The schools’ Examinations Officer is responsible for administering all public examination arrangements and for oversight of students during exams, under the direct responsibility from the Head of Centre (Mr Tebay).

There is a team of adult invigilators who will be present during the exams at all times and who are supervised by the Exams Officer.

The Awarding Bodies or Examination Boards (AQA, OCR and Edexcel) set down strict criteria which must be followed for the conduct of exams, and the school is required to follow them precisely.

It is School policy to enter every student who is being taught a subject, for the most appropriate level of exam. Only by exception, after consultation with parents and with the written consent of the Deputy Head (Mr Hutchinson), will students not be entered.

Dates for exams are rigidly fixed by the Exam Boards and are subject to change until the final timetable has been distributed. The Examinations Officer cannot give actual dates for exams to parents or students in advance, wishing to book holidays. Parents are reminded that they require the Head Teacher’s permission to take students out of school and they book holidays during term time at their own risk. It is strongly against good practice, careful preparation and school policy to take holidays in term time.

Most of the subjects have an element of coursework included in them which has to be completed, marked and assessed and the marks and work sent to the Boards well before the formal exam sessions take place. The school sets deadlines that allow time for this process and to meet the board deadlines. These cannot be changed. Students who do not submit coursework on time will not be allocated a mark for this portion and their overall grade will suffer. They may also not be eligible for special consideration for the formal exams should they be ill as they will not have completed the minimum 35% of the course.

Study leave begins for Year 11 in May depending on individual progress.

Students receive their GCSE tick list which is completed and returned to the Exams Officer. After the entries from the Head of Department have been keyed onto the examination system, the Exams Officer will then cross check for any queries that may arise. These queries are then acted upon in one of two ways; she will speak to the student or the Head of Department depending on the type of query. Once all of the queries are dealt with students will then receive statements of entry. These should be checked and kept somewhere safe by the student as they are evidence that an entry has been made. This document has all the details that the student needs for their exam period. If there are any errors or concerns regarding their statements they must inform the Exams Officer immediately so that this can be checked.

This document serves two purposes:

1. To check that all entries have been made and are correct.
2. To inform parents that they undertake to pay the entry fees should their son/daughter fail to take the examination without good reason.

Once the examination boards have received entries, Statements of Entry will be issued showing the subjects entered with that board, and giving dates of the examination this will act as your own individual timetable. Sometimes students will receive an updated version of the statement if any amendments have been made, please destroy the original and replace it with the updated one.

Modular GCSE involve the written examinations on sections of the syllabus being taken at intervals throughout the course rather than all at the end.

Most modular sessions are in November, January and June according to the board which is used. Students have the opportunity to retake certain units on the advice of their subject teachers but the school only pays the entry fee if the original examination was missed through illness and a medical certificate was produced.

The main locations for written papers are in the Main Hall, the Gym or the Dining Hall. Students are asked to be there 10 minutes before the advertised start time to enable seating procedures to be carried out efficiently, and to allow for any unforeseen room changes. They are asked to wait quietly outside the room until invited to enter. Where a candidate sits will be determined by their candidate number, which appears on all statements of entry. The candidate will sit at the desk bearing a card with their name, candidate number and centre number on it. In the vestibule there will be a seating plan and any instructions needed for the a.m. and p.m. examinations that day. The arrangement follows examination board rules and the school cannot change it. When entering the exam room you must not talk to each other as this is dealt with as a serious breach of exam board rules.

The students will receive an overall timetable booklet and once all entries are correct and no amendments to be made your son/daughter will receive a personalised timetable. It is helpful if parents make sure a copy of this timetable is available to them at home with the days and times highlighted.

The oral examinations will start during the week after the Easter Holidays, you will be notified by your Language Teacher when your time will be for the exam. This is for French, German and Spanish

The exam boards dictate the permissible start times for exams. Students are asked to report no later than 8:50 a.m. for morning examinations and 1:20 p.m. for afternoon examinations. The length of examinations do vary, the times are indicated on the overall timetable booklet. Students will not be allowed out of an exam early for any reason.

Some students may also receive an allowance of extra time for the examinations and so their finishing times will be even later, extra time students generally take their exams in the Conference Room or in a separate room. This will be arranged by Mrs Ford and the Exams Officer prior to the exam and will be noted on the seating plan. It is the students’ responsibility to be aware of the start time of each exam, but parents should be warned there is a tendency for students to confuse a.m. and p.m. sessions. Please ensure your son/daughter checks his/her exam commitments for each day on the previous evening.

If a student is timetabled to sit two or more exams at the same time this is known as a clash. If these are for the same subject this is intentional on the part of the board and the exams are meant to run one after another. If not, then this should be picked up during the checking process, if it has not been picked up please inform the Exams Officer immediately, she will then decide the course of action to be taken which is usually to do one exam first then carry straight on with the other depending on the length of each paper.

Sometimes it may be necessary for the student to take one exam in the morning and then be supervised over the lunch period and take the second in the afternoon, this very rarely happens, but if it does the students should bring with them some lunch and a drink and some revision work to do. They are not allowed to communicate with any other student; if they do they are in breach of examination board rules and will be disqualified from that examination.

Adult external invigilators will supervise students under the direct management of the Exams Officer. Once students enter the exam room they must remain supervised and follow the invigilators instructions at all times. THEY DO NOT HELP WITH THE QUESTIONS. The invigilators are experienced in exam procedures and subject to strict regulation, references and police checks. They usually work in teams and can contact the Exams Officer to resolve any issues.

In some sessions, papers will be already open or on exam desks, these must not be opened until candidates are advised to do so.

Occasionally problems arise because a student’s number card is not where he/she thinks it should be. There are a number of possible reasons for this and the situation has to be investigated. Your son/daughter will be asked to wait at the front for a few moments whilst the invigilator on duty in that venue checks the entry and sorts the problem out with the Exam Officer. Every effort is made to keep these problems to a minimum and they will not prejudice any student’s chance of taking an examination for which he/she has been entered. Students who have been officially withdrawn from an examination will not be permitted to sit the papers.

If parents are aware that their son/daughter has got the timing of the examination wrong and has missed the starting time, they should telephone the school immediately and get a message to the Exams Officer. Depending on how long the exam has been in progress, it may be possible for the student to be admitted. However, we are bound by Examination board regulations on this matter. Normally students with a genuine reason and who are brought straight to school may be admitted within the first 30 minutes of the start time, after this time the board will decide whether to accept any paper sat. Students who arrive more than 1 hour after the start or after the end of the exam will not be admitted.

Students should bring writing equipment, coloured pencils, erasers etc. in a transparent plastic bag or pencil case. Non-transparent pencil boxes or cases will not be permitted in the examination room.

Pens should be black or blue. Some modular papers require the use of black biro only.

Some subject papers will require the use of dictionaries or set texts, and students will be advised by their subject teachers about this.

Students are responsible for ensuring that they bring everything they need to the examination.

Some items are strictly banned from exam rooms and should not be brought into school under any circumstances. The Exam Boards treat mere possession of these items as an infringement.

MOBILE PHONES (see below)
PERSONAL CD/TAPE/IPODS/MP3 PLAYERS

These items (which MUST be named) can be handed to an invigilator before the start of an exam, but the school cannot be responsible for the security of these items while the examination is in progress.

The use of tippex or correction pens is not permitted. Students should cross though work they do not wish to be marked.

Notes, papers and text books etc are only allowed in certain exams and students will be informed by the subject teachers in advance.

Students should not bring lucky mascots etc into the examination room.

No food items or chewing gum are allowed.

The regulations state that Mobile Phones are not to be brought into examination rooms under any circumstances. This applies to all public and school/mock examinations. They cause a disturbance to other students if they ring and can present opportunities for malpractice. Any student found to have a phone in the exam room will be reported to the appropriate examination board. Should this happen they are likely to be disqualified from that paper and possibly from the whole examination in that subject.

It is a very serious offence and our advice is that mobile phones should not be brought to school. We can take no responsibility for the security of mobile phones brought to school.

Students may bring a drink of water into the exam room preferably in a sports cap bottle to avoid any spillage. No fizzy drinks, cans or pouches will be allowed. Don’t forget that drinking too much may cause an issue since students may not be allowed to use toilet facilities during short exams due to issues of supervision.

Malpractice is the term that the Exam Boards use for any irregularity, or breach of the regulations of any form. The Exams Officer is required to, and will, report all infringements to the appropriate body and they will decide on what action to take based on the nature of the infringement. There is a tariff system of actions from which they can decide within limits and some infringements carry automatic loss of marks as a minimum penalty. The Exam Boards take the integrity of exams very seriously and it is important that students heed the Exam Officer’s instructions carefully.

A student who absents themselves from any examination without presenting a doctor’s note or a satisfactory reason for a request for special consideration will receive a grade based only on those elements of the examinations which have been marked.

Parents should be aware that the school will seek to recover the exam fees if a child does not turn up for an examination and parents be asked for a payment of between £20 - £25 per GCSE depending on the examining board in the event of absence. It is in all our interests to ensure that the examination budget is not wasted.

The Exams Officer, Head of Department or Senior Management will usually announce the exam formally, and students cautioned that they are subject to the regulations. These regulations and warnings are displayed outside the exam room as well as inside. Any instructions or board notices, changes to papers etc will be read out and the students asked to complete their details on the answer papers.

Attached to this booklet is a copy of a ‘Notice to Candidates’ produced by the Examining Bodies, which gives general guidelines for conduct, which must be observed.

The school and the examination boards regard breaches of examination regulations very seriously. Parents should please impress on your son/daughter the importance of good behaviour in an examination, as any activities that may disturb or upset other students will not be tolerated.

The Head of Centre Mr Tebay, and Examinations Officer, have the power to remove disruptive students.

Students are asked to wait quietly outside the exam room and to enter and leave in silence. This avoids disturbance to other students and does help to maintain a calm atmosphere for those students who are nervous about their exams.

Students who try to communicate with other students inside the exam room, or who create a disturbance will be asked to leave and the circumstances will be reported to the examination board. This may result in the student not receiving a grade for the whole of that examination.

Examinations are a school activity and students must wear normal uniform. We ask for the co-operation of parents in ensuring students are correctly dressed as we wish to avoid causing stress to students in the examination room by pointing out when they are not in correct uniform. All students know the uniform rules and it is their responsibility to ensure they observe them. Students not dressed properly or modestly will not be permitted to sit exams.

Please do not bring any other items such as jackets, jumpers, bags etc into school as there is no facility to store them. The school cannot accept any responsibility for items that are left outside the exam room.

Items of Jewellery, such as rings or bracelets should not be worn as they make a noise on the desk and would be deemed a disruption to other students, likewise keys around necks.

Even if you would not normally visit your doctor’s surgery for minor illnesses it is important that you do so at examination time if your child is ill. Your doctor will advise as to whether your son/daughter is fit to sit the examination. If the student takes the paper, your doctor should give you a letter, which the school can forward to the examination board asking for special consideration on the grounds of illness. If the student is unable through illness to sit a paper the board may, after examining the doctor’s letter and any evidence of performance on other papers, decide to award a grade. It is essential that you see your doctor on the day of the examination. Retrospective information is not accepted by the exams board and any doctors’ letters must be forwarded to the Examination Officer without delay, as there is a tight deadline.

Please telephone the school if your son/daughter will not be attending an examination or if he/she will be present but is unwell. It is often helpful for the invigilator to be aware that a student is not feeling well.

Please also be aware that any medical certificate must be accompanied by a note detailing the examinations to which it refers and the date on which the papers were sat. We cannot guarantee otherwise that all relevant examinations will be covered.

Students should use all the available time on their exams and spend any time at the end checking their answers. In any event they are not permitted to leave until the end of the exam. They must sit quietly at their desk so as not to disturb other students

Some candidates are eligible for extra time or special examination arrangements. These are normally identified by the school and appropriate applications made supported by an Educational Psychologist’s report, The Exam Officer and Head of Centre are empowered to grant up to 25% extra time, the provision of a Prompter or similar arrangements, but only given the correct evidence and at their sole discretion. The Learning Support Department will make arrangements for providing any other special assistance and inform the candidates of any special rooming arrangements. Any illness, or family circumstances, which may affect examination performance, arising shortly before or during the exams, should be notified as soon as possible to the Exams Officer so that an application for special consideration can be made to the boards. Parents should be aware that any adjustment is likely to be small and that no feedback is ever provided.

Examinations are inevitably a stressful time for some students and support from both school and parents can be helpful. The school provide advice about revision programmes and examination techniques, and if this is followed it should not be necessary for any student to work abnormally long hours during the revision period. It is probably helpful to discuss with your son/daughter how he/she intends to organise revision and to talk through any anxieties about particular techniques or subject matter. Testing knowledge of factual material can benefit the student if such help is requested, but often all that is needed is a quiet place to work and lots of encouragement. Students should get plenty of sleep and some opportunities for relaxation.

Students will have been informed by subject departments of the arrangements for return of books etc. Please ensure that all textbooks and equipment are returned promptly to school.

GCSE results usually arrive on the last Thursday of August and are available from the vestibule area at school from 11:00 am. The students will receive a school produced statement of result which gives all the results of you son/daughter GCSE’s (THIS IS NOT A GCSE CERTIFICATE).

It must be remembered that examinations can only measure performance on the day, and that students can do better or worse than anticipated for a variety of reasons. If there are serious grounds for concern about a result then the school can initiate an enquiry with the appropriate board. Details of the procedures and the fees involved are available from the Examinations Officer and the process should be started as soon as possible after consultation with the Head of Department concerned.

The final date for submission to the board is 20th September for Summer exams and 4 weeks after results for others. If there is an enquiry about the result, it must be pointed out to parents that there is also a possibility that the result could go down as well as up and that a charge will be made.

The examining boards issue certificates well after the examinations have taken place. The certificates are presented to the students at the end of November at the Year 11 Presentation evening which you will receive details about on the letter which students collect when they get their results, on this letter you will receive details on when your son/daughter’s coursework can be collected as well.

Students wishing for a relative or friend to collect their results must send a signed letter of authorisation with the collector. Results will only be given over the phone by prior arrangement with the Exams Officer.

If you wish to have your results posted to you, you must supply a 1st class stamped addressed envelope to the Exams Officer before you leave school in May.

If you do not collect the certificates from the presentation evening, they can be collected from the Exams Officer in school. The Certificates will not be sent home after the presentation evening, they will stay in school and if not claimed will be sent back to the Examination Boards after 1 year.