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.

Hi, this is my first time with a DC waiting for results so glad to join a thread. DS1 is waiting for 7 Nat5s. He's mostly calm about it and appreciates that next year will be much more important, but he's a bit worried about his English as it was his first prelim and he panicked a bit and did much worse than he expected. He did work incredibly hard after that right up until March, but worries about whether there was evidence of an improvement. We'll see...

Ds was in S6. He did really well in prelims getting over 80% in everything. So he's ok about it all. He has his college place confirmed and I'll be glad when the worry of results is over. It's been such an odd year with no fanfare of leaving school and the unknown of how the results will turn out.

I have a DS waiting for Nat 5 results. He is pretty chilled. I'm more worried about it. I know he didn't do as well in his prelims as he could have done and am hoping the predicted grades will be a little higher. The teachers all sounded very positive that he would do much better at parents night but that was before covid so we will just have to wait and see what happens.

We're waiting for 2 lots of results - ds waiting for AH English, h art, h maths and h PE (art and maths are resits). Dd2 waiting for h English, biology and geography and nat5 maths.

Ds is having a year out and doing portfolio prep for art college, dd2 is already into her college course in Beauty Therapies. Both of them very glad to be away from school, ds fell out with his group of friends early in S6 and was miserable, dd2 has hated school since P1 and couldn't leave fast enough!!

Hairypotter - I'm sure dd2 will be fine and get the Conditional place she wants at Glasgow but if she ends up at RGU, remember my friend has a house close to RGU set up for student rental, so that is there as a back-up (Friend doesn't expect to be able to sell it any time soon and having a student/students in it would save them having to pay council tax on it ).

There were definitely still accommodation vacancies around after uni started last year as i was looking on a rental website to get an idea of costs for the following year and there was quite a choice for immediate entry.

Thanks Pretty that sounds good but I think she’s after the social part of living away. Would be a great option for second year once she’s made friends though. I’ll give you a shout if she doesn’t make her conditions. Hope you are all well and ds is safely returned to you.

I haven't mentioned it to DS. We had a total nightmare last year with his National 5 papers and half of a computing paper "going missing" at the SQA resulting in them awarding a D when it should have been borderline A/B. Took until FEBRUARY to sort out and we got a letter of apology over how they'd handled it. So we have zero confidence in the SQA to get it right.

DS did very poorly in a H Biology prelim which was a shock to his teachers who were all predicting at the very least a B and probably an A. His prelim mark was a middle-C. Despite his assignment and homework being much higher, he's worried.

I have every faith in his teachers and the school to do their very best for him, and all the other students too. The SQA however is a different story.

Sock, frustratingly SQA said there would be no further discussion with schools this side of 4th August regarding their processes . I hope schools will automatically appeal for any pupil who is awarded less than they estimated. But other than being free this year we don't know what post results will look like for the 2020 exam diet.

I suspect DD4 will need to recourse and am worried about the brief interval between the 4th and the 11th and how little time it leaves schools to see the pupils and get through them all.

But I am keeping my happy face and chirpy voice on when my DDs start to get anxious. One of their concerns this week is that Nando's won't do their results day free chicken - which made me laugh. I am trying not to waste my holiday time worrying . Their waitressing jobs start back next week and that will help distract them.

@Lidlfix will schools receive the results a day or before as usual this year?? Also, and I appreciate if you are unable/ allowed to answer this but how likely is it that a student would be estimated lower than their prelims grade by teachers?? I realise the SQA can moderate it down ( ie do what they like) but just wondered if it is a possibility?? Again I would like to thank all the teachers for completing the unenviable task of gradeing and ranking and sincerely hope all manage to relax a little over the summer.

I suppose the day or two in advance will allow SLT to get a head start in identifying any areas where SQA had awarded lower than the school estimated.

Prelims were only a part of a teacher's body of evidence for estimating. Not all schools have them . So, for example in my subject English, a candidate might have scored well in the prelim as that suits their skills but have had a weak Folio as they might not have much confidence as a writer. I would also be looking at how they had done in everything I had marked as that too counted. If a candidate performed really well in the prelim bit not so well in other aspects it would indicate that perhaps they thrive in the exam environment and could apply themselves really fully in that context. I would give it the appropriate proportion alongside the other components and the evidence I held as ultimately in the event of an appeal that's what I would be submitting.

What was the reporting grade and was there anything commentwise to suggest that the teacher thought the prelim was an over performance?

We see far more surprising underperforming in prelims than over as the pupils are still early in the course and yet to perfect their exam technique. It would difficult to justify a significant mark down unless the prelim was too easy and did not reflect the complexity of the course. The whole rhetoric surrounding the estimates process was aspirational and fair. We kept being asked to consider what they could get on their best day after working hard. The SQA also know if the school/department has a history of being harsh or generous in estimates.

We also had to take into progress.

Thanks for your reply @Lidlfix that all makes sense and is very reassuring as a parent.

Just joining in as school have just e mailed details of their post exam results Service this afternoon. All getting a bit real now. DD waiting on results of 8 Nat 5’s.

Helpful post Lidlfix.

@cocopops just received the same! Good luck to your dd

I’m sure many teachers won’t be looking forward to going back and hearing pupils saying ‘why did you give me a B or a C?’ I know for a fact that my son will ask straight out ‘what mark did YOU put forward for me?’

Wow

DD is waiting on results for 2 AHs and a higher. Although the higher course was done through the further education college and the teaching was not good. Luckily for her she has an unconditional so is not bothered at all but several of her friends need the results for conditional offers. She's more worried about starting uni.

Why the ‘Wow’ fivebrokentests?

Don't understand the "wow" either.

If this year wasn't my DDs last then I'm certain she would ask what grade the school assessed if she didn't get what she expected.

I was a bit shocked that your son would behave like that to a teacher but I have maybe misread the tone. Apologies if so!

DS1 is waiting for 5 higher results. He is pretty chilled as he realises there is little he can do about it.

Unfortunately our school suffered an arson attack in November so our DC were already having a bad year before this. All of the prelim results were incredibly poor, due to the school being closed until after the prelims, and the pupils being taught at other sites, not necessarily with their proper teacher and a shorter timetable.

It's been an awful year really. I hope he gets the grades he wants, although in English he definitely won't get what he is capable of, we just hope her passes.

No worries five - my DS wouldn’t have asked in an arsey way He gets on well with his teachers and would just not be able to contain his curiosity!

Thanks for starting the thread OP. DD waiting for higher results. Spectacularly under-achieved in prelims because, by her own admission, she did sweet FA revision. It was totally out of character for her because she's usually super organised but she couldn't have chosen a worse moment to take her foot off the gas! Really not looking the results day...

@Notoutyet I think there will be a lot of questioning! And not all will be as pleasant as your DS sadly! To be honest it's the parents who will be the greatest worry 🙈

Not ideal. At this point I'm choosing to have faith in the SQA - I'll maybe reevaluate come August

Thanks for starting the thread Lidlfix My youngest is awaiting 8 Nat 5 results. He is a consistent worker and thankfully did really well in his prelims so am hoping that his results reflect this and there’s no surprises. Was taken aback to realise that results day is less than 4 weeks away. It has a bit of an unreal flavour this year.

I had my umpteenth reminder today from MySQA for ds to sign up and check his mobile number if he wants his results by text on the 4th August. Might be worth checking, if they don't want to wait for the postman, that your dc have signed up - the cut off date is Wednesday 15th July.