The Scottish Conservatives have called on the SNP government to support a “triple lock” of measures to protect young people at the centre of an exams ‘debacle’.
Pupils opened their National, Higher and Advanced Higher results this week – but an estimated 125,000 grades were lowered following moderation by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).
As a result, thousands of students received lower grades than had been estimated by their teachers.
And critics say the methods used by under-fire education chiefs have disproportionately impacted on young people from Scotland’s poorest areas.
On the day pupil protests were held in Edinburgh and Glasgow, Lothian MSP Miles Briggs backed a three-point plan to restore public confidence in the system.
The plan sets out:
– a guaranteed turnaround of 14 days for appeals
– appeals to be based on the individual ruling out awards based on a school’s historic performance, demographic, location or SIMD ranking
– the option for every pupil to take an examination in the autumn if they are still unhappy with grades awarded.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “Thousands of pupils across Edinburgh and the Lothians have been badly let down by SNP Ministers during this debacle.
“It is clear to everyone that the policy to disproportionately downgrade the results of students from schools in less affluent areas is simply not fair.
“The current situation can not be allowed to stand and steps must be taken to allow pupils to get the results that they deserve.
“These steps, set out by the Scottish Conservatives, would allow students to have every chance to get their proper grades and move forward with their futures.”
Scottish Labour says John Swinney has failed Scotland’s school pupils and they are calling for his resignation.
On Friday, Scottish Labour laid down a motion of no confidence in John Swinney, the Education Secretary and Deputy First Minister.
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: “This is not a decision we took lightly. Motions of no confidence have been sparingly laid in the history of the Scottish Parliament.
“But in the days since it emerged that thousands of school students had been marked down because of their schools’ past performance, Swinney has failed to acknowledge the scale of the crisis, and he has failed to announce a credible plan for re-dressing it.”
When the results were announced this week, Fiona Robertson, SQA’s Chief Executive and Scotland’s Chief Examining Officer, said: “Everyone receiving their results today can have confidence that their achievements and hard work have been rewarded.
“In a short space of time and amidst uniquely challenging circumstances for everyone, the Scottish education system has come together to ensure that candidates in 2020 can be certificated. This is a strong set of results and they should feel very proud of their achievements. They can now progress with confidence, to continued education, training or employment.
We have:
- Delivered fairness to learners, through a consistent, evidence-based approach to awarding, supported by an Equalities Impact Assessment and a Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment.
- Ensured safe and secure certification of our qualifications, taking difficult decisions when needed, following public health advice; and
- Maintained the integrity and credibility of our qualifications system, ensuring that standards are maintained over time, in the interests of learners, through judicious moderation of grades.
Full information on our approach to certification is being published today.
I would like to thank the thousands of teachers and lecturers, SQA co-ordinators, school and college staff, local authorities, professional associations and national organisations, who have worked together to provide us with their candidates’ estimated grades, without which we would not be able to issue certificates today.
I would also like to acknowledge my sincere appreciation to all SQA staff and appointees who have worked very hard to deliver.”
| SCQF level | National Qualification | 2020 Entries | 2020 Attainment | 2020Attainment rate | 2019 Entries | 2019 Attainment | 2019 Attainment rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCQF 2 | National 2† | 2,015 | 1,518 | 75.3% | 2,070 | 1,596 | 77.1% |
| SCQF 3 | National 3† | 21,802 | 19,947 | 91.5% | 19,285 | 16,958 | 87.9% |
| Skills for Work† | 30 | 30 | 100% | 13 | 0 | 0.0% | |
| SCQF 4 | National 4† | 103,625 | 94,228 | 90.9% | 104,866 | 92,845 | 88.5% |
| Skills for Work† | 4,084 | 3,219 | 78.8% | 3,698 | 2,869 | 77.6% | |
| SCQF 5 | National 5* | 300,344 | 243,572 | 81.1% | 288,552 | 225,594 | 78.2% |
| Skills for Work† | 10,345 | 8,860 | 85.6% | 8,023 | 6,633 | 82.7% | |
| SCQF 6 | Higher* | 185,844 | 146,643 | 78.9% | 185,914 | 138,972 | 74.8% |
| Skills for Work† | 223 | 170 | 76.2% | 204 | 160 | 78.4% | |
| SCQF 7 | Advanced Higher* | 23,570 | 20,010 | 84.9% | 23,460 | 18,627 | 79.4% |
| Total | 651,882 | 636,085 | |||||
| Scottish Baccalaureate* | 152 | 116 | 76.3% | 157 | 109 | 69.4% |
* For National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher, which are graded, the attainment and attainment rate is based on Grade A-C attainment. The Scottish Baccalaureate attainment is based on the total number of passes (“Distinction” or “Pass” outcomes).
†For National 2 to National 4, and Skills for Work courses, which are ungraded, the attainment and attainment rate is based on entries which have resulted in a pass.
English
There were 46,626 entries at National 5 in 2020, (45,593 in 2019) with an A-C attainment rate of 87.6% (86.3% in 2019). At Higher level there were 36,205 entries (35,461 in 2019), with an A-C attainment rate of 76.6% (73.2% in 2019).
Mathematics
There were 41,141 entries at National 5 (41,586 in 2019), with an A-C attainment rate of 66.7%, (65.5% in 2019). At Higher level there were 19,160 entries (18,626 in 2019), with an A-C attainment rate of 72.3% (72.4% in 2019).
Applications of Mathematics
There were 10,430 entries at National 5, (4,458 in 2019) with an A-C attainment rate of 67.3% (58.5% in 2019).
Comparison of 2020 estimates versus prior attainment levels
The charts below provide A to C attainment rates for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher from 2016-2019, attainment rate estimates for 2020 and attainment results for 2020.
The A to C attainment rates in 2020 are:
- At National 5, 243,572 or 81.1% (225,594 or 78.2% in 2019)
- At Higher is 146,643 or 78.9% (138,972 or 74.8% in 2019), and
- Advanced Higher is 20,010 or 84.9% (18,627 or 79.4% in 2019).
National 5
National 5 attainment % comparison20162017201820192020 Estimates2020 Results020406080100Attainment %JS chart by amCharts
Higher
Higher attainment % comparison20162017201820192020 Estimates2020 Results020406080100Attainment %JS chart by amCharts
Advanced Higher
Advanced Higher attainment % comparison20162017201820192020 Estimates2020 Results020406080100Attainment %JS chart by amCharts
National Progression Awards (NPAs), National Certificates (NCs) and SQA Awards
National Progression Awards (NPAs) and National Certificates (NCs)
Attainment figures for National Progression Awards (NPAs) and National Certificates (NCs) are also included. In total, 16,230 NPAs and 4,284 NCs have been achieved (13,136 NPAs and 4,873 NCs in 2019). NPAs are designed to assess a defined set of skills and knowledge in specialist vocational areas, such as Construction and Childcare.
National Certificates are designed to prepare people for employment, career development or progression to more advanced study in areas such as Sound Production and Fabrication and Welding Engineering.
SQA Awards
Attainment figures for SQA Awards are included in the statistics. In total, 31,428 have been achieved in 2020 (26,735 in 2019).
SQA Awards are designed to develop and provide evidence of specific skills that will help learners in the world of work and everyday life. Awards include Modern Languages for Life and Work, Employability, Scottish Studies and Enterprise.
| Attainment | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| SCQF level 1 | |||||
| Awards | 399 | 439 | 386 | 290 | 283 |
| SCQF level 2 | |||||
| Awards | 912 | 1,004 | 664 | 1,167 | 750 |
| National Progression Awards | 91 | 69 | 121 | 88 | 77 |
| SCQF level 3 | |||||
| Awards | 4,253 | 4,428 | 3,937 | 4,303 | 3,863 |
| National Certificates | 5 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 18 |
| National Progression Awards | 207 | 100 | 142 | 177 | 135 |
| SCQF level 4 | |||||
| Awards | 11,736 | 10,292 | 9,851 | 10,834 | 11,391 |
| National Certificates | 166 | 223 | 213 | 345 | 371 |
| National Progression Awards | 4,321 | 4,371 | 4,759 | 4,803 | 4,958 |
| SCQF level 5 | |||||
| Awards | 8,232 | 5,184 | 3,755 | 3,662 | 2,907 |
| National Certificates | 1,465 | 1,809 | 2,450 | 2,691 | 4,103 |
| National Progression Awards | 5,915 | 5,252 | 4,604 | 4,395 | 4,958 |
| SCQF level 6 | |||||
| Awards | 5,896 | 5,388 | 4,258 | 3,523 | 2,710 |
| National Certificates | 2,648 | 2,834 | 3,538 | 3,585 | 4,920 |
| National Progression Awards | 5,696 | 3,344 | 2,848 | 1,619 | 1,611 |
| TOTAL | 51,942 | 44,744 | 41,526 | 41,483 | 43,055 |
Skills for Work
Skills for Work courses – available across SCQF levels 3-6, are also included in the attainment statistics. In total, 12,279 Skills for Work courses have been achieved, (9,662 in 2019).
Skills for Work courses focus on the world of work and the generic employability skills needed for success in the workplace. The courses offer opportunities for learners to acquire these critical generic employability skills through a variety of practical experiences that are linked to a particular vocational area such as construction, hairdressing, and hospitality.
Young people taking one of these Skills for Work courses will normally spend some of their time at a local college, other training provider or employer.
The SQA’s full awarding methodology, Equality Impact Assessment and Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment reports have also been published in full as planned.
- Attainment Statistics (August 2020)
- Attainment Statistics (August 2020) (240 KB)
- 2020 Alternative Certification Model: Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (131 KB)
- 2020 Alternative Certification Model: Equality Impact Assessment (2.11 MB)
- Methodology Report (0.96 MB)
- Chief Examining Officer’s Report (262 KB)
Moderation Summary Reports
- NQ 2020 Moderation Summary Reports available on NQ subject pages
With exams cancelled because of coronavirus, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) downgraded many of the assessments made by teachers, bringing accusations of disproportionately affecting the results of pupils from schools in areas of deprivation which traditionally present fewer successful pupils for exams.
Education Secretary John Swinney,who now faces a vote of no confidence at Holyrood, has said he understands the concerns of pupils and he will address these concerns when he makes a statement to parliament on Tuesday.