RA, H3, university applications, etc, she always discussed her thoughts and questions with us, even though we encouraged her to make the final decisions for herself. Even now, she discusses her internship and job applications with us - it's good to feel that she appreciates our input.

[fatbear]

Really appreciate if any senior parents can give some insight into these 2 subjects thanks 🙏


Between History and Geo , given pretty much same level of interest and ability, which subject is easier to manage and score?