2019 Scottish Exam Support Thread

[Groovee]

Just getting started on this year's thread.

Only got Ds sitting 5 exams this year in S5. 🤞🏻 but Dd will be home most of the time as she's on placement.

Still got History and Physics here. Feels like it's been a long stretch but the end is at last in sight.

Cathartic room tidy on the cards for us too.

No but the school should have sorted out AAA well in advance (Alternative Assessment Arrangements) so that the dyslexia does not impact on marks.

That can be a scribe, reader, use of ICT with spellchecker enabled, transcription with correction , Read Write Gold , time added on... massive range of supports to remove barriers.

For my DD1 transcription with corrections was what allowed her to get an A1 for Higher English. she didn't begin screening process till S5 and said I was just being an annoying teacher mum.

DD2 and DD3 both use ICT and additional time as they have been used to completing assessments that way since earlier in secondary.

In English there is only the Critical Essay that could fail for lack of technical accuracy. RUAE and Scottish Text if we can make it out and it fits the Marking Instructions it get the mark.

I am a bit concerned that AAA hasn't been discussed at review meetings. I know that as an English teacher we provide extensive evidence and observations to Support for Learning so that they can ensure that the relevant support is place way before exams.

Thank Lidl yes AAA we’re put in for her as extra time. She tried a lap top but found that more stressful to use!! She is a very bright girl and was practicing like mad word she wanted to use in the critical essay but struggled with so fingers crossed!! Her folio pieces I thought were fab and she got over 90 percent in Nat 5 English. She was only picked up at the end of S2 when they do those assessment things and she had the most amazing English teacher in S3 and 4 who just got her. Happy marking Lidl it must be hard work but I would imagine there a few chuckles at some answers! Well done to your Dd and A1 at higher English is very impressive!!x

I'm an SQA marker as well and definitely no id that a student is dyslexic. The idea is that the appropriate AAA will have brought the student back to an even playing field.

So when I'm marking I have no idea whether a candidate has had 50% extra time, for example. Obviously typed scripts are different but even then I won't know why they are typed.

History seems to have gone well enough today. DS was happy with the papers, especially Paper 1 which suited his preparation to a T. That's us done and dusted now, just prom and yearbook to go and we move on to a new chapter in our lives.

May I join in? Been lurking whilst DD (S5) has been sitting her Highers. Like Wax's DS, she was happy with History. She got her preferred topics for the main essays in paper 1 and thought that paper 2 was very fair. She sat Biology, Maths, English, Chemistry and History and is finished today. Her best subject is normally Maths, with A1 at Nat 5 and marks in high 80s for both prelims; however she found the actual Higher exam pretty hard. She's hoping for the grades for medical school so we just have to wait until results day now. Good luck to all with exams still to come.

Hi meikyo :) Fingers crossed for the required results for your DD.

DS needs 2 Bs to secure his Uni place. He's been doing some essay questions with his teacher over the last while. He did one at the weekend which she kindly marked for him before the exam today and the question was very similar to one that came up in the paper so he felt it was a good omen.

So, French today. We have achieved here by getting dd2 to go to the exam! She hates French so and suffers badly with anxiety/panic attacks when she gets stuck on things, so I'm just pleased she's trying. She's just trying to get good grades in the subjects she wants to do for highers next year (English, biology, geography and Art - plus nat5 maths).

Ds is in full head down mode - Higher physics tomorrow.

That was good weegie, hope it went well. All the best for Physics tomorrow.

Good luck to all the physics students today! And well done all the students who have sat exams over the last couple of days. X

Hope Physics goes well for everyone today!

Physics okish poor DD was really nervous and thinks made a lot of silly mistakes and could have done better. But hey ho it’s over now and she may well have done better than she thinks. Hope it went well for others.x

Ds was doing N5 and says it went pretty good. He's hopeful for a B

Dd2 felt the Higher Physics papers went well for her. She has actually enjoyed all the papers so far, even English. Just Geography on the 28th now.

DS thought his exams were next Wed and Friday instead of Monday and Wednesday! Honestly, how do you not keep track! Plus it’s on every calendar in the house! So he’s down two days for studying. His face was a picture when I told him.

Dd thought physics N5 was ok too. She just has computing and art left which are next Wednesday and Friday

Yes, ds said higher physics was a fair paper and he's confident about his result.

Went to the park with friends afterwards and still isn't home!

Last exam today for DD Design and manufacture. Can relax a bit until results day!🙈🙈. Thanks all your support it has been much appreciated best of luck to those with exams still to go.

DD got Nat 5 business this am then graphic communication on Tuesday

Yep, we're still in the middle of it. Ds has 2 highers still to go, dd2 has 2 nat5s. I'm running an impromptu study day for Geography tomorrow (in my past life I taught geog) and I'm actually looking forward to it. Got some revision as to course content to do this afternoon!!!

Dd is in Wednesday and Friday (it is a holiday for ds but dd has to go in for Art Nat5). Luckily it's in the afternoon

DS has Philosophy tomorrow- both morning and afternoon. He’s really stressed about it and I doubt I’ll see him again today. We’ll both be glad when it’s done!

Ds is not managing to waken up and is annoyed we are off today (Edinburgh Victoria Day). Graphics tomorrow.

Classics seemed to go well today, he seems positive.

Last one on wed.

How's everyone at the tail end bearing up?

Ds is finished. He goes back on the 3rd of June with an induction on the 31st.