Teachers at Stronsay Junior High School will use a variety of evidence including coursework, assignments, topic tests, and prelim exams to estimate students' grades for their SQA qualifications. Estimates will indicate a band and refined band for each subject, and students will be ranked within each band. The estimates will undergo quality assurance including review by the head teacher and education department before being submitted to the SQA. The SQA will then conduct further moderation and may adjust the estimates during their quality assurance process before issuing final results.

1. STRONSAY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, STRONSAY, ORKNEY KW17 2AE
Orkney Islands Council Education, Leisure and Housing
Tel: (01857) 616 246
Email: admin.stronsay@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk
Head Teacher: Mr Andrew King
8.5.20
Dear Parents
SQA Alternative Certification Model 2020
As you may well be aware, the SQA have revised their system of awarding qualifications due to the
exceptional circumstances we all find ourselves in. We have received guidance from the SQA on the
way forward, and I can now inform you of our approach to gathering estimates while focusing on the
best outcomes for our young people and staying firmly within the revised parameters set by the
SQA. The system used by Stronsay Junior High School has been agreed by the Education Department
to be an appropriate method for the production of SQA estimates.
How will teaching staff arrive at their estimates?
Estimates are to be based on:
• Demonstrated attainment in all aspects of the course
• Inferred attainment (from the date of school closures) in all aspects of the course
• Teacher’s professional judgements, based on:
o Detailed knowledge and tracked progress of a candidate's work
o Teacher experience
o Comparisons with previous cohorts
What type of evidence will be used?
Any form of evidence that demonstrates a young person's skills, knowledge and understanding that
relates to the course assessment. This could include (but is not exhaustive):
• Course work
• Assignments
• Prelim exams (Formal Assessments)
• Topic tests
Estimates in detail
Unlike previous years, staff have been asked to estimate each young person’s outcome in the
following ways:
• Band ( e.g. Grade A Band 1 or Band 2, and so on )
• Refined Band: Each Band has now been split further (e.g. a grade A has now been split into
4 Bands)
• Rank order: a sequential placement of all candidates in any course from the most secure
(and/or highest attaining) to the least secure (and/or lowest attaining) within each refined
band
Quality Assurance of Estimates
Before estimates are sent to the SQA, the following steps will be taken:
1. The teachers working together, will agree initial estimates based on the criteria noted
above.
2. The Head Teacher will discuss the proposed estimates.
3. Discussion will be had with the OIC Education Department, who are undertaking a quality
assurance role for all 5 secondary schools in Orkney for the SQA.
4. The Head Teacher will send the estimates to SQA by the deadline of May 29.

2. Once the SQA have received our estimates they will go through their own quality assurance process
including:
• Using moderation to ensure consistency across schools and colleges and with results from
previous years.
• Using estimates and prior learner attainment, where this is available. For example, if
learners achieved National 5 or Higher courses, in a previous year.
• Looking at schools’ and colleges’ previous history of estimating and attainment in each
subject and level.
The SQA may moderate these estimates, up or down, if that is required.
• This process will produce the results for learners, using the national grades for each
subject and level.
• As in previous years, SQA Awarding Meetings will be held, bringing together a range of
people with subject expertise and people with experience of standard setting across
different subjects and qualification levels.
SQA have provided a webpage with FAQs which may be of further support to you or your child.
https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/93963.html
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries.
Yours sincerely,
Andrew King