Scottish Exam Results 2020

[Lidlfix]

After hearing DD3's deep sigh and worried voice observe "this time in four weeks..." I feel it's acceptable to begin the 2020 thread.

Over the years Scotsnet regulars and visitors have given great support, advice and even (tales of blissfully unaware snoring DC) light hearted relief to each other over the years.

This year has been particularly fearful for us and our DC and I know how much I have appreciated results threads in previous years. As there are plenty of threads with political discussions and chances for posters to express concerns about what politicians/councils/ schools/ teachers are or aren't doing, can I gently ask that we keep this to topic?

I have DD3 waiting on 1 AH and 2 Highers for a conditional offer and DD4 waiting on 5 Highers - results depending she'd like to apply for Law for the end of S6.

I think a fairer way of doing it may have been for the SQA to have marked evidence provided by teachers before downgrading anyone.

The way they've done it means that DC have had their grades downgraded due to factors totally beyond their control like performance of others in their school now and previously. Totally unfair.

Spanishpork - would you expect the DFM and the SQA to lay blame anywhere other than at the teachers' door?
We sweated over these results and I feel so sorry for some of my students today.

@Mistressiggi

I don't dispute teachers' hard work but the unadjusted predictions would have meant a 14% rise in the higher pass rate, which would have been impossible if exams had been sat as normal.

The SQA can't have a system where candidates in 2020 are unfairly advantaged over those who have or will do their exams in a different year. The way they've gone about the moderation I don't agree with but I can see why they didn't just use teachers' predictions.

I think they've just played the numbers, the expectation is that most will be happy with their grades, bands might have moved but no appeals on those anyway. So instead of looking at the 25% who moved a grade upfront, they've sent those out in the hope that a proportion of those wont bother to appeal as they either don't need the grade or don't know that they've been downgraded, leaving them to only look at the evidence for those that appeal, saving themselves masses of work. Not that I'm a cynic....

It will be interesting to see if there has been any significant movement in the grade boundaries

Well yes, there will have been schools that will be less than 100% honest and ones just a bit optimistic - also ones were we expected the child to revise harder and do better "on the day" but didn't have evidence for this, so would have to estimate lower. It's all over the place. Thing is we are supposed to keep improving so if we've brought in new systems and extra support and think this will make a difference to results - well it won't this year, as we are being altered to reflect previous years. Always appeals I suppose!

DD is slightly disappointed- B for AH geography but just a C for AH history. Based on previous work she was expecting at least a B - but it was a very strong class and it may be that by the time the teacher rated them all that her estimated grade would be lower. She did get an A for higher psychology though - and at the end of the day she already has her unconditional place.

So gutted to see so much down grading. I feel sick for those kids. Right now they won't even know what I gave they'll just be feeling rubbish

as always the media and the schools and the local authorities promote those who passed with good grades (and who knew they'd passed before they appeared on the telly looking all shocked).

I used to like the #nowrongpath hashtag and promote it to my careers customers but this year, looking at the jobs market, the number of 'paths' is greatly reduced.

I mentioned previously about difficulties around apprenticeships, even with government funding. I said earlier that Arnold Clark had let all their apprenticeship managers / youth recruitment staff go. Well now Tennents brewery has apparently done the same. This is an indication of how many apprenticeships there's realistically going to be available.

Heard that some of friends classmates got downgraded from from an A to a D in psychology.

So how is everyone now Lidl? I take it you are not usually looking at 25% of the class doing more poorly than you'd have thought? Not that we know if the 25% is across the board I suppose, there may be very little change is some schools I guess?

DS did well and got the grades he was hoping for. Although I think he'd have done slightly better if he'd been able to sit the exams. Overall, I'm happy. I am worried about next year though as I can't imagine the teaching/exams are going to be unaffected by covid. If there are no exams next year does this mean that regardless of how hard he works he could never get an A in a subject next year because he got a B in it this year and the SQA will look at previous performance? I think he could have got an A and we now have a tutor in that subject so I'm hoping he'll do better next year.

Wax I have never had anything like that amount of candidates achieve less than I predicted , it's usually the other way about. They'll find out my estimation in the fullness of time and should know before they see me next week. Assuming they appeal but they might just think that's what I sent in .

DD3 is ok she actually got 2 offers but it sticking with her first choice. DD4 is still reeling. Perspective here - she has 5 Highers but nothing like what she'd have got if she'd sat the exams. School were only prepared to take note of her concerns and wouldn't tell me if she even could appeal. The priority is conditionals not met so I understand. Just wish we knew for recoursing.

DC got 8 As at Nat5. I think that's fair, because she got the same in her Prelims, and presumably you're likely to do better in the final exams rather than worse?
Her friends seem to be happy too.

Really interesting figures from Neil Bibby showing that the SQA reduced the higher pass rate for the poorest 20% of pupils from a predicted 85% to 69% but only from 91% to 84% for the richest 20%.

It seems that those who attended poorly performing schools have really missed out.

My school has a high number of SIMD 1-3 pupils but my department got every estimated grade. We have a history of strong performance in the subject and consistent estimation though. We were slightly optimistic but definitely realistic in what we estimated. I am pretty relieved. I know some of my colleagues have seen lots of downgrading though.

The parent council at my DDs school are focussing on that. So much has been put into addressing the attainment challenge we should be seeing grades go up. So why down grade such a significant figure in exactly the area that PEF money has been targeted towards?

@Lidlfix, surely they will have to communicate the estimates when asked as you can only appeal if you've missed a grade? So if they say no appeal, that's them saying the grade given matches what was input?

I'm still hacked off that school wouldn't allow a remark for a Maths paper that was 1 mark from an A that DS probably needed for his Edinburgh application, despite him being supposed to do exams with ICT but didn't. Possibly likely that his handwriting could have been an issue. I'm still raging and he maybe didn't really want to go there tbh!

To be frank I think both some teachers and the SQA are to blame here. Estimated grades have in some cases been totally unrealistic- the pass rate for the poorest was never going to from 65% to 85% in one year organically and even the predicted pass rate of 91% for the top 20% was too high.

The moderation system should certainly have looked at actual work by individual pupils rather than pot luck. But some schools have been taking the proverbial with their predictions which has led to some deserving students being downgraded.

Oh they will, I am not allowed to go looking for them though. So if they don't appeal, and by all accounts there is going to be an avalanche, my worry is they accept the SQA grade and fall under the radar never to know they were downgraded.

Next week will be bonkers busy (as first weeks in the ordinary world are) but with challenges that we can only imagine at present.

I hope and I know it's a massive undertaking that we contact all our potential appellants to let them know that the chance is there.

Lidl, it might end up being an automatic thing for any downgrade, given that it's "free". It does presumably mean that each teacher will have to do a comparison for all their exam classes? and if it was a % that's been input, they'll have to compare that to the grade boundaries? Which goes back to you saying you are not allowed to go looking for them I guess

We knew HND certificates wouldn't be out today but there now seems to be a bit of a shit show going on between college and SQA, units missing or not sent in... not sure whose fault yet Uni blaming SQA and SQA blaming college, the joy of completing qualifications during the year of coronavirus!

Got a callback from ds's school.

He has been awarded a B for Modern Studies which we were ok with and didn't ask about, but school volunteered the information that they had put him through as an A and they can appeal.

Maths is his strongest subject by far. He is naturally really good at it, he did every past paper available at home before lockdown, he completed in 1/2 the allowed time, I marked harshly and he always got high 80s/mostly +90%, even when deducting marks for silly mistakes like missing units. The only thing he has considered for uni is a Chemistry/Maths degree. For maths he got 92% in prelim, working grade 1, consistent high results in class assessments.

The school estimated a B !!! So can't blame the SQA for this one. I can't get my head around it. Any other subjects I could understand, but not maths (or chemistry)!

I have asked them to help me understand why with previous results he was estimated a B from the school and how a few friends in the same class with 60% in prelim, lower working grade, lower results in class assessments etc got an A. His friends are incredulous he never got an A when they did as he is the one that helps them when they are stuck. We won't know until next week when teachers back and look at it, but because they put forward a B it might mean there is no appeal as SQA didn't downgrade.

The double whammy, is because his top maths class finished the curriculum early, they offered to put them all in for an extra Nat 5 if they wanted to, Application of Maths, which they don't normally teach. School again put in an estimated B for him which SQA has downgraded to a D !! They have no evidence to appeal against as they didn't do a prelim and locked down before they did test papers in school.

So the subject that was most important to him he has a B and a bloody D on his certificate. 😭

Anyone know if there is anyway to appeal the school estimate if they look at and (hopefully 🤞) find they have made a mistake? There has been 3 changes of teachers in S4 and the teacher who did the estimates was only there for a few weeks before lockdown, so it is possibility.

Sorry that is sooo long. Needed to get it out!!!!!

Might need to innocently ask if they have submitted their appeal docs yet if we per chance pass in the corridor. Cause I'll be gathering my evidence in preparation.

That sounds really awful @WeAllHaveWings, i'm sorry I don't know what the answer is to that, hopefully you get somewhere with the school and they can evidence that they made a mistake?

As long as you are 2 meters away in the corridor Lidl as most will be 16 or over I presume? Maybe you need to learn the flag signals?