Press Release
7th August 2012
Press Release – High standards continue as Shetland students receive exam results
Over 600 pupils in Shetland receive their exam results today. Those who signed-up to receive their results by text or email should have got them between 8am and 9am, with the rest arriving in the post throughout the day.
Schools are prepared to discuss results with pupils who have any concerns. Information is also available from Skills Development Scotland’s website: www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk.
Staff from the Council Children’s Services Department has carried out initial analysis of the 2012 exam results for Shetland. Particular features of the analysis are listed below.
- Advanced Higher presentations increased from 91 in 2011 to 104 this year.
- The number of subject presentations (i.e. the individual subjects each candidate sits) at Higher Grade saw a significant rise, from 803 in 2011 to 837 this year.This is the same number as in 2010.
- The number of candidates sitting SQA qualifications in Shetland continues to drop, from 619 in 2011 to 609 in 2012. This has been a trend over the last three years. In 2010, 655 candidates sat exams.
- The number of subject presentations at Standard Grade continues to drop, from 1777 in 2011 to 1711 in 2012.
- The number of presentations at Intermediate 1 and 2 levels was down from 672 last year to 650.
The main features of attainment at all levels are described below.
- This year, three sixth-year students from the Anderson High School were presented for the Scottish Baccalaureate, two in Science and one in Modern Languages. Notably, this is the first time that a Shetland student has been presented for the Scottish Baccalaureate in Modern Languages.
- The percentage of Standard Grade Credit grades (grade 1 or 2) which were attained as a percentage of all presentations at Standard Grade rose again this year, from 60% in 2011 to 62%. In 2010, 58% of Standard Grade candidates achieved Credit. This is a positive and pleasing trend in recent years.
- At Higher level, the percentage of passes (A-C grade) in at least one subject dropped slightly, from 80% to 78%.
- At Intermediate level, there was a drop in the percentage of passes at Intermediate 1, from 79% to 69%. Intermediate 2 saw a very small reduction in passes, from 84% to 83%.
- There was also a decrease in the number of passes at Advanced Higher level. The percentage here fell from 87% in 2011 to 79% in 2012. However the figure this year still continues to be much higher than the 2010 figure of 68%.
These are initial findings and more detailed reports will be produced for Children’s Services in the next few weeks. These will be used internally to help maintain and improve standards in our schools.
Chairperson of the Education and Families Committee, Councillor Vaila Wishart, said “I’m pleased to see Shetland’s schools continuing to help young people attain such high standards. Pupils, staff and parents have obviously worked very hard over the last year and I wish all the young people involved the very best for their future.”
ENDS.