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New Chief Examiner returns to Dunfermline high school
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Scotland's new Chief Examiner returns to Dunfermline high school
4
March
2025
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Tuesday 04 March 2025
Donna Stewart and John Booth met with S6 pupils from St Columba's RC High School in Dunfermline
Donna Stewart, Scotland’s new Chief Examining Officer, returned to St Columba’s RC High School – the first in a series of school visits in her new role. Donna, a physics teacher with over 20 years' experience in the classroom, was a former deputy head teacher at St Columba’s.
Donna was joined by SQA's new interim Chief Executive, John Booth. They both expressed great pride in taking up their roles following a new interim leadership structure that was announced last week by SQA Chair, Shirley Rogers CBE.
Determined to reset relationships and win back the trust of learners and teachers, visiting schools across the country and listening to their views is a key priority for Donna and John.
Donna and John met with the Head Teacher of St Columba’s, Mick McGee, with teachers, including some of Donna’s former colleagues, and pupils.
Donna and John heard what pupils and teachers think of a range of topics, including the qualifications they are currently working towards, the future of assessment, the use of Generative AI technologies, and SQA’s Prospectus for Change.
After the visit, Donna Stewart said “It was a privilege to return to St Columba’s and hear about all the great work they are doing. I have many happy memories of working here. I want to thank Mick, his team and the pupils that we spoke to for sharing their experiences of qualifications and for telling us what they really think. It is so important for John and I to hear from them directly.
“These visits are vital as we set up our Schools Unit that will be led by a current or former head teacher. This will harness our shared experience of classroom teaching and school leadership – including the challenges – to bring SQA closer to teachers and the wider profession, and to the learners and communities we serve.”
John Booth said, “The replacement of SQA with Qualifications Scotland provides an unprecedented opportunity for a reset and a fresh start, while continuing to maintain standards and the credibility of our qualifications.
“What we have heard on our visit to St Columba’s today will help us build an organisation that delivers for learners, educators, parents and carers. We will strive to give everyone the opportunity to have their voice heard and ensure what we hear contributes to our work and helps us continuously improve. I look forward to meeting many more people and listening to their views.”
St Columba’s High School Headteacher, Mick McGee said: “I’m delighted the SQA have chosen to visit our school.
“It’s been a great opportunity for staff and pupils to share their experiences of the different qualifications we offer here at St Columba’s. It’s also given them the chance to share their thoughts on a range of issues including the use of AI in assessment and the balance of assessment between exams and coursework.
“We hope that our SQA colleagues have enjoyed their visit and have found what they’ve heard useful.”
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UPDATED
Modern Apprenticeship opportunities with SQA
Find out more about Modern Apprenticeship opportunities at SQA.
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Modern Apprenticeship opportunities with SQA
2
March
2025
SQA updates & announcements
Monday 03 March 2025
Pictured L-R are SQA Modern Apprentices Jack Miller, Ross Coyle, and Louise Rainey
SQA is once again giving young people the opportunity to take up a modern apprenticeship in one of several roles based at its office in Glasgow.
To mark Scottish Apprenticeship Week, SQA is recruiting six modern apprentices aged between 16 to 19* across a variety of business areas, including IT Service Desk, Chief Executive’s Office, Commercial Contracts, Data and Analytics, and SQA International.
Each apprentice will earn as they learn on a variety of one and two year training programmes. The apprentices will gain work-based learning experiences working with teams across SQA, while studying for nationally recognised qualifications including Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) and Higher National Certificates (HNCs).
As Scotland’s national awarding and accreditation body, SQA oversees the delivery of thousands of qualifications that are available in schools, colleges, training facilities and workplaces in Scotland and around the world. As an employer, SQA is committed to providing high-quality modern apprenticeship opportunities to young people from all backgrounds.
Jack Miller is a modern apprentice in Business and Administration and joined SQA’s Strategic Planning and Governance team in August 2024.
Speaking about why he applied for a Modern Apprenticeship last year, Jack said: “Having just left school, I initially had my heart set on university, but I then saw an advert for a Modern Apprenticeship at SQA. I thought, ‘Why not?’ I’d have the chance to earn a salary at the same time as getting practical experience of the workplace and meeting new people. It’s the best decision I have ever made.”
Louise Rainey also joined SQA in 2024. Now part of the Business Development team, Louise is responsible for supporting sales teams across Scotland and the rest of the UK. Louise said: “After seeing the job advert on a few different websites, I decided to take a look into it. I was surprised because I had never thought about working with SQA but since starting I’m grateful for the opportunity and glad I applied.”
Sarah Anne Rooney, Employee Development Programme Manager, who leads SQA’s Modern Apprenticeship programme, says SQA’s responsibility is to give its apprentices the skills, experience, and confidence to take the next step in their career or education journey.
She explains, “As an employer, we are committed to making sure anyone who joins the organisation has the opportunity to access high-quality training and support. This is especially true of our modern apprentices, who we will ensure are on the right path for them so they can go on to achieve valuable SQA qualifications, develop their knowledge, skills, and experience, and help them reach their potential.
“SQA placements offer valuable first-time experiences within specific business areas, meaning young people who undertake apprenticeships are in an excellent position to secure full-time employment down the line, or continue their education and training. Our vocational qualifications are part of nationally recognised apprenticeship frameworks, ensuring they are valuable to employers across the country.”
SQA’s modern apprentices are provided with a support network to help them make the most of their placement. Line managers and external assessors help them develop and evidence their newly acquired skills to help them achieve their qualifications, whilst a mentor works with them to identify and plan for their future career aspirations.
Applications for the modern apprenticeship positions are now being accepted and will close on Thursday 24 April. Further details on each of the Modern Apprenticeship positions are available on the Modern Apprenticeship pages of the website.
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