Select subject Select subject SQA rebalancing assessment for practical qualifications The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has announced that it is removing exams from three of its National Qualifications ahead of session 2025-26. portobello-thumbnail.webp SQA rebalancing assessment for practical qualifications 20 March 2025 None Thursday 20 March 2025 The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has announced that it is removing exams from three of its National Qualifications ahead of session 2025-26. At a visit today to Portobello High School in Edinburgh, SQA’s Interim Chief Executive John Booth, and Scotland’s Chief Examiner, Donna Stewart confirmed the awarding body would remove externally marked question papers from its National 5 Practical Cake Craft, National 5 Practical Metalworking and National 5 Practical Woodworking courses ahead of the new academic year. SQA’s interim Chief Executive, John Booth and Donna Stewart, SQA’s Director of Qualifications Development and Scotland’s Chief Examiner with Portobello High School pupils. These courses have a strong focus on developing practical skills and contain a small amount of theory-based content, which can be effectively assessed through other assessment approaches. The change to assessment of these three National Qualifications follows a survey and focus groups with teachers and lecturers. The survey – which took place in 2024 – sought views on the assessment approaches for several practical courses. The results from the consultation have also been published today. Learners taking these subjects in the new academic year will be the first to undertake the new assessment approach. For National 5 Practical Cake Craft, the existing course assignment will be expanded to include a section where learners explain the processes and techniques they’ve used to produce and finish their cake in the linked practical activity. In National 5 Practical Metalworking, and National 5 Practical Woodworking a new case study will be added to the remaining practical activity, ensuring that learners’ skills and knowledge of the course content can be assessed thoroughly. SQA will provide teachers and lecturers with Understanding Standards support for National 5 Practical Cake Craft, Practical Metalworking and Practical Woodworking to help them prepare for the changes to assessment. Speaking ahead of a visit to Portobello High School, Donna Stewart, SQA’s Director of Qualifications Development and Scotland’s Chief Examiner, said: ‘Feedback from teachers and lecturers has been at the heart of our decision to remove question papers from National 5 Practical Cake Craft, National 5 Practical Metalworking and National 5 Practical Woodworking courses. Last year, we issued a short survey to teachers and lecturers at 361 schools and colleges across Scotland and conducted focus groups to ask practitioners’ views on whether to remove the question paper from these courses and other courses. ‘The responses we received – also published today – have given us the evidence base we needed to introduce new approaches to assessing knowledge and understanding in Practical Cake Craft, Practical Metalworking and Practical Woodworking. This decision will improve the validity of the course assessment, while being mindful of the workload associated with an increase in internal assessment.’ SQA Interim Chief Executive, John Booth said: 'This announcement adheres to SQA’s commitment in our Prospectus for Change which stated we would review the balance of approaches to assessment across National Qualifications. It also aligns with recommendations from the Scottish Government’s independent review of qualifications and assessment which recommended a reduction in the number of exams in S4-S6. ‘SQA – and subsequently Qualifications Scotland – will conduct a longer-term programme of work to review and reform National Courses and their assessments; including working towards extending the range of approved assessment methods used in National Qualifications, rebalancing assessment methods across National Courses, and exploring digital assessment opportunities.’ Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener at City of Edinburgh Council, said: ‘It is important that learners are at the centre of any decision relating to course content and how attainment is assessed. I welcome the change to remove externally marked question papers for practical courses such as woodworking and cake craft. These courses by their very nature have a strong focus on developing hands-on skills and the focus should rightly be on ensuring that young people have learnt the appropriate techniques and processes, rather than performance in a written exam.’ SQA will update the course specifications for National 5 Practical Cake Craft, Practical Metalworking and Practical Woodworking to reflect the changes to assessment. SQA will also update the National 5 Practical Cake Craft coursework assessment task and the National 5 Practical Metalworking and Practical Woodworking specimen assessment tasks. All updated documentation will be available on the SQA website by early April and will be valid from session 2025-26. 113107 447 20-MAR-2025 Thu, 20 Mar 2025 17:02:21 +0000 UPDATED SQA appoints headteacher as Senior Advisor to strengthen support for Scotland's schools The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has appointed experienced headteacher Sarah Brown as Senior Advisor. sarah-brown.jpg SQA appoints headteacher as Senior Advisor to strengthen support for Scotland's schools 18 March 2025 None Tuesday 18 March 2025 The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has appointed experienced headteacher Sarah Brown as Senior Advisor. The crucial role will see Sarah – who has been headteacher at Kinross High School since 2015 - lead the development of a dedicated Schools Unit, delivering on SQA’s ambitious Prospectus for Change commitments to improve support for schools, teachers and learners. Sarah Brown said, 'I am thrilled to be joining SQA as a Senior Advisor and to have the opportunity to lead work that will make a positive difference to every school, every teacher and every learner. 'I look forward to collaborating with colleagues to ensure the new Schools Unit delivers a strong foundation for Qualifications Scotland.' In her new role, Sarah will: lead the development of a dedicated Schools Unit, working closely with the Chief Examiner Donna Stewart, to ensure Qualifications Scotland provides effective support that reflects the reality of teaching and learning play a key role in wider work to win back trust with teachers and learners, engaging openly and ensuring the national awarding body is better connected to those we serve support the delivery of the Prospectus for Change commitments: resetting relationships, harnessing technology, and evolving qualifications. The Schools Unit will become fully operational within Qualifications Scotland when it replaces SQA later this year. Sarah’s secondment is for an initial 18 months, enabling work on the Schools Unit to begin straight away and ensuring consistency when SQA is replaced by Qualifications Scotland. SQA's interim Chief Executive John Booth said, 'This is a crucial step forward not just for the creation of Qualifications Scotland but for the wider education community. I am delighted that Sarah has agreed to join us and look forward to her bringing her experience of school leadership and teaching into our work to establish the new Schools Unit. 'Qualifications Scotland has to feel tangibly different for those we serve, and Sarah’s appointment will help us build on the work already underway to reset relationships and rebuild trust.' The appointment of a Senior Advisor is part of ongoing work commissioned by Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, and led by Shirley Rogers, Chair of SQA, to strengthen the way Qualifications Scotland will support schools, learners, and educators. Ms Gilruth said, 'The appointment of a secondary headteacher into our national qualifications body will help to strengthen its engagement with the teaching profession and support for Scotland’s schools. 'It is clear that Sarah Brown will bring a wealth of secondary school teaching and leadership experience. This will be crucial for creating a new and more positive relationship with Scotland’s teachers as we move forward with qualifications reform work. 'That is why I commissioned the SQA Chair to create a new, dedicated Schools Unit which will ensure that Scotland’s schools are at the heart of how the organisation delivers qualifications and assessment.' 113087 447 18-MAR-2025 Tue, 18 Mar 2025 14:49:00 +0000 UPDATED
