Help at hand for pupils receiving SQA results

August 4, 2020 at 9:55 am

From this morning, Tuesday, schools in Orkney are offering results-day support to help any pupils with queries about SQA results, university/college applications or option choices for next year.

At KGS, SQA co-ordinator and KGS deputy head teacher Neil Ewing will be available to provide support to pupils on Tuesday – Thursday August 4-6, from 9am-1pm, and guidance manager, Mrs Marlyn Firth will be available today, from 9am-3pm, both by phone on 872102 or by email admin.kgs@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk .
The guidance team will be taking appointments where discussions over change of courses can take place on the afternoon of Monday August 19. Appointments for Guidance staff can be made by contacting the KGS school office from Monday August 12 onwards.
Stromness Academy are encouraging pupils and parents who wish to talk about results, progression to university, college or employment and/or school option choices to phone 850660 or drop into the school from 9am – 3:30pm on Tuesday August 4. Head teacher, Jane Partridge; guidance manager, Melanie Johansen; and SQA co-ordinator, Graeme Horne, will be available to help them. Help is also available on Wednesday and Thursday August 5 and 6, and by email on admin.sa@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk
Orkney College is operating within the same SQA guidance for Senior Phase pupils. For any queries, following August 4, please contact Orkney College on 01856 569000 and a member of staff will contact you as soon as possible.
The Orkney team of Careers Advisers are working from home and can be contacted on 01856 872460 – or students can email their advisers using the format firstname.surname@sds.co.uk or via the Skills Development Scotland Exams Results Helpline, manned by Careers Advisers on 0808 100 8000. Opening hours are Tuesday-Wednesday August 4-5, 8am-8pm and from 9am-5pm weekdays from Thursday August 6-Wednesday August 12.

SQA are running a free appeals service this year. If the school has evidence that a pupil’s performance is better than the grade awarded through SQA’s moderation process, it can be submitted to SQA for consideration of a change to the grade. Schools will identify pupils in this position and support them to make appeals.

Deadlines for submission of an appeal are August 14 for those who have a university place dependent on the results, and August 21 for other pupils, so pupils do not need to worry if they are not able to talk to their school about this until the beginning of term.