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.

Everyone who has worse than expected grades should appeal, fingers crossed for you all. I expected the pass rate to be higher this year as I thought that results based on predicted grades would naturally lead to an increase.

It has shone a light on how appalling the system is, how hard it is for schools that have historically not done as well to improve.

@krustykittens that is absolutely appalling as are the stories of the other posters on this thread with inexplicable results. Honestly I was quite naive when my daughter told me the first few results she knew about as they at least matched prelim results or at least grades you would expect each individual student ro receive. As the day wore on my optimism rapidly disintegrated and I cannot believe the mess this has turned out to be. I have no words just hugs and hoping in long term for these kids justice prevails.

Just spoke to our school. My child has downgraded 2 grades from the teachers grade. She said she has all the evidence to support her grade so is appealing. I do not understand why the SQA decided to downgrade by 2 grades. It is disgraceful.

Mistressiggi Absolutely, her teachers are furious that their recommendations have been completely ignored. The only reason we didn't start the appeals process yesterday was because her uni was discussing her case and whether or not they would decide to ignore the SQA results and accept her anyway, but they made the decision to reject her this afternoon. She has applied for permission from them to go through clearing and we have started the appeal. She can't stop crying and nothing I say is helping. All the students in her year who didn't have unconditionals have been rejected by their courses as they have ALL been downgraded.

And yes, we are in a poorer area where the school traditionally do not do so well! So much for the SQA claims that they haven't shafted kids from poorer areas!

Can I ask, how do students know what the school put in for them? We were told not to tell students this

@Rainuntilseptember - The kids in our school weren't told before the cut off but now the results are out they are allowed to ask for them.

My son had just sent an email to the assistant head asking if his awarded grade (B) matched what was put forward for him. I'm encouraging him to take it further because his report card/prelim suggested he'd get an A.

@Rainuntilseptember due to tracking reports, prelim results and parents’ evening conversations we were expecting a grade A, so we telephoned the school when my dd got her results to query a B grade. the head of year told me that a grade A had been assigned by my daughter’s teachers but the Sqa downgraded it to a B.

The teacher told me what grade she had put through. I don't see why they would not say.

Thanks all

I've just c&p this from one of the leading Independent secondaries.

Results published today by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) show NAME OF SCHOOL pupils have achieved 100% A-B’s in Computing, Economics, Music and Modern Languages, with 1 in every 3 grades in all subjects obtained being an A.

I have removed the name of the school but I know one pupil from there who's grade was upgraded.

We should kick up a stink.

rainuntilseptember my daughter was given a print out of her predicted grades to show to her uni when she attended her interview in January.

LizzieMcQueen I am with you, what do you want me to do?

Anyone fancy a wee walk on Friday? I am not much of an activist but as a parent and a professional this is has awoken my rage!

Going to be surrounded by 950 of other people's weans next week anyway

@krustykittens I'm a careers adviser and I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter's distress (and that of other DC on this thread).

Has she tried speaking to one of my colleagues via the exam results helpline? They will do their best to reassure her regarding alternative options.

She could look at an apprenticeships, including graduate apprenticeships where you work and get a degree at the same time. Have a look at www.apprenticeships.scot

She can also look at alternative courses on the UCAS clearing website.

What does she want to study or do career wise? Maybe I can do a search in our systems for something she could look into? And can do this for other DCs on this thread?

I feel for all of you. We were torn between our local high school (in a deprived area) for our DD or a better performing school (across the council border). We opted for the local one because she wanted to be with her friends. I am grateful at least that she's not in an exam year yet but who knows if covid will still be around next summer.

Hi Krusty those won't have necessarily been the ones submitted to the Sqa - we do track achievement all year but had to make a final submission to them in (iirc) April. In your dd's case the school have said they thought she would do better so it doesn't make any difference, but in general you couldn't assume an estimate form earlier in the year is what went into the Sqa.

@krustykittens @Lidlfix

Protest march. Excellent idea.

I just don't understand why they couldn't use a blend (haha) of data to come to a sophisticated estimate. Given almost all H and AH students will have sat the corresponding Nat5 and H in the exact same subject couldn't they have used those grades as part of the evidence.

So previous years results (pupil specific), prelim result, teacher assessment and then perhaps an adjustment based on the school's prior results.

RainUntilSeptember Except her predicted grades were confirmed again in March when they were told the school would be shutting, along with a special assembly telling them not to worry, the SQA had confirmed they would award them their predicted grades. Her teachers also confirmed yesterday her predicted grades of ABB had not changed before school closed. No one said, "Your grades will be adjusted in line with the average grade for the subject that the school has achieved for the last three years." I think we would all have remembered that. FFS, one of her friends put a hefty deposit down on accomodation in Liverpool for a course he has now been rejected from! Yet my youngest daughter has been awarded all her predicted grades for her Nat5s, even her D in Chemistry, which she was expecting. Funny, that.

sassanach Thank you for your offer of help. My daughter wants to be a vet nurse and is insisting on taking it as a degree as her feed back from vets during work experience is that they are increasingly asking new hires to be graduates. Unfortunately, there are only two degree courses for vet nursing in scotland. She wants to apply to the same uni through clearing but I am not sure it would be wise to do this until her appeal is over as she is applying to the same course with the same grades she was rejected with? Plan b if she gets BBB that she needs to get in but misses out on a place this year is to do a HNC in animal care for one year and re-apply. They said during her interview that they would not accept the Higher A grade she achieved last year as they want her to get all her grades in one year but I don't know if this would change if she went through clearing?

LizzeMcQueen You would have thought that prelims would give a good idea if teachers were on the right track with their assessments. But I am biased because DD got, you guessed it, ABB in her prelims!

@krustykittens

sassanach Thank you for your offer of help. My daughter wants to be a vet nurse and is insisting on taking it as a degree as her feed back from vets during work experience is that they are increasingly asking new hires to be graduates. Unfortunately, there are only two degree courses for vet nursing in scotland. She wants to apply to the same uni through clearing but I am not sure it would be wise to do this until her appeal is over as she is applying to the same course with the same grades she was rejected with? Plan b if she gets BBB that she needs to get in but misses out on a place this year is to do a HNC in animal care for one year and re-apply. They said during her interview that they would not accept the Higher A grade she achieved last year as they want her to get all her grades in one year but I don't know if this would change if she went through clearing?

My cousin's son's girlfriend (complicated, I know!) was in a very similar situation where she did not get the grades for vet nursing. She did animal care at college like you suggest, and also worked in a dog groomers. She got into vetinary nursing the following year, however declined the offer to do her scotgroom qualifications and become a ful dog groomer.

Anyway the point is, that the animal care course did work for her. BUT these courses are also in high demand.

With regards to clearing, there's a risk that if she waits for her appeal result, the spaces via clearing could be gone by the time these are received and what if the appeal results are the same or even lower?

I'd suggest giving the university a call regarding clearing and explaining her intention to appeal and see what they say?

Would your daughter consider alternative degrees such as zoology?

Lastly, another website we use frequently to search for courses, is planitplus. I did a search for all vet related courses and this is what came up at college, undergraduate and postgraduate levels (the latter could help if she did another degree first)

She could see if any of them are available via clearing, or take a year out and apply next year?

hope link works - www.planitplus.net/Search/Results?SearchTypeOnMenu=Courses&SearchText=vet&IsTitleOnly=False

I hope this helps?

@krustykittens

Napier have clearing spaces in animal and conservation biology

Stirling has clearing spaces in animal biology

SRUC have spaces in Animal Care HND

Just some options to maybe try?

sassenach Thank you so much for taking time out of your evening to help us, I do really appreciate it! I will talk to her about other degrees but she is really upset at the moment so I might wait until she is a little bit calmer. I think you are right, we need to talk to someone in clearing about the best way to go about things. I am hoping, as the course was undersubscribed in the first place, that places will not go too quickly as we have no idea how long the appeals process will take. There are so many people appealing this year, it is going to be a mess. But we are going to appeal. Her teachers said she is the only one to have been marked down in every subject she took and they feel it is far too harsh. They are confident they have enough evidence to get her grades adjusted and we think she should go for it. It is good to know that the animal care course worked for you friend, that is our place C at the moment and she can do it at a local college. She is out with her boyfriend tonight, so I will see what sort of mood she is in when she comes home. Thank you again!

Appeals for students with conditional offers are always processed first (before say appeals for S5 pupils staying on into S6). But even so, the volume will be high this year so might take a while.

Appeals will be back 4th September? That's what friend was saying anyway.