Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Figures show how pupils in poorest and wealthiest areas were graded for this year’s exams

Post Thumbnail

Figures published by Scotland’s exam body have shown the extent to which pupils from the most deprived backgrounds had their results downgraded compared to those in wealthier areas.

Following the cancellation of this year’s exams due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a methodology was applied whereby grades estimated by teachers were downgraded based on criteria – including the historic performance of the school.

However concerns were raised about the fairness of the algorithm after it was revealed pupils in the most deprived areas were more likely to have their estimates downgraded compared to those from the most affluent backgrounds.

Now, after a freedom of information request from The Ferret, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has published a breakdown of how the Higher grades at each school across Tayside and Fife were moderated.

Dundee

The SQA moderation figures showed that before teacher estimates were accepted, 39.2% of all Highers at Braeview Academy were adjusted down by the SQA.

The figures also show that 21.6% of the Higher results at the school were adjusted from ‘pass’ to ‘fail’.

Scottish Government data show that 47% of pupils at Braeview live in one of Scotland’s most deprived areas.

At Craigie High School, where more than 60% of pupils come from one of the most deprived areas in the country, 29.2% of teacher estimates for Highers were downgraded.

Of these, 13.4% were downgraded from a ‘pass’ to a ‘fail’.

In comparison, Grove Academy saw 16.2% Higher results downgrade – with 7.2% adjusted from ‘pass’ to ‘fail’.

Figures show just six percent of pupils at the Ferry secondary school live in deprivation.

The High School of Dundee, the city’s only fee paying school, saw 13.4% of teacher estimates for Highers downgraded (5.4% of them being downgraded from a pass to a ‘fail’).

Both these figures were the lowest out of all Dundee’s schools.

Responding to the SQA’s figures, a Dundee City Council spokesman said: “We are analysing exam data and we will report that to committee at a future date.”

Angus

At Arbroath Academy, where more than a quarter of pupils live in the most deprived areas, 29.8% of Higher results were downgraded by the exam body.

Of these, 20.5% were moderated from a ‘pass’ to a fail’. Just 0.8% of this year’s Highers were adjusted upwards.

At Monifieth High School, 23.9% of the Higher results were adjusted downwards by the SQA’s algorithm – 10.6% of these adjusted from a ‘pass’ to a ‘fail.

A higher percentage of pupils at Monifieth High also had their results moderated upwards, with the figures showing 2.2% of teacher estimates for Highers adjusted up.

Data from the Scottish Government shows that less than 5% of pupils at Monifieth High live in one the most deprived areas in Scotland.

Angus Council has been approached for comment.

Fife

At Levenmouth Academy, where more than more than half of pupils live in one of Scotland’s most deprived backgrounds, 37.7% of the Higher grades were moderated down by the SQA.

Of these, 22.8% were adjusted from a ‘pass’ to a ‘fail’. Just 1% of the Higher results were moderated upwards by the exams authority.

In comparison, just 18.3% of Higher grades at Madras College were downgraded – with 5.4% of the results falling from a ‘pass’ to a fail.

However less pupils had their teacher estimates adjusted upwards when compared to Levenmouth Academy, with the figures showing that just 0.8% of Higher grades were increased.

Government figures shows that less than one percent of pupils who attend the St Andrews school live in deprivation.

Fife Council has been approached for comment.

Perth and Kinross

According to government data, more than a fifth of pupils who attend St John’s RC Academy in Perth live in deprivation.

Before teacher estimates were accepted, 30.7% of this year’s Higher results at the school were downgraded, with 12.6% adjusted from a ‘pass’ to a fail’.

Just one percent of pupils had their grades amended upwards by the SQA.

In comparison, Kinross High School – where just over one per cent of pupils live in deprivation – 14.3% of Higher grades were adjusted down.

The figures also show that of these, 6.8% were amended from a ‘pass’ grade down to a ‘fail.’

Moreover, a higher percentage of pupils at Kinross High had their Higher grades amended upwards when compared to St John’s Academy – with the SQA data showing that 2.9% of results were adjusted up.

Perth and Kinross Council has been approached for comment.