December 2011
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s)
Exam Statements of Entry
Dorothy Stringer Timetable of AS/GCSE (& other) External Exams - May/June 2012
This letter is to outline the process and procedures relating to the Summer 2012 external exams. Please find a separate attached document, on the school SLG and website, outlining the general school Exam Timetable for the above dates. We recommend that candidates and their families enter the dates shown on the timetable, onto a calendar, and begin now to work out a revision timetable.
You and your son/daughter/ward were made aware, at the start of this academic year, of the Joint Council for Qualifications information (on the school SLG and website under the Information/Exam Information section), outlining their regulations for external exams (and coursework/controlled assessment), which candidates and yourselves need to be aware of. Copies of this information are also displayed at the school in poster form.
Individual exam Statements of Entry for your son/daughter/ward will be issued (via form tutors) to them as soon as possible once entries have been made. These documents do not need to be brought to school on the day of the exam(s). However, they do need to be kept safe as they show the dates and times of the exam(s) they will be sitting.
Some candidates will have exam clashes where more than one exam is scheduled for the same time on the same day. We will write to them individually to advise them of the special arrangements that will be required.
It is school policy that where a subject has been studied in Years 10 and 11 (AS/GCSE or other) an exam should be taken in that subject. Exceptions to this rule may only occur under exceptional circumstances after prior agreement, in advance, with the school.
Public exams cost the school on average around £60 per candidate. The total exam budget now exceeds £140 000 per annum. Parent(s)/Guardian(s) may be invoiced if a candidate is entered for an examination and does not sit it without a very good reason.
*It should be noted that if a candidate misses one paper (where there is more than one in a subject), the missed paper cannot be sat at any other time, and therefore the final grade achieved will be based only on coursework/assessed assignments and any completed paper. Where there is only one paper in a subject, and it is missed, again, it cannot be sat at another time, and there is unlikely to be a final grade given.
What to do now, and when individual examination statements of entry are received.
- Use the whole school timetable to start planning revision, and constructing a revision timetable. *The exam timetable information shown is correct at this time, but must be checked against individual statements of entry when these are received, in case there has been any sudden change in date or time of exam.
- Once your son/daughter/ward receive their individual exam board statements of entry, which will be given to them to bring home – (as soon as possible after the February 21st GCSE entry deadline – or 21st April for Science Modules), check the entries are correct. (AS entries will not show as these do not have to be confirmed with the exam boards until 21st March. Candidates taking these exams will receive relevant entry statements after that date).
- Review the level of entry for each subject where appropriate. Late requests to change tier of entry could incur charges.
- Consult with the subject teacher where it is believed corrections need to be made to a specific entry. This should be done as soon as possible.
- Note the dates and times of the exams on home calendars and personal diaries.
Information
· If a subject has a ‘tiered’ entry (Higher, or Foundation), this will be marked in a number of ways: Tier F or Tier H; Paper F or Paper H.
· There are no ‘tiers’ of entry for: Art, History, Music, RS (Short Course), PE, Dance, Drama, Health & Social Care and Applied Business. For OCR Asset Modern Foreign Languages candidates decide with their language teacher which level to sit (or not) for the individual components.
· Under ‘Session’: AM = Morning Session where pupils should assemble outside the sports hall (or designated exam room) by 8.40a.m to start promptly at 9.00a.m. PM = Afternoon Session where candidates should assemble by 13.00 (1.00p.m) to start promptly at 13.15 (1.15p.m).
· Where there is an exam clash of two exams scheduled at the same time, candidates will be notified of special arrangements in due course.
DATES FOR THE PRACTICAL/ORAL GCSE (& Other) TESTS 2012 are indicated at the end of the whole school exam timetable (see separate document)
Illness and Disability
If you think that there has been illness or disability, which may have affected performance during Year 10 and Year 11 and might have an adverse effect on exam performance in April, May and June, you should send us medical (or other) proof so that an application for ‘Special Consideration’ can, if appropriate, be submitted to the exam boards. This is a procedure, which if accepted, allows the exam boards to make allowances for lower performance.
An application cannot be made without medical or professional evidence to support it. The same procedure applies if a candidate falls ill just before an exam or sits the exam feeling unwell.
Once submitted, applications are accepted at the discretion of the exam boards. There are some exceptions to the allowing of special consideration, so if you have any queries as to the eligibility of any entitlement, please contact us at the school.
It is important to note that, whilst an application for ‘Special Consideration’ can be made for a candidate who has medical/professional evidence explaining why an exam could not be taken, if the missed exam is the ONLY exam in that subject, then no application can be made.
If you have any queries regarding the information contained within this letter or the timetable, please do not hesitate to contact either of us in the exam office at school. There is a link on the SLG and website allowing an exam related email to be forwarded directly to us.
Yours truly
Mrs. C. Norman Mrs. K. Soan
Exams Officer Exams Administrator