Examinations Policy
Primary person responsible for this policy: Leila Mobayen
Job title: Deputy Head
Last review date: June 2024
Next Review date: June 2025
Circulation: This policy has been adopted by the governors and is available to parents on request. It is addressed to all members of staff and volunteers and applies wherever they are working with children.
‘Parents’ refers to parents, guardians, and carers.
Examinations Policy
The purpose of this exams policy is:
- to ensure the planning and management of exams is conducted efficiently and in the best interests of candidates.
- to ensure the operation of an efficient exams system with clear guidelines for all relevant staff.
- to ensure the Centre complies with Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) regulations and awarding body guidelines.
It is the responsibility of everyone involved in the centre’s exam processes to read, understand, and implement this policy.
The exams policy will be reviewed every two years.
The exams policy will be reviewed by the Head of Centre, Senior Leadership Team, and Examinations Manager.
Where references are made to JCQ regulations/guidelines, further details can be found at www.jcq.org.uk.
Internal Exams
Principles
Pupils need to master large amounts of course material in order to recall and apply it in a variety of forms under examination conditions.
Successful examination technique needs to be taught to pupils at each stage of their academic careers, and they need plenty of opportunity to practise the increasingly complex and specialised skills involved.
There clearly needs to be a balance between teaching and learning and examining. The scheduling of school examinations is therefore regularly reviewed.
The annual internal exam schedule:
| Time in academic year: | Year group(s) involved: |
| January – 1 week after Christmas | All year groups – assessments within lessons |
| Summer Term – after Easter | GCSE – assessments within lessons |
| Summer Term – before the End of Year | All year groups – Assessments in lessons |
Teaching and practising examination techniques
It is essential that the examination techniques needed to succeed at each stage are explicitly taught and practised. The internal exam schedule offers the opportunity to refine these skills. Schemes of work must ensure that pupils are tested in a variety of ways, including tests of memory and writing essays under timed conditions and problem solving under timed conditions. End of unit tests should be scheduled at appropriate points in the course.
The consistent message to pupils must be that exams are to be taken seriously and appropriately prepared for.
Setting exams
Examinations should test the syllabus covered by the whole cohort by presenting questions and tasks of differentiated challenge to produce an accurate reflection of all pupils’ competencies.
Within a department the people responsible for setting each internal examination should be agreed well in advance (doing this at the start of the school year is recommended) giving individuals plenty of time to produce professional exam papers with a coherent mark scheme, for sign off by the department.
Appendix 1: Rules for Pupils doing Internal Exams
- You must be in the exam room throughout every session.
- Leave your bags and switched off mobile locked in your locker or in your bag on the bag rack. Do NOT bring your phone to the exam room.
- Make sure you have all you need for each session – the correct equipment for exams, a reading book in case you finish early, and enough revision material during a revision session, if that is allowed in that session.
- The permitted materials for each exam (writing equipment, ruler etc) must be kept in a transparent plastic pencil case or bag on your desk.
- Do not talk or communicate in any way with another pupil under any circumstance during an exam. Please put your hand up if you need help.
- During your revision sessions you must revise in silence. Others around you will be doing exams.
- A transparent water bottle with no writing or labels is permitted.
- Go to the toilet before the exam session. Do not expect to be let out during a session.
Exam responsibilities
The Head of Centre
- Has overall responsibility for the school/college as an exams centre and advises on appeals and re-marks.
- Is responsible for reporting all suspected or actual incidents of malpractice – refer to the JCQ document Suspected Malpractice in Examinations and Assessments.
- Appoints a member of staff to provide analysis of exam results.
Examinations Manager
- Manages the administration of internal exams and external exams.
- Advises the senior leadership team, subject and class tutors, and other relevant support staff on annual exams timetables and procedures as set by the various awarding bodies.
- Preparation for and organise all exams, both internal and external, in accordance with the regulations laid down by the regulators and awarding bodies. This includes displaying the correct exam posters as per JCQ regulations.
- Oversees the production and distribution, to all centre staff and candidates, of an annual calendar for all exams in which candidates will be involved and communicates regularly with staff concerning imminent deadlines and events.
- Ensures that candidates and their parents are informed of and understand those aspects of the exams timetable that will affect them.
- Consults with teaching staff that the necessary coursework and/or controlled assessments are completed on time and in accordance with JCQ guidelines.
- Provides and confirms detailed data on estimated entries.
- Maintains systems and processes to support the timely entry of candidates for their exams.
- To carry out subject examination entries to awarding bodies.
- To receive and store all examination papers as they arrive and be responsible for all examination stationery.
- To ensure examination papers, coursework and estimated grade forms are dispatched to the exam board/examiners as required by each awarding body.
- With SENCO: administers access arrangements and makes applications for special consideration following the regulations in the JCQ publication A guide to the special consideration process.
- Disseminate all relevant exam regulations paperwork to students and brief students about these regulations.
- Identifies and manages exam timetable clashes.
- Maintain accurate records for all examinations, including seating plans, student exam cards and registers.
- Accounts for income and expenditures relating to all exam costs/charges.
- Ensures candidates’ coursework / controlled assessment marks are submitted, and any other material required by the appropriate awarding bodies correctly and on schedule.
- Tracks, dispatches, and stores returned coursework / controlled assessments.
- Arranges for dissemination of exam results and certificates to candidates and forwards, in consultation with SLT, any post results service requests.
Heads of Departments
- Guidance and pastoral oversight of candidates who are unsure about exams entries or amendments to entries.
- Accurate completion of entry and all other mark sheets and adherence to deadlines as set by the Exams Manager.
- Accurate completion of coursework / controlled assessment mark sheets and declaration sheets.
- Decisions on post-results procedures.
Teachers
- Supplying information on entries, coursework and controlled assessments as required by the Head of Department and/or Exams Manager.
The Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO)
- Identification and testing of candidates’ requirements for access arrangements and notifying the Exams Manager in good time so that they are able to put in place exam day arrangements
- Process any necessary applications in order to gain approval (if required).
- Working with the Exams Manager to provide the access arrangements required by candidates in exams rooms.
- Apply for special consideration as and when required.
Invigilators
- Support the Exams Manager when preparing the exams room
- Assist with the collection of exam papers and all relevant equipment from the exams office prior to the examination.
- Supervise students and ensure JCQ ‘Instructions for conducting examinations’ are adhered to.
- Assist with the smooth and efficient running of the examinations.
- Collection of all exam papers in the correct order at the end of the exam and ensuring their return to the Exams Office.
Candidates
- Confirmation and signing of entries.
- Ensure they know the date, time and location of all their exams.
- Understanding coursework / controlled assessment regulations and signing a declaration that authenticates the coursework or controlled assessment as their own.
- Ensure they abide by and are aware of the JCQ information for candidates for written and on-line examinations.
- Ensure they are aware of all deadlines for coursework / controlled assessments, entries and post results requests and that they meet stated deadlines.
The statutory tests and qualifications offered.
The statutory tests and qualifications offered at this centre are decided by the Head of Centre and Heads of Faculties.
The statutory tests and qualifications offered are GCSE, iGCSE, GCE and Functional Skills.
The college offers its own suite of exams within the International Foundation Programme (IFP) that is examined under the same conditions as statutory tests.
The subjects offered for these qualifications in any academic year may be found in the centre’s published prospectus or similar documents for that year. If there is to be a change of specification for the next year, the Exams Manager must be informed as soon as the decision is made.
Informing the Exams Manager of changes to a specification is the responsibility of the Head of Department.
Decisions on whether a candidate should not be entered for a particular subject will be taken in consultation with the subject teacher, Head of Year, Principal and the candidates’ parents/carers.
Exam seasons and timetables
Internal exams and assessments are scheduled in the College Academic Calendar.
External exams and assessments are scheduled in the Examinations Academic Year Planner and Examinations Organiser.
Internal exams are held under external exam conditions.
Exam seasons
Internal exams are scheduled in December and March.
External exams are scheduled in November (resits), May and June.
Internal exams in Years 11, 12 and 13 are held under external exam conditions.
The Head of Centre decides on which exam series are used in the college.
Timetables
The Exams Manager will circulate the exam timetables for both external and internal exams once these are confirmed.
- Entries, late entries, and retakes
Entries
It is the Head of Departments responsibility to check that all entry codes and details are correct and to advise the Exams Manager of any amendments.
It is the students’ responsibility to check that all entries and personal details are correct and to advise the Exams Manager of any amendments by the stated deadlines.
Candidates are selected for their exam entries by their subject teachers.
A candidate or parent/carer can request a subject entry, change of level or withdrawal, which must be agreed by the Head of Faculty. Any entries requested by the student or parent/carer and not supported by the subject teacher must be paid for by the student.
The centre does not act as an exam centre for other organisations.
Late Entries
Entry deadlines are circulated to all departments via e-mail, Abbey Times and general exam meetings.
Late entries are authorised by Heads of Faculties and will incur penalty fees from the awarding bodies, which will be payable by the subject/department.
Retakes
Candidates are allowed a reasonable number of retakes per subject in AS and A2 levels. GCSE retakes will be allowed in exceptional circumstances and to ensure compliance with attainment requirements.
Retake decisions will be made in consultation with the candidates.
- Exam fees
All fees are set out in the ‘Fees Sheet’.
Amendments to entries incur extra cost.
All fees (course fees and separate examination fees where applicable) must be paid before students take public examinations. Students with unpaid fees may have their examination entries withdrawn.
Candidates or departments will not be charged for changes of tier, withdrawals made by the proper procedures or alterations arising from administrative processes, provided these are made within the time allowed by the awarding bodies.
Exam fees are included in the tuition fees. Late entries will incur a standard late entry fee of £80 per A-level or GCSE exam and will be invoiced and must be paid before the entry can be made. Late entry deadlines are: 4th October 2021 for November 2021 exams and 21st February 2022 for Summer 2022 exams series. Students are responsible for making sure their entries are correct and have two opportunities to check their entries.
- The Equality Act, Disability Discriminations Act, special needs and Access Arrangements
The Equality Act
The Equality Act 2010 extends the application of the Equality Act to general qualifications. All exam office staff must ensure that the Access Arrangements Regulations and Guidance are consistent with the law.
Special needs
A candidate’s special needs requirements are determined by the SENCO.
The SENCO will inform subject teachers of candidates with special educational needs who are embarking on a course leading to an exam, and the date of that exam. The SENCO can then inform the examinations team of any special arrangements that individual candidates may be granted during the course and in the exam.
Access Arrangements
A candidate’s Access Arrangements requirement is determined by the SENCO and then confirmed by an awarding body.
Making Access Arrangements for candidates to sit exams is the responsibility of the SENCO.
Submitting completed Access Arrangement applications to the awarding bodies is the responsibility of Exams Manager/SENCO.
Rooming and invigilation for Access Arrangements candidates will be arranged by the Exams Officer.
Contingency planning
Contingency planning for exams administration is the responsibility of the Head of Centre and the Exams Manager.
JCQ advice to centres: ANNEX A
Reference to contingency planning can be found in the College Business Contingency Plan.
- Emergency evacuation procedures
Emergency evacuation procedures can be found in ANNEX B
Estimated grades
Heads of Departments are responsible for submitting estimated grades to the Exams Manager when requested by the Exams Manager and exam boards.
Managing Invigilators and exam days
Managing Invigilators
External invigilators will be used for exam supervision. They will be used for all external and internal exams as timetabled by the exams office.
The recruitment of invigilators is the responsibility of the Exams Manager.
Securing the necessary Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) clearance for new invigilators is the responsibility of the college administration.
Invigilators are timetabled, trained, and briefed by the Exams Manager.
Exam days
The Exams Officer will book all exam rooms after liaison with other users and make the question papers, other exam stationery and materials available for the invigilator.
The exams team and invigilators are responsible for setting up the exam desk and chair requirements in allocated rooms.
The Lead Invigilator/Exams Manager will start all exams in accordance with JCQ guidelines.
Subject staff may be present prior to the start of the exam to assist with identification of candidates but will not be allowed to enter the exam room or advise on which questions are to be attempted.
In practical exams subject teachers may be on hand in case of technical difficulties.
Exam papers must not be read by subject teachers or removed from the exam room. Papers will be distributed to Heads of Departments by the Lead Invigilator and/or Exams Manager.
The Head of Centre and Exams Manager are responsible for investigating suspected malpractice.
Candidates, identification, clashes and special consideration
Candidates
The Exams Manager will provide written information to candidates in advance of each exam series. A formal briefing session for candidates will be given during college assembly time.
During registration for each examination the identity of each candidate will be checked by the senior member of staff taking the register where each candidate will hand in their college security identification card.
In the exam room candidates must not have access to items other than those clearly allowed in the instructions on the question paper, the stationery list, or the specification for that subject. This is particularly true of mobile phones and other electronic communication or storage devices with text or digital facilities. Any precluded items must not be taken into an exam room.
Disruptive candidates are dealt with in accordance with JCQ guidelines.
Candidates are expected to stay for the full exam time at the discretion of the Exams Officer/Lead Invigilator.
Candidates may only leave the exam room for a genuine purpose, as agreed by the Lead Invigilator, and will be accompanied by a member of staff and returned immediately to the exam room.
Student Services will attempt to contact any candidate who is not present at the start of an exam and deal with them in accordance with JCQ guidelines.
Clashes
The Exams Manager and Heads of Years will be responsible for identifying clash candidates, arranging supervision within the centre or arranging overnight supervision as necessary according to the JCQ Instructions for Conducting Exams.
Special consideration
Should a candidate be unable to attend an exam because of illness, suffer bereavement or other trauma or be ill during the exam itself, then it is the candidate’s responsibility to alert the centre’s Head of Year or Exams Manager to that effect.
Any special consideration claim must be supported by appropriate evidence within five days of the exam, for example a letter from the candidate’s doctor.
The SENCO will then submit a special consideration application to the relevant awarding body prior to the JCQ deadline date.
- Reviews of marking – centre assessed marks (GCSE controlled assessments, GCE coursework, GCE and GCSE non-examination assessments and Project qualifications)
MTO International Persian School is committed to ensuring that whenever its staff mark candidates’ work this is done fairly, consistently and in accordance with the awarding body’s specification and subject-specific associated documents.
Candidates’ work will be marked by staff who have appropriate knowledge, understanding and skill, and who have been trained in this activity. MTO International Persian School is committed to ensuring that work produced by candidates is authenticated in line with the requirements of the awarding body. Where a number of subject teachers are involved in marking candidates’ work, internal moderation and standardisation will ensure consistency of marking.
- Results, Enquiries About Results (EARs) and Access to Scripts (ATS)
Results
Candidates will receive individual results slips on results days in person at the centre and e-mailed via In Touch.
The results slip will be in the form of a centre produced document.
Third parties may collect candidate’s results only with prior written authorisation from the candidate to the Exams Officer or Student Services Manager.
Uncollected results will be posted to the candidate’s address on the school information system.
Arrangements for the college to be open on results days are made by the Head of Centre.
EARs
Where a candidate or subject teacher is unhappy with the mark awarded for a particular externally marked exam, a clerical check or review of original marking may be requested via the exams office. The candidate will be required to acknowledge that his/her grade may be confirmed, raised or lowered.
ATS
Candidates may request the return of their scripts for which they will be charged by the exam board fee.
College staff may also request scripts for investigation of for teaching purposes. For the latter, the consent of candidates must be obtained.
Review of marking cannot be applied for once a script has been returned.
Certificates
Candidates may collect their certificates in person. If they are unable to attend they will be posted to their home address.
Certificates can be collected on behalf of a candidate by third parties, provided they have written authority from the candidate to do so, and bring suitable identification with them that confirms who they are.
A new certificate will not be issued by an awarding organisation. A transcript of results may be issued if a candidate agrees to pay the costs incurred.
Head of Centre Exams Manager
Hamid Rahbari Sholeh Keshavarz
Date Date
17th August 2023………… 17th August 2023……
ANNEX A
JCQ Advice to centres: Examinations during severe weather conditions and periods of disruption
Awarding bodies have well-rehearsed processes in place to deal with disruption caused by severe weather conditions, which ensure that no student is disadvantaged.
It is important to note that rescheduling the examinations is not an option due to the consequences this would have across the system. For example, it would reduce significantly the amount of time schools and colleges have to teach, and students to learn, in preparation for the summer examination series. The integrity of the question papers could also be compromised, as the task of ensuring that all schools and colleges do not offer the examinations on the original scheduled date would be difficult to undertake and guarantee.
Taking all the factors in to account, drawing upon experience of previous years such as the disruption caused by adverse weather conditions in 2010 and 2011, and in consultation with the regulators, awarding bodies have agreed the following:
Wherever possible the examinations should be conducted according to the centre’s published examination timetable.
If conditions are so severe that a decision is made to close the school or college, whether by the local authority or the senior leadership team, or where a school or college remains open but some individual candidates are unable to reach it because of extreme weather conditions, and no alternative arrangements can be made to take the examination at a different location, then the options are:
• Where candidates are entered for examinations, but this is not their terminal (final) examination series, they may be entered again for the June 2012 series.
• Where candidates are sitting units as part of their terminal examination series or no further re-sit opportunity is available, then an application for Special Consideration may be made. The candidate must meet the published criteria for Special Consideration as indicated in the JCQ publication, Access Arrangements, Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration.
There is a published contingency plan for the examinations system at
http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/files/2010-12-13-joint-contingency-plan-nov-2011-v5.pdf
Additional guidance is also available on the websites of individual awarding bodies and students should contact their school or college for further information.
JCQ can be contacted on 0207 638 4132 or via email: info@jcq.org.uk
ANNEX B
Emergency evacuation procedure for examinations
The invigilator must take the following action in an emergency such as a fire alarm or a bomb alert:
- Stop the candidates from writing
- Collect the attendance register (in order to ensure all candidates are present)
- Evacuate the examination room in line with the instructions given by the appropriate authority
- Advise candidates to leave all question papers and scripts in the examination room
- Candidates should leave the room in silence
- Make sure that the candidates are supervised as closely as possible while they are out of the examination room to make sure there is no discussion about the examination
- Make a note of the time of the interruption and how long it lasted
- Allow the candidates the full working time set for the examination
- If there are only a few candidates, consider the possibility of taking the candidates (with question papers and scripts) to another place to finish the examination
- Make a full report of the incident and of the action taken, and send to the relevant awarding body
ANNEX C
Reviews of marking – centre assessed marks (GCSE controlled assessments, GCE coursework, GCE and GCSE non-examination assessments and project qualifications)
- MTO International Persian School will ensure that candidates are informed of their centre assessed marks so that they may request a review of the centre’s marking before marks are submitted to the awarding body.
- MTO International Persian School will inform candidates that they may request copies of materials to assist them in considering whether to request a review of the centre’s marking of the assessment.
- MTO International Persian School will, having received a request for copies of materials, promptly make them available to the candidate.
- MTO International Persian School will provide candidates with sufficient time in order to allow them to review copies of materials and reach a decision.
5. MTO International Persian School will provide a clear deadline for candidates to submit a request for a review of the centre’s marking. Requests will not be accepted after this deadline. Requests must be made in writing.
- MTO International Persian School will allow sufficient time for the review to be carried out, to make any necessary changes to marks and to inform the candidate of the outcome, all before the awarding body’s deadline.
7. MTO International Persian School will ensure that the review of marking is carried out by an assessor who has appropriate competence, has had no previous involvement in the assessment of that candidate and has no personal interest in the review.
8. MTO International Persian School will instruct the reviewer to ensure that the candidate’s mark is consistent with the standard set by the centre.
9. MTO International Persian School will inform the candidate in writing of the outcome of the review of the centre’s marking.
10. The outcome of the review of the centre’s marking will be made known to the head of centre. A written record of the review will be kept and made available to the awarding body upon request.
The moderation process carried out by the awarding bodies may result in a mark change, either upwards or downwards, even after an internal review. The internal review process is in place to ensure consistency of marking within the centre, whereas moderation by the awarding body ensures that centre marking is line with national standards. The mark submitted to the awarding body is subject to change and should therefore be considered provisiona
ANNEX D
Examinations Contingency Plan
This plan examines potential risks and issues that could cause disruption to the management and administration of the exam process at MTO International Persian School. By outlining actions and procedures to be invoked in case of disruption. It is intended to mitigate the impact these disruptions have on our exam process.
This plan complies with JCQ general regulations (section 5) in that:
The centre agrees to “have in place a written examination contingency plan/examinations policy which covers all aspects of examination administration. This will allow members of the senior leadership team to
have a robust contingency plan in place, minimising risk to examination administration, should the
examinations officer be absent at a crucial stage of the examination cycle;”
Causes of potential disruption to the exam process
1-Exam Officer – extended absence at key points in the exam cycle
periods e.g. very late arrival, suspected malpractice, special consideration
Centre actions:
Criteria for implementation of the plan Key tasks required in the management and administration of the exam cycle not undertaken including:
awarding body specifications being delivered
early information required by teaching staff
conditions
bodies/external moderators |
- SENDCo – extended absence at key points in the exam cycle
| Criteria for implementation of the plan
Key tasks required in the management and administration of the access arrangements process within the exam cycle not undertaken including:
external deadline
evidence from mock examinations to demonstrate each student’s normal way of working. Either the Examinations Officer or Assistant to step into this role |
- Teaching staff – extended absence at key points in the exam cycle
| Criteria for implementation of the plan
Key tasks not undertaken including:
Centre actions:
|
- Invigilators – lack of appropriately trained invigilators or invigilator absence
Criteria for implementation of the plan
Centre actions:
|
- Exam rooms – appropriate rooms or main venues unavailable at short notice
Criteria for implementation of the plan
Centre actions:
|
- Failure of IT systems
Criteria for implementation of the plan
Centre actions to mitigate the impact of the disruption:
|
- Disruption of teaching time – centre closed for an extended period
Criteria for implementation of the plan
Centre actions:
|
- Candidates unable to take examinations because of a crisis – centre remains open
Criteria for implementation of the plan
Centre actions:
|
- Centre unable to open as normal during the exams period
Criteria for implementation of the plan
Centre actions:
|
- Disruption in the distribution of examination papers
Criteria for implementation of the plan
Centre actions:
|
- Disruption to the transportation of completed examination scripts
Criteria for implementation of the plan
|
- Assessment evidence is not available to be marked
Criteria for implementation of the plan
Centre actions:
|
- Centre unable to distribute results as normal
Criteria for implementation of the plan
Centre actions:
|
Agreed on behalf of the Management Committee
Signed: Hamid Rahbari Date: 10/08/2023
| Date Implemented
June 2022 |
Future Review Dates | ||||||
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | |
| Date Reviewed | June/2023 | June 2024 | |||||
| Date Approved by Trustees | Aug/ 2023 | July 2024 | |||||
Further guidance to inform and implement contingency planning
Joint contingency plan in the event of widespread disruption to the examination system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/exam-system-contingency-plan-england-wales-and-northern-ireland/joint-contingency- plan-in-the-event-of-widespread-disruption-to-the-examination-system-in-england-wales-and-northern-ireland
JCQ
General regulations
http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/general-regulations
Guidance on alternative site arrangements
http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/forms
Instructions for conducting examinations
http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/ice—instructions-for-conducting-examinations
A guide to the special consideration process
GOV.UK
Emergencies and severe weather: schools and early years settings
https://www.gov.uk/emergencies-and-severe-weather-schools-and-early-years-settings
Teaching time lost due to severe weather conditions
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-time-lost-due-to-severe-weather-conditions/teaching-time-lost-due-to- severe-weather-conditions
Dispatch of exam scripts guide: Ensuring the service runs smoothly; Contingency planning