Students and Post 16

• Introduction

• Assessment for Learning
• Exam Policy
• Exam Timetable
• Internal Appeals Procedure
• Learning Support
• Mathematics
• Peer Counsellors
• Senior Students
• Showcase of Student Work
• Student Council
• Student Support Area

Exam Policy

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Rationale

Public examinations provide vital summative assessment, generally at the end of a key stage. This assessment gives information to students, parents, other education institutions, local authority and government agencies and employers about knowledge, understanding and skills achieved. To this end the school participates willingly in the administration of these examinations in the best interests of the students and the school. In addition other internally set and marked examinations may take place at other stages in a student’s progress through the school in order to both prepare for public examinations and check student learning.

Purposes

To ensure that:

• The exams system in this school combines entitlement with flexibility
• Students are given the opportunity to demonstrate the highest achievement of which they are capable. Competent administration helps them to achieve their best
• Students undertake examinations knowing what is expected of them in terms of preparation and behavior
• Students are guided in their decisions about whether to withdraw an examination entry and do so with full knowledge of the implications for their careers or further education
• Staff understand fully their obligations and responsibilities with relation to examinations and coursework
• The school meets the requirements of examination security and is properly equipped to undertake the administration of examinations, including data processing and a results service
• Community education is provided with an administrative centre for GCSE and A level entries
• Accurate examination data is available to inform target setting
• Curriculum planning, target setting and careers links take into account up-to-date information on the current examinations system

Guidelines

Responsibilities for public examinations:

• Headteacher, overall responsibility for the school as an examinations centre
• Deputy head, organisation of teaching and learning and therefore of the opportunities for external validation of courses followed at key stages 4 and post 16
• Heads of key stage, guidance and pastoral oversight of students who are unsure about examination entries or where alteration of the initial entry is made, involvement in post-results procedures
• Exams officer, administration of entries, relevant communication with the examination boards, posting of examination papers and the post results procedures paperwork, organisation of examination sessions and examination data
• Head of careers, guidance and careers information

At key stage 3

• It is the expectation that all students will take English, maths and science NCTs at the end of KS3 (and be involved in ICT online testing from 2006)
• The school will consider the use of intervention or booster strategies in connection with any students who are unlikely to attain the minimum level
• If it is felt inappropriate for a student to take an individual subject or all NCTs, this decision should be made based on evidence and in consultation with the student, parents/carers, Head of Learning Support, subject leader, subject teacher and head of key stage
• Any such decision should be made by the end of January in the year of the examination and after intervention strategies have been put in place

At key stage 4 and post-16

• All students should be entitled to and enabled to achieve an entry for qualifications from an external awarding body
• If a student’s entry in any subject is to be withdrawn there must be an initial concern form completed by the subject teacher in consultation with the subject leader. The student, parents/carers, the head of key stage, the subject leader, subject teacher and if necessary Connexions and the head of careers should be involved before a final decision is made
• All students will be monitored carefully throughout their time at the school, and coursework and attitude notified to the head of key stage using concern forms as soon as they arise
• Any proposed major changes to the examination board, style or timing of examinations, e.g. modular courses, must be discussed and approved by the leadership group based on information given by the relevant subject leader
• Amendment of entries which incur a financial penalty from the examination boards will be charged to subjects if they arise from that subject’s error or omission
• Changes of tier, withdrawals made by the proper procedures and alterations arising from administrative processes will not be charged to subjects

The school may impose a charge equal to the financial charges levied by examination boards on:

• Students whose entries are withdrawn because of lack of coursework
• Students who make a decision to sit or not to sit an examination after the late entry/withdrawal deadline
• Students who fail to attend an examination and do not produce medical evidence or evidence of other mitigating circumstances. This will be communicated to students and parents/carers at the start of GCSE and post 16 courses

At post-16

• It is expected that AS modules will be completed during year 12
• Under normal circumstances, students will be permitted to re-sit in each subject at AS and A2 level at their own expense. This policy will be communicated to students and parents/carers at the start of year 12
• Re-sit decisions will be made in consultation with the student, subject teacher and subject leader, head of post-16 and examinations officer
• After the release of results, subject teachers may request the return of papers or a re-mark at the school’s expense. If a student requires this service he/she will be charged
• Under normal circumstances AS certification after one year will be sought.

Examination appeals procedures

The school is committed to ensuring that whenever its staff assess students’ work for external qualification, this is done fairly, consistently and in accordance with the specification for the qualification concerned. Assessments should be conducted by staff who have appropriate knowledge, understanding and skills. Students’ work should be produced and authenticated according to the requirements of the examination board. Where a set of work is divided between staff, consistency should be assured by internal moderation and standardisation. If students believe that this may not have happened in relation to his/her work, he/she may make use of this appeals procedure. Note that appeals may only be made against the process that led to the assessment and not against the mark or grade. The existence of this procedure is made known to students by reference at the start of examinations courses and in this examinations policy, which is available for inspection on request.

1. Appeals should be made as soon as possible, and must be made at least two weeks before the end of the last externally assessed paper in the examinations series.
2. Appeals should be made in writing to the examinations officer who will investigate the appeal. If the examinations officer was directly involved in the assessment in question, he/she will appoint another member of staff of similar or greater seniority to conduct the investigation. Likewise if the examination officer is not able to conduct the investigation for any other reason.
3. The person conducting the investigation will decide whether the process used for the internal assessment conformed with the requirements of the awarding body and examination code of practice of the QCA. This will be done before the end of the series.
4. The result of the appeal will be made known in writing to the parties concerned, together with any correspondence with the awarding body, any changes made to the assessment of the piece of work in question and any changes made for the future.
5. A written record of the appeal will be kept and made available to the awarding body at their request. Should the appeal bring any significant irregularity to light, the awarding body will be informed.

After work has been assessed internally it is moderated by the awarding body to ensure consistency between centres. Such moderation frequently changes the marks awarded for internally assessed work. That is outside the control of the school and is not covered by this procedure. Details of the appeals procedure for the relevant awarding body are available from the examination officer.

GCSE and A level results service

• When results are published appropriate staff will distribute results, be available to give guidance to students and prepare data for publication and monitoring purposes
• This service will be supported by member(s) of the administrative staff.
• Any requests for Post Examination procedures (re-marks, copies of scripts etc.) will be undertaken by the Exams Officer after consultation with the candidate/parents/Subject Leader.

Internal examinations

• The exact nature of summative assessment in each subject will be determined ultimately by the subject leader within the rationale and purposes of this policy and other related policies
• The examinations officer will co-ordinate end of year written examinations in KS3 to ensure an even distribution of testing across the allotted time span
• The cost of internal examination papers is the responsibility of subject areas

Date of policy: October 2005 Date for review: October 2006