Here you will find information about the SQA Process 2021.
Pupil Presentation about Process
Assessment Calendar (please note these are subject to change)
S5 and S6 SQA Evidence Gathering Timeline
SQA Evidence Gathering Timetable S4
SQA Assessed Elements and Weightings
Assessment Arrangements
If you are entitled to Assessment Arrangements then you are entitled to these for evidence gathering opportunities. These Assessment Arrangements must be those that are used in everyday learning and teaching. Mr Duncan will meet with all learners to discuss their planned Assessment Arrangements. Letters of confirmation will be sent to parents and carers confirming those that are in place.
Should you have any questions then please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Appeals 2021
The SQA have now announced details of the Appeals Service for qualifications for 2021. The key elements of this are summarised below but you can access more details and a booklet for learners at Appeal 2021 Information for Learners
The appeals service is free and can be accessed directly by learners from 25th June, the date by which Provisional Results must be submitted to SQA. The school can also submit an appeal on a young person’s behalf if they would prefer them to do so.
There are three types of appeal:
- an appeal against the academic judgement made
- an appeal against an unresolved administrative error
- an appeal on grounds of discrimination where:
- there has been a breach of the Equality Act 2010 (which must have been either acknowledged by your school, college or training provider or established by a court or the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman), or the school, college or training provider failed to provide agreed Assessment Arrangements.
Appeals will be based on demonstrated attainment against the national standard and candidate evidence will be reviewed by an SQA Subject Appointee. The outcome of an appeal could be that a candidate’s grade goes up, stays the same or goes down. Candidates will not have to submit assessment evidence for an appeal as the school will be contacted by SQA to provide the evidence they used for the Provisional Result.
SQA have indicated to candidates that “once your teacher or lecturer has explained your Provisional Results, if you are still unhappy, you can register that you want to appeal directly on the SQA website. The registration service will open on Friday 25 June and will close on Thursday 12 August. Your appeal will be processed after Results Day on Tuesday 10 August.
If you are waiting on a result for a university or college place or for an employment or training programme, your appeal will be processed as a priority and you must register that you want to appeal by Thursday 12 August.”
SQA have indicated that parents can help their child(ren), by registering for them. You will be asked for the following information about your child:
- their name
- date of birth
- Scottish Candidate Number
- the subject and level of the course that they want to register an appeal for
- notification that they are awaiting the result of the appeal for a college or university place – if so, your request will be processed as part of the priority appeal service and you will need details of your child’s conditional offer
- the reason for appealing, from one of the three types
- if your child is appealing against an unresolved administrative error or on the grounds of discrimination contrary to the Equality Act – you will be asked to provide a short, written explanation of what you believe has happened.
Priority Appeals – If your child is waiting on a result for a university or college place or for an employment or training programme, their appeal will be processed as a priority and they must register that they want to appeal by Thursday 12 August.
Non-Priority Appeals – For non-priority appeals (those for which the results are not needed for a university or college place or for an employment and training programme) young people should register by 12th August or the school can make an appeal on their behalf up until 27th August.
Your child needs to make sure they speak to their teacher to discuss any concerns about their Provisional Results before the schools finish for the summer break on 24th June and they will explain the Appeals Process. It is very important that young people speak with staff before making an appeal as results can go down, stay the same or go up.
If your child(ren) appeal, we will need to send the evidence they used to generate their Provisional Grade to the SQA, it is therefore important that the school knows if a young person has appealed.
We do not return from the summer break until Monday 16th August. The school will make your child(ren) aware of arrangements if you or your child(ren) need to speak with a member of staff when they receive their SQA Results on Tuesday 10th August.
Contingency arrangement for incomplete assessment evidence
SQA have indicated that “to ensure a degree of equity for learners who have been unduly disadvantaged by severe disruption to learning and teaching, a limited opportunity to submit Provisional Results by 3 September 2021 is being created. This can be offered to candidates who have completed the learning and teaching of their course but who have not been able to complete their assessment evidence in time for the 25 June submission date.
The contingency arrangement would cover learners who have experienced extreme disruption during the centre’s evidence-gathering process. Examples might include:
- A learner whose medical condition has prevented full and timely engagement with the centre’s evidence-gathering process.
- A learner who has been required to self-isolate due to COVID, either as a case or contact, during the centre’s evidence-gathering process.
- A learner who has suffered bereavement or other trauma during the centre’s evidence-gathering process.
- A learner who was shielding during the centre’s evidence-gathering process.
This arrangement must not be used as an opportunity to delay assessment and to seek benefit from an extended period of preparation over the summer break. Nor does it enable learners to have another opportunity for assessment that has already been undertaken, in pursuit of a higher grade. It is not a resit.”
If your child is in the situation where learning and teaching for a course has been completed but they have not been able to generate evidence for any of the reasons described above the school will help your child(ren) to consider the situation carefully and advise on which of the available options would be in their best interests:
- use this contingency arrangement, submitting evidence by noon on 3 September.
- be presented for an alternative qualification
- repeat the course and be presented in 2022
If you have any further questions then please do not hesitate to get in touch with your childs Pupil Support Teacher.
