The consultation on the 2021 Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) appeals process has gone live today.

It provides details of three possible models in a year when, as in 2020, there will be no exams as a result of the Covid pandemic.

One of the models would effectively put the onus on schools and colleges to establish and run the appeals process for 2021 National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses.

Background: SQA and Education Scotland defend their performance

Need to know: Five things we learned about the model replacing SQA exams

Priestley review: SQA results fiasco ‘could have been partially avoided’

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The SQA says that the consultation, which runs until 26 March, “outlines how we propose to make sure that fairness and equity are a central part of the appeals process this year”. It adds: “Importantly, this includes young people having the ability to directly appeal their results and the appeals service being free of charge.”

SQA qualifications: Options for this year’s appeals process

The SQA adds that the consultation has “been informed by discussions with a range of stakeholders”, saying: “We want to hear from teachers, lecturers, training providers, employers and other stakeholders, including parents, carers and learners themselves, to inform our final proposals.”

The three models, exactly as described by the SQA, are:

Model 1: ‘Fully centre-based appeals’

An appeals process could be established in schools and colleges. An internal assessment appeals system operates well within colleges and training providers for other SQA qualifications delivered in Scotland, but not currently within most schools.

This approach would see appeals being directed to centres, with the centre first holding a clarification conversation with the learner and/or their representative and then, if needed, followed by a formal appeal, with the centre making its own determination as to whether an appeal is upheld or not.

This would involve both a review of the processes applied to arrive at the academic judgement and the academic judgement itself. This would be carried out locally by people who had not been involved in the detail of the original decision, with immediate access to the learner’s assessment evidence and local records of the assessment decision.

With this approach, all decisions on appeals would be taken within the school or college. Where an appeal leads to a different result, then the centre would inform SQA to enable a new certificate to be issued to the learner.

Model 2: ‘Centre review with limited SQA escalation’

This approach would see appeals being directed to centres, with the centre first holding a clarification conversation with the learner and/or their representative and then, if needed, followed by a formal appeal, with the centre making its own determination as to whether an appeal is upheld or not.

This would involve both a review of the processes applied to arrive at the academic judgement and the academic judgement itself. This would be carried out locally by people who had not been involved in the detail of the original decision, with immediate access to the learner’s assessment evidence and local records of the assessment decision.

If they are dissatisfied, candidates would then be able to make a further appeal to SQA.

With this model, decisions on appeals would mainly be made within the school or college, with SQA involvement reserved for a smaller number of escalated appeals. In these instances, SQA would decide whether to uphold an escalated appeal or not. This may include SQA reviewing candidate evidence.

Model 3: ‘Centre conversation with SQA escalation’

This approach would see appeals being directed to SQA, with the centre first holding a clarification conversation with the learner. Prior to any appeals being submitted to SQA, candidates should be advised of the quality assurance processes which have been applied to their results. If during the course of this conversation, the centre identifies that processes have not been applied appropriately, centres should review their judgements. Following this conversation, if a candidate remains dissatisfied, an appeal can be escalated to SQA.

Where a learner is not satisfied following this conversation, the learner or their centre could initiate an appeal to SQA. SQA would make all appeals decisions and would need to arrange access to all relevant information held within centres.

In these models, centres have a responsibility to explain and clarify their academic judgements and the local quality assurance approach when requested to do so by the learner (or their representative).

The consultation, which can be found here, will run until Friday 26 March. Details of the chosen appeals model are due to be published by the SQA in early May.