Brunel School Exams Officer

Ben Clark

bclark@brunelschool.org

01803 665522

Brunel School Exams Timetable - Summer 2024

The AQA GCSE Photography portfolio (10 hours plus 25% extra time) will take place on the following days at Brunel School.

Information for Pupils

Brunel School will support you every step of the way in your exam preparation, by helping you to have the knowledge and skills that you need so that you can achieve your full potential. It's really important that you help us to help you, and you can do this by making sure that you regularly attend school and engage with your provision.

It's normal to feel some anxiety about your exams, and it's important to speak to your teacher or the school's Exam Officer if you have any questions or concerns. There are some fantastic tips on the Mind website about mindfulness during the exams season.

There are lots of resources available to you so that you know what to expect on your exam days. Please read the Information for Candidates documents and Ofqual's Student Guide 2024. You can also find all the school's exams policies at the bottom of this page.

Please see the helpful video and poster below for more information about the rules you must follow on your exam days.

Information for Parents and Carers

The following letter has been sent to parents/carers of Year 10 and Year 11 pupils - March 2024.

'Dear Parent/Carer,

We are writing to inform you about the qualifications that your child has been entered for this summer, along with their examination timetable and the rules and regulations set out by the exam boards and the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).

You will find the exams timetable for your child below. Please note, these are just the exams that your child will be sitting at Brunel School. If they have been entered for any other exams by alternative provisions, you will need to speak to them directly about this.

Preparation for exams:

We want to ensure that you and your child are prepared for the upcoming exam season and understand the rules and regulations set out by the JCQ. Therefore, we would like to draw your attention to the JCQ resources for candidates, which can be found on the JCQ website: https://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/information-for-candidates-documents/. Please do ensure that you and your child have a good read of these resources, and please ask if you have any questions.

Further information, including Brunel School’s examination policies, can be found on our website- www.brunelschool.org

We must also express the importance of good attendance and the impact this will have on your child’s exams preparation. We want your child to achieve the best possible outcome, so it’s crucial that they attend all their lessons, unless otherwise agreed by the school. Good attendance is not just important for exams, but also to prepare your child for post-16 and career pathways. School can provide opportunities to speak with our Career’s Lead, Career’s Southwest, South Devon College, and many more; regular attendance is essential for accessing this.

On the day:

It is important that we all work together to ensure that your child has a positive exams experience, and although we understand that it can be a very challenging and daunting time for certain children, we must also emphasise that there are regulations that are set by the Joint Council for Qualifications, otherwise known as the JCQ, that must be adhered to.

Brunel School is required to report any malpractice to the exam boards, who will then decide on the penalty, which may include your child being disqualified from the examination, and potentially any future examinations. We will work with your child to ensure that they understand these requirements and will of course support them in the best possible way. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:

1) Examinations will start promptly at the time stated on your child’s examination timetable. We may be required to report late arrivals to the exam board, as they can cause complications, could distract other candidates, and could even mean that your child cannot sit the exam at all.

2) Mobile phones or other electronic devices, including headphones, are not permitted.

3) Watches must not be worn, including analogue, digital, or smart watches.

4) Pencil cases must be transparent- all contents inside must be visible.

5) Drinks bottles must be clear and the label must be removed.

6) Notes of any kind, including audio recordings, must not be taken into the exam room. We are required to report any attempt to cheat to the exam board.

7) Should an evacuation of the building be required during the exam, candidates must evacuate in line with the instructions from the invigilator, and must not communicate with anyone, or risk being disqualified.

8) Candidates must not leave the exam room at any time without permission from the invigilator.

9) Communication with other candidates at any point during the exam is strictly forbidden.

10) Candidates must not open their exam paper until the invigilator officially starts the exam.

11) Plagiarism, including the use of AI, is strictly prohibited for all exam components, including any coursework elements.

On the day of the exam, a trained invigilator will be responsible for running the exam process and ensuring that all regulations are adhered to by the candidates and staff. An invigilator will remind all candidates of the rules at the beginning of the exam and candidates must follow the instructions given to them at all times.

Access Arrangements:

The School’s SENDCo, Caroline Kolek, is responsible for applying for access arrangements for pupils. These are specific arrangements that are put in place to ensure that our pupils have the support in place that they require in line with their usual way of working. Your child has been granted the following access arrangement(s)... X

We will be contacting you again closer to the time of your child’s examination to remind you and your child of key dates and times, and to give you the opportunity to ask any questions. In the meantime, should you wish to speak to us regarding the examination process, please don’t hesitate to contact the school on 01803 665522.

Summer 2023 Results

GCSE (all subjects)	8.3% pass
Functional Skills (all subjects)	33.3% pass
Entry Level Certificate (all subjects)	100% pass

Our Exams Policies

Please find our exams policies below. Please note that our exams policies are in line with the JCQ Instructions for Conducting Examinations and JCQ General Regulations for Approved Centres