The school presents pupils for the Scottish Qualifications Authority Examinations at Standard Grade and National Qualification Levels. From August 2005 pupils in S3 now embark on Intermediate 2, Intermediate 1 and Access Level Courses (National Qualifications) instead of Standard Grades. The Council’s policy is that:
“Schools in consultation with pupils/parents normally decide on presentation for examinations. However, in the final analysis, the school will accede to the wishes of the parents.”
Interpreting Statistics
Undoubtedly parents will compare the examination results of different schools. Statistics can be misleading if read in isolation from relevant factors e.g. the position of a subject in an option column will affect the numbers and the ability of pupils choosing a subject. The school’s results compare very well with those of other, similar schools. Results are carefully analysed annually with a view to seeking continuous improvement. This does not lead the school however to put unnecessary pressure on its pupils. We welcome enquiries about our examination results, so that statistics may be interpreted in their proper context.
The Scottish Qualification Authority has provided the following information on the Awards system which it now operates. Standard Grade awards are made on a 7- point scale with grade 1 the highest and grade 7 the lowest. Intermediate Grades, Higher Grade and Advanced Higher Grades are reported in terms of bands A-C, with A the highest. If a student just fails to obtain a C grade, he/she may be awarded a grade D.
Transferring educational data about pupils
Education authorities and the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED) have collected data about pupils on paper forms for many years. We are now working together to transfer data electronically through the ScotXed programme.
What pupil data will be collected and transferred?
Local authorities and SEED collect data on each pupil. The data collected and transferred covers areas such as date of birth, postcode, registration for free-school meals, whether a pupil is looked after by his/her local authority, special educational needs, attendance, absence and exclusions from school. Pupil names and addresses are collected by their school and education authority but they are not passed to SEED. Your postcode is the only part of your address that is transferred. Data is held securely and no information on individual pupils can or would be published by SEED. It is used for statistical and research purposes only. Providing national identity and ethnic background data is entirely voluntary. You can choose the ‘not disclosed’ option if you do not want to provide this data. However, we hope that the explanations contained in this message and on our website will help you understand the importance of providing the data.
Why do we need your data?
In order to make the best decisions about how to improve our education service, SEED and education authorities need accurate, up-to-date data about our pupils. We are keen to help all our pupils do well in all aspects of school life and achieve better exam results. Accurate and up-to-date data allows SEED, education authorities and schools to:
• Plan and deliver better policies for the benefit of all pupils,
• Plan and deliver better policies for the benefit of specific groups of pupils,
• Better understand some of the factors that influence pupil attainment and achievement,
• Target resources more effectively.
Your data protection rights
The collection, transfer, processing and sharing of ScotXed data is done in accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998). We also comply with the National Statistics Code of Practice requirements and other legislation related to safeguarding the confidentiality of data. The Data Protection Act gives you the right to know how we will use your data. This message can give only a brief description of how we use data. Fuller details of the uses of pupil data can be found on the ScotXed website. SEED will not publish or release any information that allows an individual pupil to be identified. Data will not be used by SEED to take any actions in respect of any individual pupils. Data will only be shared with bona fide partners, such as HMIE and the SQA. Any sharing will be done under conditions of strict control and with the prior agreement of the Data Controller.
Concerns
If you have any concerns about the ScotXed data collections you can email the Data Controller, Peter Scrimgeour, at EDData.Controller@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or write to The ScotXed Support Office, SEED, Area 1B, Victoria Quay, Leith EH6 6QQ.
Alternative versions of this page are available, on request from the ScotXed Support Office, in other languages, audiotape, braille and large print. Please allow up to 10 days for requests to be processed.
Want more information?
Further details about ScotXed data exchanges are available on the ScotXed website, www.scotxed.net. The website also contains answers to commonly asked questions about ScotXed.
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