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Examinations Policy 2016-2017

Reviewed by: Mrs D Browning Date: Oct 2016

Nominated Portfolio: Achievement, Progress & Intervention

Review Date: Annually

Due regard has been given to the Equalities Act 2010

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Contents

1. The Centre Examinations Policy

2. Examination Responsibilities

3. Qualifications Offered 4. Examination Series

5. Timetables 6. Entries, Entry Details and Late Entries 7. Examination Fees 8. Equality Legislation

9. Access Arrangements

10. Contingency Planning

11. Private Candidates 12. Estimated Grades 13. Managing Invigilators

14. Malpractice

15. Examination Days 16. Candidates

17. Clash Candidates

18. Special Consideration 19. Internal Assessment 20. Results

21. Enquiries about Results (EAR)

22. Access to Scripts (ATS) 23. Certificates

Appendix 1

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1. The Centre Examinations Policy

The purpose of this examination policy is: To ensure the planning and management of exams both written and on-line are 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.

It is the responsibility of everyone involved in the centre's examination process to read, understand, and implement this policy.

This examination policy will be reviewed every year by the Examinations Officer.

Where references are made to JCQ regulations/guidelines, further details can be found at www.jcq.org.uk.

2. Examination Responsibilities

The Head of Centre: Has overall responsibility for the school/college as an examination centre and advises on appeals

and re-marks. Is responsible for reporting all suspected or actual incidents of malpractice. Please refer to the JCQ

document Suspected Malpractice in Examinations and Assessments. Examination Officer1: Manages the administration of internal, external and online examinations in accordance with JCQ

regulations and guidelines. Advises the Senior Leadership Team, subject and class tutors, and other relevant support staff on

annual examination timetables and procedures, as set by the various awarding bodies. Oversees the production and distribution to all centre staff and candidates, of an annual calendar

for all examinations 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 examination timetable that will affect them.

Checks 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 examinations. Receives checks and securely stores all exam papers and completed scripts and ensures that

scripts are dispatched as per the guidelines. Administers access arrangements and makes applications for special consideration following the

regulations in the JCQ publications for access arrangements, reasonable adjustments and special consideration.

Identifies and manages examination timetable clashes.

1 This is the individual to whom the Head of Centre has delegated responsibility for the administration of exams in

their centre.

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Accounts for income and expenditures relating to all exam costs/charges. Organises the recruitment, training and monitoring of a team of exams invigilators responsible for

the conduct of examinations. 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 examination results and certificates to candidates and forwards, in

consultation with the SLT, any post results service requests.

Heads of Department/Faculty are responsible for:

Guidance and pastoral oversight of candidates who are unsure about examination entries or amendments to entries.

Accurate completion of entry and all other mark sheets and adherence to deadlines as set by the Examinations Officer.

Accurate completion of coursework / controlled assessment mark sheets and declaration sheets. Decisions on post-results procedures. Keeping the Examinations Officer up to date with any entry amendments Teachers are responsible for: Supplying information on entries, coursework and controlled assessments as required by the Head

of Faculty and/or Examinations Officer. The SENCO is responsible for: Identification and testing of candidates’ requirements for access arrangements and notifying the

Examinations Officer in good time so that they are able to process any necessary applications in order to gain approval (if required).

Working with the Examinations Officer to provide the access arrangements required by candidates in exams rooms.

Invigilators are responsible for: Assisting the Examinations Officer in the efficient running of exams according to JCQ regulations. Collection of examination papers and other material from the examinations office before the start

of the exam. Collection of all examination papers in the correct order at the end of the examination and

ensuring their return to the examinations office. Candidates are responsible for: Confirmation and signing of entries. Understanding coursework / controlled assessment regulations and signing a declaration that

authenticates the coursework as their own. Ensuring they conduct themselves in all examinations according to the JCQ regulations.

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3. Qualifications Offered

The qualifications offered at this centre are decided by the Senior Leadership Team. The types of qualifications offered are GCSE, GCE, Cambridge Nationals and BTEC. 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 office must be informed by 30 September.

Informing the examinations office of changes to a specification is the responsibility of the Heads of Faculty.

Decisions on whether a candidate should be entered for a particular subject will be taken by the Senior Leadership Team in consultation with the Heads of Faculty.

4. Examination Series

Internal examinations (mock exams) and assessments are scheduled in accordance with the school curriculum.

External examinations and assessments are scheduled in the Summer. Internal examinations are held under external exam conditions. The centre does offer some assessments on an on-demand basis. If offered, on-demand

assessments can be scheduled only in windows agreed between the examining bodies and the subject teacher.

5. Examination Timetables

Once confirmed, the Examinations Officer will circulate the examination timetables for internal and external examinations at a specified date, before each series begins.

6. Entries, Entry Details and Late Entries

Candidates or parents/carers cannot request a subject entry, change of level or withdrawal. The centre may accept entries from private candidates, dependent upon certain criteria. The centre does not act as an exams centre for other organisations. Entry deadlines are circulated to Heads of Department/Faculty via email, internal memo, internal

post. Heads of Department/Faculty will provide estimated entry information to the Examinations Officer

to meet JCQ and awarding body deadlines. Entries and amendments made after an awarding organisation’s deadline (i.e. late) require the

authorisation, in writing, of the Head of Faculty. GCSE re-sits are allowed, but are required to comply with the exam board regulations. A2 re-sits are allowed. Re-sit decisions will be made by students in consultation with the subject teacher and

Examinations Officer.

7. Examination Fees

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.

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The Examinations Officer will publish the deadline for action well in advance for each examination series.

GCSE entry exam fees are paid by the centre. AS entry exam fees are paid by the centre. A2 entry exam fees are paid by the centre. Late entry or amendment fees are paid by the centre, but may be paid by the candidate in certain

circumstances. Re-sit fees are paid by the candidates.

8. Equality Legislation

All exam centre staff must ensure that they meet the requirements of any equality legislation. The centre will comply with the legislation, including making reasonable adjustments to the

service that they provide candidates in accordance with requirements defined by the legislation, awarding bodies, and JCQ. This is the responsibility of the Examinations Officer.

9. Access Arrangements

The SENCO will inform subject teachers of candidates with Special Educational Needs and any special arrangements that individual candidates will need during the course and in any assessments/exams.

A candidate's access arrangements requirement is determined by the SENCO. Ensuring there is appropriate evidence for a candidates access arrangement is the responsibility of

SENCO. Submitting completed access arrangement applications to the awarding bodies is the

responsibility of the Examinations Officer. Rooming for access arrangement candidates will be arranged by the Examinations Officer. Invigilation and support for access arrangement candidates, as defined in the JCQ access

arrangements regulations, will be organised by the Examinations Officer.

10. Contingency Planning

Contingency planning for examinations administration is the responsibility of the Examinations Officer.

Contingency plans are available via email, internal post, briefing meetings and are in line with the guidance provided by Ofqual, JCQ and awarding organisations.

11. Private Candidates

Managing private candidates is the responsibility of the Examinations Officer.

12. Estimated Grades

Subject Teachers are responsible for submitting estimated grades to the Examinations Officer when requested by the Examinations Officer.

13. Managing Invigilators

External staff will be used to invigilate examinations.

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These invigilators will be used for internal and external examinations. Recruitment of invigilators is the responsibility of the Examinations Officer. Securing the necessary Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance for new invigilators is the

responsibility of the personnel officer. DBS fees for securing such clearance are paid by the centre. Invigilators rates of pay are set by the Principal. Invigilators are recruited, timetabled, trained, and briefed by the Examinations Officer.

14. Malpractice

The head of centre in consultation with the Examinations Officer is responsible for investigating suspected malpractice.

15. Examination Days

The Examinations Officer will book all examination rooms after liaison with other users and make the question papers, other exam stationery, and materials available for the invigilator.

Site management staff are responsible for setting up the allocated rooms, and will be advised of requirements in advance.

The designated invigilator will start and finish all examinations in accordance with JCQ guidelines. Subject staff may be present prior to the start of the examination to assist with identification of

candidates. Any staff present must be in accordance with the rules defined by JCQ concerning who is allowed and what they can do.

In practical examinations, subject teachers’ availability will be in accordance with JCQ guidelines. Examination papers must not be read or removed by subject teachers without permission from

the Examinations Officer. Papers will be distributed to Heads of Faculty in accordance with JCQ’s recommendations and no later than 48 hours after all candidates have completed them.

After an examination, the Examinations Officer will arrange for the safe dispatch of completed examination scripts to awarding bodies, working in conjunction with the examinations assistant/invigilator.

16. Candidates

The Examinations Officer will provide written information to candidates in advance of each exam series.

The centre's published rules on acceptable dress and behaviour apply at all times. Candidates' personal belongings remain their own responsibility and the centre accepts no liability for their loss or damage.

In an examination 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.

Note: candidates who leave an examination room must be accompanied by an appropriate member of staff at all times.

The Examinations Officer is responsible for handling late or absent candidates on exam day.

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17. Clash Candidates

The Examinations Officer will be responsible as necessary for supervising escorts, identifying a secure venue and arranging overnight supervision.

18. Special Consideration

Should a candidate be unable to attend an exam because of illness, suffer bereavement or other trauma, be ill or otherwise disadvantaged or disturbed during an examination, then it is the candidate's responsibility to alert the centre's Examinations Officer to that effect.

The candidate must support any special consideration claim with appropriate evidence within 3 days of the examination.

The Examinations Officer will make a special consideration application to the relevant awarding body within 7 days of the last exam in the series of each subject.

19. Internal Assessment

It is the duty of Heads of Faculty to ensure that all internal assessment is ready for dispatch at the correct time. The Examinations Officer will assist by keeping a record of each dispatch, including the recipient details and the date and time sent.

Marks for all internally assessed work are provided to the examinations office by the subject teacher. The Examinations Officer will inform staff of the date when appeals against internal assessments must be made by. Any appeals will be dealt with in accordance with the centre’s Internal Appeals Procedure (IAP) document. (Appendix 1)

20. Results

Candidates will receive individual result slips on the day: In person at the centre By post to their home address - candidates to provide self-addressed envelope, if unable to attend

the centre. Collected and signed for. The results slip will be in the form of a centre produced document.

Arrangements for the centre to be open on results days are made by the Senior Leadership Team.

The provision of the necessary staff on results days is the responsibility of the Senior Leadership Team.

21. Enquiries about Results (EAR)

EARs may be requested by the candidate or centre staff following the release of results. A request for a re-mark or clerical check requires the written consent of the candidate, a request for a re-moderation of internally assessed work may be submitted without the consent of the group of candidates.

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The cost of EARs will be paid by the candidate or centre staff, where appropriate. All decisions on whether to make an application for an EAR will be made by the Examinations

Officer in consultation with the appropriate parties involved. If a candidate’s request for an EAR is not supported, the candidate may appeal and the centre will

respond by following the process in its Internal Appeals Procedure (IAP) document. (Appendix 1) All processing of EARs will be the responsibility of the Examinations Officer following the JCQ

guidance.

22. Access to Scripts (ATS)

After the release of results, candidates may request the return of written examination papers before the exam boards published deadline and on payment of the fee.

Centre staff may also request scripts for investigation or for teaching purposes. For the latter, the consent of candidates must be obtained.

Re-marks cannot be applied for once an original script has been returned. The cost of EARs will be paid by the candidate, unless agreed by the Senior Leadership Team. Processing of requests for ATS will be the responsibility of the Examinations Officer.

23. Certificates

Candidates will receive their certificates:

In person at the centre

Collected and signed for

At the certificates presentation evening held by the Academy 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.

The centre retains certificates for ten years. In the case of lost certificates, students need to contact the examining bodies via their websites.

There is a cost implication, which is payable by the student.

Head of Centre Examinations Officer Mrs K D Hardy Mrs D Browning Date 18th October 2016

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(Appendix 1)

East Leake Academy

Appeal Procedure for Internal and External Assessments and Enquiry About Results Centre Support Internal Assessment Appeals Process This applies to GCSE and GCE coursework, controlled assessments , performance etc. providing the work is assessed internally. East Leake Academy, acting in accordance with the JCQ Code of Practice for the conduct of examinations, is committed to ensuring that:

The school will comply fully with Joint Council guidelines. Internal assessments are conducted by staff who have the appropriate knowledge,

understanding and skills.

All staff responsible for standardisation have been properly trained. The consistency of internal assessment is secured through internal standardisation. Assessment evidence provided by candidates has been produced and authenticated

according to the requirements of the specification. N.B: Appeals may be made to the school regarding the procedures used for internal assessment, but not against the actual marks or grades submitted by the school for moderation by the awarding body. If at any stage during your exam courses you have a concern about the procedures used in assessing internally marked work for public exams (e.g. coursework/controlled assessments/ portfolio / projects), then you must, in the first instance, discuss this with your tutor, the teacher concerned, and/or the relevant Head of Faculty. Hopefully the issue will be resolved at this stage. If the matter is not resolved then you should see the Examinations Officer as soon as possible to discuss making a formal appeal. Any such appeal is very much a last resort, and a request for an appeal will not be accepted unless all these initial discussions have been exhausted. It is expected that formal appeals of this nature will be very rare. The appeal must be made in writing setting out the details of the complaint and the reason for the appeal. This must be received by the school before the end of the exam season in question. In the Summer, for example, the appeal must be lodged in sufficient time for the matter to be dealt with before the end of the Summer term, but in practice this should be lodged much earlier. On receipt of a written appeal, an enquiry into the internal assessment will be conducted by the Examinations Officer, the Principal (Head of Centre) and a Head of Faculty not involved with the internal assessment process for that subject. The enquiry will consider whether the procedures used in the internal assessment conformed to the specification of the awarding body. As a part of this process the enquiry panel will provide a

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copy of the appeal to the teacher(s) concerned with making the assessment and request their written response. A copy of this response will be given to the candidate. The panel may also arrange for a personal hearing, when the candidate accompanied by parent or carer and the teacher(s) involved can each state their case. The candidate will be advised of the outcome of the appeal in writing, and this will include details of any relevant communication with the awarding body and of any steps taken to further protect the interests of the candidate(s). The appeal decision will be recorded and filed. After candidates’ work has been internally assessed, it is moderated by the awarding body to ensure consistency in marking between centres. The moderation process may lead to mark changes. This process is outside the control of East Leake Academy and is not covered by this procedure. External Assessment Appeals Procedure This procedure applies to work done for GCE and GCSE that is assessed externally. In general, it will therefore relate to written papers and the few pieces of controlled assessment that are assessed externally. An appeal can only be made against the procedures of an awarding body in the conduct of an examination. This appeals procedure should not be confused with making a Result Enquiry (a review of marking.) It is not possible to appeal against the outcome of a Result enquiry unless there is evidence that the relevant awarding body was not adhering to The Code of Practice. An appeal might, for example, be against the inappropriate application of a mark scheme, or perhaps against a change in specification without properly making it known. In each case the school would need to look very carefully at the Code of Practice, to see if there has been a procedural error. The process is complex, and will probably go through three stages before an outcome is realised. This could lead to a situation where the result is not known until some months after examination results are issued. Appeals are very rare. Any appeal must be made through the school; awarding bodies will not accept submissions from individuals. The Examinations Appeal Board (EAB) will be the final arbiter. Review of Externally Assessed Marks Where a candidate is unhappy with the mark awarded for a particular exam unit, a clerical check or re-mark may be requested via the Exams Office. Any decision as to whether the school should support or initiate such an enquiry will be based on several factors, including knowledge of the exam system and professional judgement. In any event the candidate will be required to acknowledge that his/her grade may be confirmed, raised or lowered. Candidates initiating an Enquiry about Results will be responsible for paying the relevant fee at the time of the request.

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Appeals procedure against centre decisions not to support an enquiry about results

The service, enquiries about results (EARs), may be requested by centre staff or candidates (or their parents/carers). (EAR service 3 is not available to individual candidates). If a query is raised about a particular examination result, the exams officer, teaching staff and head of centre will investigate the feasibility of requesting an enquiry at the centre’s expense. When the centre does not uphold a request from a candidate, the candidate may pay the appropriate fee, and a request will be made to the awarding body on the candidate’s behalf.

If the candidate (or their parent/carer) believes there are grounds to appeal against the centre’s decision not to support an enquiry, an appeal can be submitted to the centre using the internal appeals form at least one week prior to the internal deadline for submitting an EAR.

Appeals procedure following the outcome of an enquiry about results

Where the head of centre remains dissatisfied after receiving the outcome of an EAR, an appeal will be made to the awarding body, following the guidance in the JCQ publications Post-results services http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/post-results-services and A guide to the awarding bodies’ appeals processes http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/appeals

Where the head of centre is satisfied after receiving the outcome of an EAR, but the internal candidate and/or their parent/carer is not satisfied, they may make a further representation to the head of centre. Following this, the head of centre’s decision as to whether to proceed with an appeal will be based upon the centre’s internal appeals arrangements. Candidates or parents/carers are not permitted to make direct representations to an awarding body. The internal appeals form should be completed and submitted to the centre within 10 calendar days of the notification of the outcome of the enquiry. Subject to the head of centre’s decision, this will allow the centre to process the appeal and submit to the awarding body within the required 14 calendar days. Awarding body fees which may be charged for the appeal must be paid by the appellant on submission of the internal appeals form. If the appeal is upheld by the awarding body, this fee will be refunded by the awarding body and repaid to the appellant by the centre.

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Internal appeals form

This form should be completed in all cases to lodge an appeal.

Please tick to indicate what the appeal is against:

internally assessed marks

the centre decision not to support an enquiry about results

the outcome of an enquiry about results

Name of

appellant

Candidate name

if different to

appellant

Awarding body Exam paper code

Subject Exam paper title

Please state the grounds for your appeal below:

Continue overleaf if necessary

Appeal against internally assessed marks Appellant declaration

By signing here, I am confirming I understand the purpose of the appeal will be to decide whether the process used for the internal assessment conformed to the published requirements of the awarding body’s specification and subject-specific associated documents. I also understand the appeal may only be made against the assessment process not against the mark to be submitted by the centre for moderation by the awarding body.

Signature: Date of signature:

Appeal against the centre decision not to support an enquiry about results Appellant declaration

By signing here, I am confirming I feel there are grounds to appeal against the centre’s decision.

Signature: Date of signature:

Appeal against the outcome of an enquiry about results Appellant declaration

By signing here, I am confirming I understand that the grounds for my appeal must relate to the awarding body’s procedures or the application of the post-result service procedures. I also understand that appeals do not generally involve further reviews of marking candidates’ work. I also confirm that I will pay in advance any fees which may be charged by the awarding body for the appeal. I understand this fee will be refunded if the appeal is upheld.

Signature: Date of signature:

The appellant declaration against the relevant appeal must be signed, dated and returned to the EO, on

behalf of the head of centre, to the timescale indicated in the internal appeals procedure.

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The internal appeals procedures for this centre have been produced to demonstrate

compliance with the publications below.

JCQ General Regulations for approved centres http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/general-

regulations

Controlled Assessments, Coursework and Portfolios of Evidence

5.8 The centre agrees to

have in place, and be available for inspection purposes, a written internal appeals procedure relating to internal

assessment decisions and to ensure that details of this procedure are made widely available and accessible to all

candidates

Post-Results Services and Appeals

5.14 The centre agrees to

have available for inspection purposes and draw to the attention of candidates and their parents/carers, a written

internal appeals procedure to manage disputes when a candidate disagrees with a centre decision not to support

an enquiry about results or an appeal; (A centre may place its internal appeals procedure on the school/college

website or alternatively the document may be made available to candidates upon request.)

JCQ Post-results services http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/post-results-services

6.4 Submission of requests

Centres must have in place a published formal appeals procedure for use in cases where centres and candidates,

or their parents/carers, cannot agree as to whether an enquiry about results should be submitted. The formal

appeals procedure must be made widely available. Centres must therefore draw the appeals procedure to the

attention of candidates and their parents/carers. In deciding whether to support an enquiry about results, centres

should take account of all relevant factors and afford candidates or their parents/carers a reasonable opportunity

to express their views. Awarding bodies can only enter into discussions over enquiries about results

with centres and private candidates.

1. Appeals

Centres must have in place a published formal appeals procedure for use in cases where centres and candidates,

or their parents/carers, cannot agree as to whether an appeal should be submitted to the relevant awarding body.

The formal appeals procedure must be made widely available. Centres must therefore draw the appeals

procedure to the attention of candidates and their parents/carers. In deciding whether to support an appeal,

centres should take account of all relevant factors and afford candidates or their parents/carers a reasonable

opportunity to express their views. Awarding bodies can only enter into discussions over appeals with

centres and private candidates.

However in summer 2016, JCQ issued the following information in their Notice to Centres – Post-

Results Services and Appeals

The JCQ publication Post-Results Services – Information and guidance to centres for examinations taken in June

2016 and November 2016 sets out common arrangements. Although the published information remains valid for

the June 2016 examination series, this supplementary document clarifies some key points associated with the

reform of post-results services and appeals.

Centres should also refer to awarding bodies’ websites for further information as awarding bodies may offer

additional post-results services.

JCQ A guide to the awarding bodies’ appeals processes http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/appeals

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12. Please note that internal candidates and/or their parents/carers are not entitled to appeal directly to the

awarding body. Representations must be made to the head of centre where the candidate was entered or

registered. The head of centre’s decision as to whether to proceed with an appeal is subject to the centre’s internal

appeals arrangements.

Ofqual GCSE, GCE, Principal Learning and Project Code of Practice

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-gce-principal-learning-and-project-code-of-practice

9.13 The awarding organisation must require centres offering its examinations to ensure that they have in place:

iii.a formal, codified procedure for handling disputes when a candidate or carer disagrees with a decision by

the centre not to support an enquiry.

Centres must be required to ensure that the procedures are published and made widely available and

accessible to all candidates and their carers.

9.14 In deciding whether to support an enquiry or appeal, centres should take account of all relevant factors and

afford candidates or their carers a reasonable opportunity to express their views.

However in summer 2016, JCQ issued the following information in the Notice to Centres – Post-Results

Services and Appeals

Ofqual has announced that the Code of Practice in relation to GCE AS, A-level and GCSE qualifications will be

withdrawn in August 2016, being replaced by Qualification Level Conditions. Centres may, however, continue to

refer to the Code of Practice for the awarding bodies’ provision of post-results services and appeals, June 2016

examination series.

Arrangements for the awarding bodies’ provision of post-results services and appeals, November 2016 examination

series, may be subject to change. Centres will be notified of any changes in due course.

Appellants should consult the full information in the above publications to be fully informed

when stating their grounds for appeal.

Further information can be obtained from:

Appeal an exam result https://www.gov.uk/appeal-exam-result

The Appeals Process http://www.jcq.org.uk/examination-system/the-appeals-process