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Examinations
The Examinations Officer is Mrs Carol-Anne Lale, contactable by email c.lale@palladianacademytrust.com or telephone 01225 838014.
Examinations 2025/26
Ofqual Student Guide to Exams and Assessments in 2026
External exams
External summer exams take place from 7 May - 17 June (GCSE), 18 June (GCE) 2026. The contingency day in the event of national or significant local disruption to examinations is 24 June. Candidates are advised to remain available until Wednesday 24 June should an awarding body need to invoke its contingency plan.
2026 External Exams - Candidate Handbook
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
Information for candidates - Coursework
Artifical Intelligence and Assessments
AI in Assessments - A quick guide for students
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.
In exceptional circumstances If you do arrive later than 1 hour past the starting time:
- you will be allowed to sit the exam only at the discretion of the Exams Officer.
- a full written report will be sent to the awarding body.
- you will be advised that the awarding body may not accept your work.
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 exam 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 at the time of your exam.
Special consideration
Special consideration is a post-examination adjustment to a candidate’s mark or grade. This is to reflect temporary illness, temporary injury or some other event outside of a candidate’s control at the time of the assessment. For further details, please see a guide to the special consideration process.
JCQ A Guide to the Special Considerations ProcessYou must tell an invigilator at the time of your exam if you feel unwell or experience any other circumstances that affect your performance. You will be asked to complete a special considerations request form if you meet the eligibility criteria.
If you have been absent from an examination due to illness you will be asked to complete a JCQ/ME Form 14 and return it to the exam officer with supporting evidence.
Results day
Why You Should Come in Person
We strongly encourage all students to attend school in person on results day. This ensures you can access immediate support and guidance from staff who are available only on the day. After results day, many staff members will be on summer break, and any queries or concerns may not be resolved quickly.
Being present means:
- You can speak directly with teachers, the exams team, and senior staff.
- You’ll get help with next steps, including university applications or Sixth Form enrolment.
- You’ll receive information about post-results services (e.g. reviews of marking) and how to apply.
Collecting Your Results
If you cannot attend in person:
- You may authorise a relative or friend to collect your results with a signed letter of permission.
- Results will not be given over the phone under any circumstances.
- Uncollected results will be posted to your home address. Please ensure we have your correct postal details.
- If none of the above options are possible, we will aim to email your results to your school email address by 10.00am.
A level Results Day Thursday 13 August
Results will be available for collection from the Sixth Form Centre between 8.30am – 11.00am. If you have applied to university then please bring your UCAS number and password so you can log on to UCAS Track at school. Do not come before the collection window opens as we need time to organise the results and prepare the best advice for those who need it. Some students will receive notifications from universities via email or Track so access to a computer is very helpful. We have computers available at school.
Miss Haggett, the exams team and the sixth form team will be available if students have questions. Information regarding review of marking and post exam result services will be given out on results day and Mrs Lale will be available to answer queries.
GCSE Results Day Thursday 20 August
Results will be available for collection from the Sixth Form Centre between 9.00am – 11.00am. Students planning to join the sixth form will be asked to join a queuing system to enrol and will wait in the Lee Sixth Centre Hub Area. Members of the senior leadership team and our careers advisor will be able to discuss any queries regarding missed entry requirements for future courses. Mrs Lale will be available for queries concerning post exam results services.
Post result services
If you have concerns about your results, there are two main services available:
- Access to Scripts (ATS): View your marked exam paper to understand how it was assessed.
- Review of Results (RoR): to request a review of the original marking by a senior examiner.
Details of post result services, deadlines and how to apply for these services will be included within your results envelope and posted on the school website.
Internal mock exams
To help you prepare for your external exams, internal mock examinations will be conducted under formal conditions, following the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) regulations. This is your opportunity to experience what real exam conditions feel like, so you’ll know exactly what to expect when it matters most.
Why is this important?
Understanding and following the rules isn’t just about compliance—it’s about protecting your hard work. The awarding bodies take exam security very seriously, and any breach of the rules, even accidental, can lead to serious consequences such as penalties or disqualification.
To support you, each student will receive a candidate handbook along with their exam timetable. This handbook, along with the JCQ publications listed under Information for Candidates below, provides clear guidance on:
- What to expect during exams
- What is and isn’t allowed
- How to avoid common mistakes that could be seen as malpractice
Take the time to read these documents carefully. They’re there to help you succeed and ensure your exams run smoothly. Knowing the rules means you can focus on doing your best without any unnecessary stress.
Year 12 mocks week commencing 6 July 2026
Year 12/13 Mocks - Candidate Handbook
External Examinations and Assessments
Details of the courses, specification codes and awarding bodies are shown below.
Certificates
You are strongly advised to make every effort to collect your certificates. Your certificates are valuable documents. Valuable in the sense that replacements can cost up to £50 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.
GCSE Certificates Summer 2026
A celebration event will be arranged towards the end of the year allowing you to come back together and collect your certificates. The date of this event will be published on the school website and emailed to parents in the autumn term.
If you are unable to attend the celebration evening, there are other ways to collect your certificates. Students remaining at Ralph Allen School will be issued with their certificates via their tutors. If students do not remain at Ralph Allen to attend sixth form, certificates will be made available for collection from the main school reception for a limited period early in December.
A level Certificates Summer 2026
A celebration event will be arranged in early January allowing you to come back together and collect your certificates. The date of this event will be published on the school website and emailed to alumni. If you are unable to attend this event certificates will be made available for collection from the main school reception for a limited period.
Previous Years Certificates
There is limited availability to collect previous years certificates and this can be done by prior arrangement only. Certificates will not be available during examinations or results periods. You should either;
1. Email Mrs Petmezas, Examinations Assistant m.petmezas@palladianacademytrust.com asking to arrange collection. If you are unable to collect certificates yourself you may email Mrs Petmezas 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 posting form together with a payment of £4.50 to cover the cost of recorded delivery and packaging. Payment details shown on the form.
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.
