Results Day 2017

[Groovee]

Eek it's only 18 days away!

Dd is convinced Nat5 maths will be another C. She's not too stressed about the highers results.

How's everyone else feeling about it?

That's good news Brillo

Swift, I think what we've decided is, if DS1s 2 Bs are only a couple of points from an A then we will ask for a remark as there is no chance that a grade could drop. However, with them both being "numbersy" subjects, I guess there is less room for manoever or personal opinion on behalf of the marker (not that really should be an issue you would hope). I think with 4 As rather than 3 it would be significantly better for his uni application.

With DS2 and it being Nat 5s I'm not so sure. The important one is Maths but as that was a No Award/Nat4? then a few marks isn't going to take that to a pass. He isn't taking on Chemistry his other "No Award" and his French was a D which he is also isn't taking on. However it would be better to have 5 A-C passes rather than 4 so that might be an option if it was close.

I'm sure it will all be clearer after the meeting at school on Friday and of course all depends on whether the school is willing to submit for remark/clerical check.

thanks dotdot so, using French as an example, he's passed the assignments but failed the exam? Whereas in Chemistry he's passed the exam but failed the assignment?

In Maths he's passed the units but failed the exam? or Do I look at the bit on Page3 above where it looks like most of his assignments are 4s so therefore failed?

Figleave, my DC also attend the school you are referring too. I agree with your concerns regarding the re-marks although my experience last year for my DC was quite positive. He didn't meet the criteria for a re-mark for higher English (Got a B for prelim and a B for the final exam although just missed an A) but the school appealed anyway. Unfortunately he didn't get it but it did demonstrate that they were prepared to be supportive, several of his friends were successful in their appeals.

Oh, after catching up with the thread and calling for advice, Dds going into school tomorrow to ask about appealing them all, based on exceptional circumstances (looked after child, was in care at the time)
It's worth a try.
The bloody things are over but the stress never ennnnnds.

Waxon I'm confused about the Chemistry result? It doesn't appear to list the exam result. Your Ds appears to have passed 3/4 assignments at Nat 5, but it would appear that he has failed the exam and it hasn't been mentioned. There isn't a formal exam for Nat 4 Chemistry so since he's passed all 4 units at Nat 4 or above, he's been given the Nat 4 qualification.

Waxon In maths it looks like it's the exam that's been failed. In some subjects the assignments (nabs/units) don't count towards the final grade, but just have to be passed to gain the full Nat 5 award. It would seem that he's scored less than 40% in the exam.

That's what I thought re Chemistry. I'll query it on Friday.

He only got 26% in the prelim. He had done a fair bit of work with DS1 but said that not much of that had come up. We knew he didn't know enough to get a great score, but we thought we'd covered enough for him to pass. Ds1 had set him past papers during study leave and he was scoring above 60% so we had great hopes.

That was about Maths btw. he was only a few points of passing the Chemistry prelim so should have passed that with work. I suspect not enough effort went into the assignment which is just stupid on his part.

In our school for the past 2 years (since DS1 was in S4) on the first day of session they have a senior assembly. At the end everyone identified as needing remarks are kept behind and the promoted staff/guidance team swing into action giving each pupil a form which they go through with them. This form needs to be signed by a parent before the appeal can be submitted. It was the school who identified his N5 french, whereas we didn't care, we just wanted the catastrophic history mark dealt with. Last year he passed all his Highers (including the aforementioned history at A) so didn't need remarked but the same procedure was in place. DD is all A's and B's so no issues this year.

We have to go in to sort out DS2s timetable at our allotted session on Friday. I've heard it's pandemonium. Your set up sounds much better LordPercy

I left at the end of S5 (ahem 34 years ago! ) and I got a nice surprise in the post sometime after the results came out where the school had appealed one of my Highers and they'd upheld the appeal. I knew nothing about it.

Haven't seen dd1 since the results (she's home from her festival tomorrow am so time enough then).

We want a re-assessment (not sure if its appeal or remark ... \i've been out of teaching too long! ... ) for Art where she was predicted A but got C and Graphics predicted A but got D. I think its been bad luck on the folio in art (assessor didn't like her work) but its definitely a crap teacher in Graphics. "Luckily" I was very unwell during the exams so she has exceptional circumstances. C->B and D->C would make her happy. Still below the threshold for GSoA but ok with a portfolio course. Looks like that will be happening after S6.

Dd2 is still dancing about given her B in music 2 years early. Glad dd1 isn't here as it could be seen as rubbing it in!

Could be worse I suppose - i wonder what went on here? Two years in a row...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-40874060

Dd and I were wondering about that school Wax.

The SQA and their exceptional circumstances aren't very empathetic. My friend who I would class more as a sister, her daughter lost a grandparent prior to the exams and her grief was evident. Mum swung into making the school aware who contacted the SQA who basically said they didn't care as it hadn't happened on the day of the exam. 😢

Oh dear Groovee, I guess they can't really legislate for how affected someone could be and when the time cut of is. For example someones grandparent could die the day before but as they weren't that close or whatever, the pupil isn't really affected at all, whereas another pupil could have the same thing happen a week before but still be affected on the day of the exam.

I think I've worked out the Chemistry thing. There is no exam listed as they've awarded him a Nat 4 which doesn't have an exam. He's passed all the modules at Nat 5 level, failed the assignment at Nat 5 but passed at Nat 4 level and failed the exam at Nat 5.

Maths must have some sort of test as a requirement of Nat 4 and hence that is listed. It still doesn't list his Maths External Assessment since he has failed that but again passed all the units at Nat 5.

Last year Dd did Modern Studies as a2 year higher! She was awarded Nat 5 credits. They are listed on her certificates. It's all so confusing.

Wax DS1 feels a bit cursed, he's the one who had an appeal on his Nat5 Biology because one of his exam papers went missing, except he ended up with a D because he got 39% in his prelim! He has the worst guidance teacher in the school who did not advocate well for him in fifth year and he was not able to change his timetable round to allow for resits, however he is now, at 19 going to attempt Nat5 Applications of Mathematics by distance learning and I have discovered that you can resit SQA exams at Basil Paterson College in Edinburgh if you have passed all the units so...he is planning to try and get a couple of Nat5's per year for the next couple of years while working (when he finds a job!) until he has a more respectable clutch of passes. He has actually been rather inspired by his brothers really good results, finally realising that effort does make a difference.
I wish there was a better choice of Nat 5 evening courses in our area but the need for unit assesments and assignments makes them to labour intensive I suppose.

I think there are changes to the Unit Assessment requirements now wiggly, they've cut a lot of them out and just made the exam harder/cover more. Probably not good news for DS2 who has passed all the assessments! However maybe it'll mean more options available for your DS1. Would he consider just going straight for Highers or is that a step too far?

I believe, in the case of exceptional circumstances, that the SQA will only consider lifting the grade if they are informed of the circumstances before the exam is taken.

dotdot - as I said above the school has up to 10 days after the date of the exam to inform SWA of exceptional circumstance.

Just to add, pupils will have the Unit Assessments they have passed recognised under Recognising Positive Achievement so they do count for something even if they did not pass the exam..

Oops - also meant to say that the courses are changing this year to do away with having to sit the Unit Assessments for the Nat 5 courses but pupils can sit them still if they aren't doing the final Nat 5 exam (for Recognising Positive Achievement).

dotdot, how would that work with Dd who wasn't living with me at the time, and it was an on going situation rather than a one off event?

IHaveBrilloHair - see my post above?
The school should be aware that your DD was in care/looked after so I would hope that someone there alerted the SQA to the Exceptional Circumstances.
They know that some situations are ongoing e.g. a pupil with a medical issue or something like that so the school should have taken steps to inform the SQA if they felt it was appropriate.
Did you or the guardian discuss this with school?
The school should have an SQA co-ordinator who deals with this type of thing.