Why Highers?
Highers offer a broader, though less deep, education than "A" Level. It is possible to obtain unconditional offers on the basis of Highers from Scottish universities.
Higher examination is by a combination of internal assessments and final public examination.
Higher Still ?
The reform of the Scottish secondary examination structure, introduced in the Academic Year 1999-2000, was originally and misleadingly known as "Higher Still." In fact it is a range of qualifications, of which Higher is the summit for the VIths, designed to offer all secondary pupils the opportunity to achieve a qualification suited to their ability, rather than condemning the majority to leave school with a record of failures or examinations not taken.
The diagram shows the full range of these qualifications, the equivalent Standard Grades, and how pupils doing only Scottish examinations are expected to progress from Standard Grade to Higher Still.
Academy pupils will normally have taken GCSE rather than Standard Grade. At Grades A and B this is roughly the equivalent of a Standard Grade credit level. In those subjects where the syllabuses are compatible, Academy candidates normally expect to proceed by way of the Higher, and then on to "A" Level in the VIIths rather than Advanced Higher.
Absences
The time available for catching up work missed for any reason, including trips, matches, music lessons, university open days and so on, is much shorter than before, because of the system of internal assessments. If you know in advance that you are going to be absent, inform your teacher and ask for any work which will be covered in your absence.
In the case of sickness or other unavoidable absence, ensure that you obtain a copy of all notes, handouts, prep etc before the next class. It is your responsibility to catch up on the work that you have missed. Because part of the assessment is continuous, it is important that your attendance is good. Poor attendance, together with a failure to cover any work missed, will inevitably result in lack of success.
The two elements of assessment
1. Internal Assessment
These tests will normally take place soon after the students have completed a topic. The teacher will mark them. In some subjects, for guidance, it may be possible to grade these tests A-C. However in all subjects, for the purpose of the examination qualification, all that will be recorded is whether a candidate passed or failed the test. The actual Higher grade awarded depends only upon performance in the final examination. In order to be awarded the Higher, a candidate must pass all of these internal tests. If even one of them is failed, the only way to be awarded a Higher would be to obtain a grade A on the external assessment, which is an improbable combination of events. It is also important, should it prove necessary to submit an appeal in respect of the final examination result, that every one of the internal assessments was passed at the first attempt and at the highest possible grade. You should make every effort not to miss an internal assessment test. If you are unavoidably absent for one, you will go into the reassessment programme. For security reasons, you may not sit the same test that the rest of your group have taken. However, like everyone else, you will normally be allowed two chances at that area of internal assessment if necessary. |
2. Final Examination
Because the new Higher courses are longer than the old ones, teaching will continue into the summer term. Internal assessments will be required in the summer term in some subjects, and study leave will normally be confined to the external examination period itself. Your first Higher examination will come in mid May. PrelimsDuring February, pupils will have an opportunity to practise the type of papers which will be set for the final examinations. These may differ significantly from those set for internal assessments. The prelims also provide the primary evidence in any appeal which the school may make against a poorer than expected grade in the external assessment. AppealsThe appeals procedure in the Scottish system can sometimes raise the initially awarded result of a candidate by one grade. Examples of larger increases are so infrequent as to be for all practical purposes non-existent. The process relies upon a number of factors. A candidate must have been expected to perform much better in the final examination than he or she actually did. That expectation must have been based upon clear written evidence based on assessments taken across the whole syllabus that the candidate was capable of and had already achieved a higher standard. This evidence will invariably include a prelim and possibly a further paper produced under examination conditions later in the year. Evidence not produced under examination conditions is not persuasive. Timing of appealsThe Deputy Rector & Director of Studies will decide upon what appeals can be justiified; that is to say, have a reasonable prospect of success. To submit appeals that have no prospect of success is vexatious and may even imperil the prospects of those with good claims. Emergency appeals that are required for university entrance can be dealt with very quickly. Less urgent appeals are usually dealt with by October. |
ReassessmentShould you be unfortunate enough to fail an internal test, you will normally be allowed one further attempt. Since it is unlikely that class time will be available for such reassessments, all reassessments in all subjects will be organised through the Deputy Rector and supervised by him. These will normally take place during period 9 and thereafter and will take priority over all other activities. The reassessment will normally involve a different test of the same standard as the one failed. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, a second failure will normally result a candidate's Higher entry being withdrawn in the relevant subject. Since all reassessments, even if passed, are likely to mean missing class work and thus having to do extra work to catch up before the next test, it is a good idea to avoid them if possible. |
The main difference that parents will notice between the old Higher system which they may have experienced themselves and the new Higher is in assessment. The old system relied heavily on end of course examinations, perhaps supported in some subjects by a portfolio of coursework which had to be prepared before the end of the course. The new system still has an end of course examination, but much reduced in scale, and now supported by a series of internally assessed tests, which take place under examination conditions at intervals during the course. The number of these tests varies from subject to subject. 
This will be set and marked externally, and graded A-C. You must pass all the internal assessments as well as the final examination to pass the course and be awarded the appropriate qualification. This page is: Edinburgh Academy / curriculum / higher.htm
