PLI/JWE
November 2015
Year 12 Examinations 2016
Please find enclosed with this letter information relating to your son or daughter’s
examinations as follows:
 Trial Examinations Timetable
 Important Notice regarding Mobile Phones during Exams
 Joint Council for Qualifications Notice to Candidates regarding Written Examinations
 Joint Council for Qualifications Notice to Candidates regarding Coursework Assessments
Please ensure that your son or daughter:
 Revises thoroughly before the examinations. We recommend that they start their revision
as soon as possible. You can help by providing a quiet place for study at home.
 Checks their exam timetable every day to make sure they do not “miss” an examination.
Trial Exams

Year 12 trial exams will take place from Monday 4th to Friday 8th January 2016
inclusive. Please note that the January trial exams are for the Modular A-level courses
only. For the Linear A-level courses (the new two year courses) there will be no January
trial exams. Instead these courses will have regular end of term assessments and an end of
year assessment in the final week of June.

All Year 12 students should attend school as normal during this week and they will either
have exams or normal lessons.

Trial exam results will usually be available for parents to view on the NSB system by the
end of term 3 (Friday 12th February 2016).
Exam Clashes

Please ask your son or daughter to check the exam timetable carefully to see if they are
scheduled to take two (or more) exams at the same time. Inevitably many students will
have exam clashes during the trial exams.

If your son or daughter has an exam clash they must see Mrs Weller in the Exams Office,
before Friday 11th December 2015 to make arrangements. In most cases students will
take one exam at the allocated time and the other(s) in the next available session(s).
Q:\Examinations\Year 12 Exam letters\Year 12 Trial Examinations Jan 2016.doc
Summer Exams – Information for Modular A-level courses

Year 12 will have external AS exams for Modular A-level courses. The exam dates will
be confirmed when students receive their individual exam timetable in the last week of
term 2.

It is very important that timetables are checked carefully and students should advise Mrs
Weller in the Exams Office if there are any errors. Changes cannot be made after Friday
5th February 2016.

Please do not book any family holidays until the examination period is over. Holiday
absence will not be authorised during school time.

Please also be mindful that part time employment before the examinations are over is
almost certain to undermine a student's examination preparation and subsequent
performance.

If you have any questions please contact Mr Livingstone, Exams Officer, or Mrs Weller,
Exams Secretary, at the school.

A-level results day is Thursday 18th August 2016.
Summer Exams – Information for Linear A-level courses (the new two year courses)

For the Linear A-level courses (the new two year courses) Year 12 will not have external
summer exams, but they will sit internal trial summer exams.
Access Arrangements

If your son or daughter has a disability or learning difficulty, exam boards will usually
allow the same “access arrangements” as they have in lessons (e.g. use of a word
processor or extra time).

If you think your son or daughter may be entitled to access arrangements please contact
Mrs Dickenson in our Additional Intervention Team. She will be able to tell you whether
arrangements are already in place and, if not, she may arrange for their special needs to be
assessed.
Year 12 Trial Exams – January 2016
Venue

Exams take place in the Sports Hall except where indicated on the exams timetable.

Pupils with special needs may take exams elsewhere. Individuals will be informed.

Pupils should arrive at the Sports Hall, or their alternative room, 10 minutes before the
start of each exam to allow time for them to be seated and for instructions to be read out.

Any subjects not shown on the exams timetable will be assessed in lessons.

Mobile phones, MP3/ 4 players and any web enabled device are not allowed in the
exam room. Pupils may hand mobile phones (and other prohibited devices) in to Student
Services prior to attending an exam.
Trial Exam Information - Linear A-level courses

For the Linear A-level courses (the new two year courses) there will be no January trial
exams. Instead these courses will have regular end of term assessments and an end of year
assessment in the final week of June.

If Year 12 pupils are not in an exam they should attend their normal lessons.
Trial Exam Information - Modular A-level courses

For the Modular A-level courses Year 12 trial exams will take place from Monday 4th to
Friday 7th January 2016 inclusive.

When Year 12 pupils are not in exams they should attend their normal lessons.

Year 12 should arrive for exams 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. Please note
the following early starts:
 Monday 4th January – Morning exams start early at 8:55am. Pupils need to arrive at
the exam room at 8:45am.
 Monday 4th January – Afternoon exams start early at 2:00pm. Pupils need to arrive
at the exam room at 1:50pm.

Where pupils are scheduled to take two (or more) exams at the same time they should see
Mrs Weller in the Exams Office, before Friday 11th December 2015 to make
arrangements.
Year 12 Trial Exam Timetable – January 2016
Mobile phones are not allowed in the exam room. Pupils may hand mobile phones and
other prohibited devices in to Student Services prior to attending an exam.
Monday 4th January 2016
Exam start
time
8:55 am*
Year and exam subject
(exam duration is shown in brackets after the subject)
*NOTE THE EARLY START! – Year 12 to arrive at exam for 8:45am
Y12 PE (2hrs)
11:30 am
Y12 French in C23 during periods 4 & 5
2:00 pm**
**NOTE THE EARLY START! – Year 12 to arrive at exam for 1:50pm
Y12 Maths C1 (1hr 30mins)
Y12 Further Maths D1 (1hr 30mins)
Tuesday 5th January 2016
Exam start
time
9:05 am
2:15 pm
Year and exam subject
(exam duration is shown in brackets after the subject)
Y12 Design and Technology (2hrs)
Y12 Government and Politics (1hr 20mins)
Y12 Philosophy (1hr 30mins)
Wednesday 6th January 2016
2:15 pm
Y12 Further Maths C2 (1hr 30mins)
Thursday 7th January 2016
9:05 am
Y12 Geography (1hr 30mins)
Friday 7th January 2016
9:05 am
Y12 Spanish in C23 periods 1 & 2
Y12 Maths S1 - 1st 4 chapters (1hr 30mins)
PLI/ JWE
November 2015
To: Parents of all students taking examinations
IMPORTANT NOTICE - MOBILE PHONES AND EXAMS
Exam Board Regulations
The Joint Council for General Qualifications rules that govern the administration of public
examinations state that:
“You must not take into the exam room: potential technological/web enabled
sources of information such an iPod, an iWatch, a mobile phone, a MP3/4
player or a wrist watch which has a data storage device”
This is irrespective of whether these devices are switched on or off. If a candidate is found in
possession of any such devices (including inside their bag) we are obliged to report this to the
awarding body. The candidate may then be disqualified from the current exam and the overall
qualification.
Northampton School for Boys Arrangements
To comply with this regulation we insist that all mobile phones (or other prohibited devices)
are handed in to Student Services before every examination.
Mr P Livingstone
Examinations Officer