National 5 Results - upper / lower band results question.

[SquirrelledAway]

The SQA website states that National 5 grade A results are divided into upper band and lower band, the school is notified if the student was awarded an upper band or a lower band grade, but the student's certificate just states that it is an A grade. Does anyone know if schools will tell the student if they achieved an upper or lower band mark?

The school probably won't tell the pupil about getting a high or low band grade, higher and advanced higher results have a high or low banding too. No harm in asking though.

Thanks Amanda that's pretty much what I thought - DS is aiming for a very competitive course, so he would like to know if he has just scraped an A in maths or if he was comfortably inside the grade.

As far as I was aware all National 5 grades have 2 bands, not just A, and the school will tell pupils their band. At least that is what I remember reading earlier in the year.

When I did O'Grades and Highers the school always told us our band after the summer. (Well actually I did Highers the year the examining body was on strike and we just got a handwritten sheet with the bands against each subject, then a certificate with grades was sent out later in the year.)

DD doesn't go back until next Wednesday so I guess I will find out the school's policy then!

Hi purplefrog, on reading the SQA info again, you're right, all the grades are banded. We are back next Tuesday, so guess we might find out then (if the school decides to tell us).

I did the English system, I don't think we ever got to find out where we were in the marking scheme.

My son's school is refusing to give us band information. This is unhelpful to say the least as he is trying to choose between two subjects to go on with at higher level. He got a B and a C in these and I have calmly tried to explain that it makes a big difference if he got a high b and a low c or a low b and a high c.
Does anyone know if pupils are entitled to receive this information?
Thanks

I don't really see what the problem would be with getting this information. In my school we don't hand it out to pupils but we will give it to anyone who comes to ask.

My dd got her results today and it has the marks for the subject and the banding at the top.

So say A is between 200 and 350 marks, next to the result it gives you 322 you know it's near the top of the marking.

My dd missed out on a higher grade by 2 points so we are going to look at getting it marked again.

I'm talking about AS and A levels. Hope that's what you are all talking about. If not, ignore me.

Many thanks for your answers. Sorry I wasn't clear but it is my son's Nat 5 results. I have no idea why the school are being so difficult either; in one of the subjects he went from 75% in his prelim to a C-grade in the final exam, so they may be defensive about that.

I may just have to push harder!

My Dd did eight Nat 5s last year and her school were happy to tell her the exact scores, not just the band. Apparently the schools are sent a spreadsheet with all the totals. My Dd got AAAABBCC and took all four of her As onto Higher, along with a crash Higher. Last Tuesday she heard she had achieved AAAAA.

The school can't withhold that from you. My school ask parents to request this in writing (as many also want breakdowns of components too) and it can be time consuming. For pupils though seeing where the gained or lost marks and look at how the make up of the Highers they're considering very helpful. Mention the Freedom of Information Act

Many thanks to everyone for your advice - I have just sent an email to the school requesting information on the four subjects we are concerned about.
Haven't mentioned the Freedom of Information act yet, but I will if I have to!