Examinations

The Examinations Officer is Mrs Carol-Anne Lale, contactable by email c.lale@ralphallenschool.com or telephone 01225 838014. 

TEACHER ACCESSED GRADES

Your grades have been determined by teacher judgement, signed off by each head of department and the headteacher, in accordance with the JCQ guidance and submitted to the relevant awarding organisation.  A broad range of evidence has been used to determine your grades. These grades have then been subject to moderation and quality assurance checks. Exam access arrangements, mitigating circumstances and special considerations have consistently been applied and adjustments made for eligible students.

Please refer back to the letter to parents, dated 24 March 2021, which outlined the process adopted and Ofqual Student guide to awarding: summer 2021 which tells you how you will get your qualifications in summer 2021 and where you can get more information.

You can have confidence that your grades have been fully checked and the grading process has been externally reviewed by the exam boards.

RESULTS

Results will be available for collection on results day(s) in August as follows:

Arrangements for results day(s)

Arrangements for collection of results will be in relation to any public health measures still in place. Unfortunately, parents will not be permitted into school but may wait for you outside.

Collecting exam results in person is strongly advised so you can access support and guidance from members of staff on site should you need to. Staff will be available at school on results day and the following days to help you with your queries, please see ‘concerns about your results’ section.

If you wish a relative or friend to collect your results you must send a signed letter of authorisation with the collector. Results will not be given over the telephone under any circumstance. Any results not collected on the day will be posted to your home address. Please make us aware of any changes.

If you are unable to receive results via the options above, you will be able to view them on Insight on results day from 11am. Exam results can be found under the assessment tab.

A level results day Tuesday 10 August (see results day letter here) 

Students will be invited to wait outside the Lee Sixth Form Centre at a suitable safe social distance and will come into the Lee Centre classrooms in small groups to collect results. There will be a one way system in place.

If you have applied for university, please bring your UCAS number and password so you can log into Track if you need to (UCAS Track is available online from 8.30 am).

Ms Haggett, the sixth form team and the exams team will be available until 4pm if students have queries. Our careers advice is provided by Melanie Whalley, our school careers adviser, who will also be available on results day.  If you have concerns about your results, you should raise these with members of staff on the day.

Don’t forget, if you still have textbooks at home, please name them and bring them with you.

Please also let us know what your plans are by completing the destinations form inside your envelope or completing the online form and stay in touch by signing up to the alumni https://networks.futurefirst.org.uk/register.

GCSE results day Thursday 12 August (see results day letter here)

There will be a one-way system in place in the main hall and you will be shown where to collect your results envelopes. To enable us to manage the number of students on site and the support available we are asking students to arrive in 20 minute intervals according to their tutor groups.

In addition to your statement of results, inside your envelope you will find information on the post results process and guidance.

Year 11 students who have applied for Ralph Allen Sixth Form will receive further information on next steps. This may include details of an online enrolment form and/or an appointment time to see one of the leadership team or sixth form team to discuss next steps. We will have opportunities for students to seek further guidance via an appointment system. This may include careers advice from our school careers officer, Melanie Whalley.

You should all not leave the school site until you read the content of the envelope in case an appointment has been made for you or you need to follow up on any query.

Concerns about your results

When you receive your results, if you think that a grade is wrong, your first step should be to speak to staff present on the day or Mrs Lale, exams officer for advice.

By appointment only * Appointments will be bookable via insight. Details will be enclosed within result day packs issued on the day.

THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR APPEALS 

There are two stages to the appeals process. Stage 1 must be completed, and the outcome shared with student before stage 2 can be requested.

*A priority appeal is only for students applying to higher education who did not attain their firm choice and wish to appeal an A level. You should inform your intended higher education provider that you have requested a centre review or appeal. You will need to provide your UCAS personal ID code in your request form which is included in all correspondence from UCAS. This is needed to confirm that a student’s place is dependent on the outcome of the appeal.

The information below describes the arrangements in place for conducting a centre review and (where applicable) submitting an appeal to the awarding organisation following a centre review.

Stage 1 – Centre review

• If a student does not consider they have been issued with the correct grade, they can submit a request for a centre review completing the student request form (stage 1) Centre review to check if an administrative error such as the wrong grade/mark was recorded against an item of evidence, and/or made a procedural error such as a failure to take into account mitigating circumstances.

• The outcome of the centre review will be shared with the student and may result in the student’s grade remaining the same, being lowered or raised.
• If an administrative or procedural error is found, Mrs Lale, the exams officer will submit a request to the awarding organisation to correct the error and amend the grade without the need to submit an appeal.

If the student believes there is still an error following the centre review, or if the awarding organisation has made an administrative error, or the student considers that the grade awarded was an unreasonable exercise of academic judgement, the student can submit a student request form (stage 2) Awarding Organisation Appeal to proceed with an appeal to the awarding organisation on their behalf.

Unreasonable academic judgement. Reasonable in this context allows for normal variation in academic judgement between two professionals with appropriate subject knowledge and understanding of Ofqual and JCQ requirements. The teacher’s judgement will be considered unreasonable only if no teacher acting reasonably would have reached the same judgement. (JCQ appeals guidance definition)

Stage 2 – Appeal to the awarding organisation

• An appeal to the awarding organisation will only be submitted if the first stage, centre review, has been completed and the outcome of the first stage has been issued to the student.
• The awarding organisation will not be able to consider an appeal that is based solely on differences of opinion - if the student wants to improve their grade, they may want to consider entering for the autumn exam series.
• If the student believes there is still an error following the centre review, or if the awarding organisation has made an administrative error, or the student considers that the grade awarded was an unreasonable exercise of academic judgement, the student can submit a student request form (stage 2) Awarding Organisation Appeal to proceed with an appeal to the awarding organisation on their behalf.
• The awarding organisation will determine the grade at appeal and the outcome will be final. The awarding organisation’s appeal outcome letter will be provided to the student.
• The outcome of the appeal may result in the grade remaining the same, being lowered or raised.
• There is no further opportunity to appeal the outcome to the awarding organisation. 
• Should the student still remain concerned their grade was incorrect, they may be able to apply for a procedural review. The appeal outcome letter will include the next appropriate steps, where applicable, to apply for a procedural review to the Exam Procedures Review Service (EPRS)

Note - Once a finding has been made you cannot withdraw your request for a centre review or appeal. If your grade has been lowered, you will not be able to revert back to the original grade you received on results day. For more information please refer to the Department for Education’s blog https://dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2021/06/09/exam-appeals-what-can-i-do-if-i-think-my-grade-is-wrong-how-do-i-appeal-what-will-happen-if-i-appeal-your-questions-answered/

AUTUMN 2021 EXAM SERIES

Students who want a chance to improve their grade will have the opportunity to sit an exam in the autumn term. Exam boards will be offering exams in October for A levels and AS further maths and GCSE exams in November and early December.  Timetables are available on awarding body websites, but we will notify you of the dates and times of all your exams in September if you ask to sit them.

The exams will be in a standard format and no adaptations will be made other than reasonable adjustments for eligible students. All subjects will be assessed by exam except art & design which will be assessed by a task set and marked by the exam board. Your grade will be determined by your performance on this task.

The exams will assess you in the same way as had been planned for exams in summer 2021. If you get a higher grade in your autumn exam than you get this summer, then we can ask the exam board to provide a new certificate showing your higher grade.

A level results to be awarded Thursday 16 December. Any student wanting to understand the implications for university admission of taking these autumn exams should speak to the university from which they have an offer.

Results day for GCSE English Language and Maths will be Thursday 13 January. All other GCSE subjects will be 24 February.

The entry deadline for A level autumn exams is very tight. If it is your intention to sit an exam in this series, please complete the online form by Friday 3 September.

The deadline for GCSE exam entries for all subjects 24 September. If it is your intention to sit an exam in this series, please complete the online form no later than 24 September.

Internal mock exams 

Internal mock examinations will be conducted under formal examination conditions using the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) regulations in order for students to experience the expectations for external exams. Students should familiarise themselves with the information within the candidate handbook and the JCQ publications booklet both of which are issued to students via their tutors. The awarding bodies take the security and integrity of external examinations very seriously. The handbook and the JCQ booklet give students guidance on examination procedures and thereby eliminating possibilities of any suspected candidate malpractice arising in external exams which could lead to penalties and potential disqualification. Click here for Year 12 mock candidate handbook.

Internal mock exam dates

Year 12 mocks w/c 14 June 2021. For the timetable click here

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

The following information is issued by the Joint Council for Qualifications and should be read and understood by students taking external examinations.

Information for candidates - Written Examinations

Information for candidates - Onscreen Tests

Information for candidates - Non Examination Assessment

Privacy notice

Social media

Warning to candidates

Unauthorised items poster

JCQ examination regulations booklet 

INTERNAL APPEALS PROCEDURE

Our internal appeals procedure covering internally assessed marks and post results services has recently been updated. Internal Appeals Procedure Policy

ON EXAM DAY

Candidates must arrive on time.

Should you experience problems on your journey to any of your exams e.g. you are unwell or delayed, please contact the Exams Officer on 01225 838014. If we are unavailable to take your call please leave a message including your name and telephone number in case we need to call you back.

If you arrive late, but before the published start time, go to your exam venue.  You may be asked to report to the Exam Officer if your absence has already been reported.

If you arrive after the published start time you must report to the Exam Officer in the first instance and will be taken to your exam venue.

Illness or absence

Illness and other absences must be reported to the Exams Officer prior to the exam beginning. A parent/carer must ring the Exams Officer on 01225 838014 if for any reason you are unable to attend your exam and advise her accordingly. This action should be taken before your exam takes place.

In the event of illness during your exam you must advise the Invigilator for your room at the time.

EXTERNAL EXAMINATION AND ASSESSMENTS 2020/21

Details of the courses, specification codes and awarding bodies for assessment summer 2021 are shown below.

GCSE and Equivalent 

A Level and Equivalent

CERTIFICATES

Your certificates are valuable documents. Valuable in the sense that replacements can cost up to £45 per certificate but also as they are proof you studied at Ralph Allen School and completed the course. This is irrespective of the grades you achieved.

If you go on to further education at any time in the future you will need to produce them. Many employers will also ask to see them. It is in your interest to collect your certificates even if you don’t think you will ever need them.

We are only obliged to keep your certificates for one year after which they will be securely destroyed. Replacements will only be available directly from the relevant awarding bodies at a cost as previously mentioned.

Previous years certificates

There is limited availability to collect previous years certificates and by prior arrangement only. Certificates will not be available during examinations or results periods. You should either;

1.    Email Mrs Tooley, Examinations Assistant s.tooley@ralphallenschool.com asking to arrange collection. If you are unable to collect certificates yourself you may email Mrs Tooley with details of who you would like to collect them on your behalf. The nominated person will need to bring photo ID with them upon collection. Unfortunately if we cannot see any ID we will not be able to release your certificates.

2.    Complete and return the certificate postage request form to request postage of your certificates together with a payment of £4.50 to cover the cost of recorded delivery and packaging. 

I’ve lost my examination certificates, where can I get hold of copies?

You will need to contact the awarding body directly to receive a replacement certificate or certified statement of results https://www.gov.uk/replacement-exam-certificate. If you cannot remember which awarding body you took your examinations with you will need to contact each in turn to see if they have a record of you achieving a qualification with them. Please note that there is generally a charge for issuing confirmation of qualifications and you will need to be able to prove that you are the certificate holder.