SQA Arrangements 2022-23
Dear Parent/Carer
SQA Arrangements 2022-23
The SQA exam diet is scheduled to go ahead from 24th April – 31st May 2023.
National 5
A planned diet of formal exam experience for National 5 pupils will take place from Monday 28th November - Monday 12 December 2022 (inclusive). A timetable for the Formal Exam Experience diet will be shared with pupils in November 2022.
All of our National 5 pupils will be undertaking a programme of revision in preparation for these, as discussed in our recent S4 assembly. If young people require any support with planning a study timetable they should speak to their year head Mr Stewart or their Pupil Support Manager, as well as seeking guidance from subject teachers. The SQA study builder is a useful tool to support this exercise.
We are aware that young people have impacted by the pandemic in many ways and the legacy of this. Supports continue to be put in place by the SQA, through adjusted course content, modified papers and the Additional Assessment Arrangements process. Mr Black (ASN) will ensure that all young people who are eligible for additional support, will receive this and that this is communicated with parents / guardians.
The Formal Exam Experience will mirror the SQA experience as closely as possible and length / content of examination papers will be similar to that of the final exams. Papers will only contain content covered to date. The Formal Exam Experience will support both staff and young people in knowing how they are progressing in their work so far and provide feedback to support progress between these assessments and the final exams in April - June 2023. In a small number of cases the results of assessments may result in discussions around a change in presentation levels and/or course. This will be discussed with pupils and parents/carers and decisions will be taken in cognisance of all tracking and progress data.
During the Formal Exam Experience it is intended that some of the larger exams, such as English, Maths and History, will take place in the games hall. However, many assessments will take place in classroom settings and at a time in the week where many pupils would normally have that subject.
Most young people will have one assessment in a day but there will be a small number of cases where some will have two assessments. Should this be a concern, we ask that this is discussed with their class teachers and we may be able to arrange for these to be re-scheduled to another time. As with all SQA assessments, students must ensure that they follow SQA protocols. More information will be communicated to young people through assemblies and SQA publications.
During the Formal Exam Experience, teachers will be available during the normal timetabled class periods to support young people with their learning and assessment preparation. It is expected that all National 5 pupils will be present in normal classes except for the days of their assessment. What is essential is that all young people have access to their teacher to support their learning for the duration of the two weeks of the Formal Exam Experience diet. Once an assessment has been sat in a subject, the learning and teaching of course content will continue during timetabled time.
Mr M Stewart
S4 Depute Head Teacher
