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Exams Dates
Download PDF Exam Timetable 2009-10 (8 KB)
Download PDF January 2010 Examination Timetable summary (42 KB)
Download PDF March 15th to 18th 2010 Year 10 Examinations (5 KB)
Year 10 examinations will be taking place between Monday 15 March and Thursday 18 March 2010. These examinations serve a variety of purposes:
- Give an indication of likely performance in the actual examination.
- Act as student motivator.
- Test effectiveness of revision allowing students to organise and review their work.
- Monitor progress.
- Give experience of answering examination style questions under examination conditions.
- Allow students to learn from their mistakes without fear of failure.
- Show up strengths and weaknesses in knowledge thereby providing guidance for future work and revision.
Examinations provide important feedback for students and teachers but only if they are taken seriously and prepared for properly. Organised revision for examinations will pay dividends in the run up to the actual examinations at the end of Year 11.
Each student will be given an examination timetable. It is important that they note the date, times and venue for each examination. Normal school rules apply as to uniform.
As in Public Exams no unauthorised materials or equipment such as notes, calculator cases, electronic equipment or mobile phones are to be taken into the examination room.
Exam Guidance
Download PDF Exam Guidance Booklet (298 KB)
On-line ALAN (Adult Literacy and Numeracy) tests for Year 11.
The Literacy test takes 1 hour and the Numeracy 1 hour 15 minutes. Any student who has exam dispensation will automatically have extra time added to their test.
Link to ALAN practice tests. Download Microsoft PowerPoint document (158 KB)
Exam Certificates
Your certificate is a valuable document and you should keep it safe. Employers and admissions officers at colleges and universities may ask to see your certificates to prove which awards you have achieved.
If an award document is damaged after receipt, the appropriate confirmation of award will be issued on payment of the appropriate fee, provided that the original is returned to us. Duplicates, while of precisely the same standing as the original they replace, are produced in the layout currently in use and may not be facsimiles of the original.
Duplicates may be issued to replace award documents which are lost, stolen or completely destroyed, provided that the application is witnessed and a copy of a birth certificate or passport is produced.
INTERNAL APPEALS PROCEDURE
FOR INTERNAL ASSESSMENT DECISIONS
Often a candidate does not agree with the coursework marks awarded by a teacher. If the disagreement cannot be resolved by discussion between the teacher and candidate concerned then the candidate may appeal to the Examinations Officer, who will put into action the agreed appeals process. This will be the final stage in the normal process of considering and resolving disputes. It is expected that it will be used only on exceptional circumstances.
1. The Examinations Officer is in overall charge of managing appeals relating to internal assessments.
2. If a student wishes to appeal about his/her internal assessment marks then the following procedures should be followed:
- (a) The appeal should be made in writing to the Examinations Officer stating the details of the complaint and the reasons for the appeal.
- (b) The appeal must be submitted before the end of the first week in May of the year in which the written examinations are taken.
3. The teacher(s) concerned in marking the assessment which is the subject of the appeal will respond to the appeal in writing to the Examinations Officer; a copy will be given to the candidate.
4. If the candidate is not happy with the written response they have received then they can request a personal hearing before an appeals panel.
- (a) The appeals panel will consist of the Examinations Officer, the member of staff concerned and two of the following – The Head, Deputy Head, Key Stage Manager and a School Governor.
- (b) The request for a personal hearing must be made within two days of receipt of the written reply to the initial appeal.
- (c) The candidate will be given at least two days notice of the hearing date.
- (d) A breakdown of the marks awarded will be given to the candidate in advance of the appeal.
- (e) The candidate may bring a parent/guardian to the hearing.
- (f) The teacher(s) involved will be present at the hearing.
5. The Examinations Officer will
- (a) Convey the outcome of an appeal and the reasons for that outcome in writing to the candidate.
- (b) The school will maintain a written record of all appeals.
- (c) The school will inform the Awarding Bodies (Examining Boards) of any change to an internally assessed mark as a result of an appeal.
September 2009
INTERNAL APPEALS POLICY
FOR INTERNAL ASSESSMENT DECISIONS
Thurstable School is committed to ensuring that whenever their staff assess students’ work for external qualification, it 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, and who have been trained in this activity. Students’ work should be produced and authenticated according the requirements of the examinations board. Where a set of work is divided between staff, consistency should be assured by internal moderation and standardisation.
If a student feels that this may not have happened in relation to his/her work, she/he 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 through Year Notice Boards.
This procedure is available from the Examination Officer and is posted on the student notice board.
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. (So the appeal must be made before a date in mid-June for the summer series as presently timetabled.
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, the Head will appoint another member of staff of similar or greater seniority to conduct the investigation. Likewise if the Examinations Officer is not able to conduct the investigation for some other reason.
3. The Examinations Officer or other member of staff will decide whether the process used for the internal assessment conformed with the requirements of the awarding body and the examinations code of practice of the QCA. This will be done before the end of the series. (Currently the end of June for the summer series).
4. You will be informed in writing of the outcome of the appeal, including any correspondence with the board, any changes made to the assessment of your work, and any changes made to improve matters in future.
5. The outcome of the appeal will be made known to the Head, and will be logged as a complaint under the complaints procedure. 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 (examinations board) to ensure consistency between centre's. Such moderation frequently changes the marks awarded for internally assessed work. That is outside the control of Thurstable School and is not covered by this procedure. If you have concerns about it, please ask the Examinations Officer for a copy of the appeals procedure of the relevant examinations board.
September 2009
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