Examinations Policy 2015-16 Examinations Policy 2014-15 Abbey College Cambridge Examinations Policy Abbey Cambridge and Alpha Plus Group The ACC Senior Leadership Team are responsible for this policy: Julian Davies, Principal Telephone: 01223 578280 Email: Julian.davies@abbeycambridge.co.uk Gavin Copland, Vice Principal (Academic) Telephone: 01223 578280 Email: Gavin.Copland@abbeycambridge.co.uk Karen Lonsdale, Vice Principal (Pastoral) Telephone: 01223 578280 Email: Karen.Lonsdale@abbeycambridge.co.uk Mike Corbett, Director of Operations Telephone: 01223 578280 mike.corbett@abbeycambridge.co.uk Email: Mark Lassman, Director of International Admissions Telephone: 01223 578280 Email: mark.lassman@abbeycambridge.co.uk This policy is reviewed on an annual basis Annual Policy reviewed by: Senior Leadership Team Annual Review date: September 2015 Next date of Annual Review: August 2016 This policy has been adopted by the governors, is addressed to all members of staff and volunteers where appropriate, is available to parents on request and is published on the school's website if appropriate. Page 1 of 10 Sep 2014 Examinations Policy 2014-15 Abbey College Cambridge Examinations Policy 2014-15 Abbey College Cambridge Responsibilities The Principal of Abbey College Cambridge is responsible for the development of examination policy and for the conduct of internal and external examinations. The Exams Officer of Abbey College Cambridge has day-to-day responsibility for examination policy and the conduct of internal and external examinations. Examinations Officer The Examinations Officer is responsible for the day-to-day management of the examinations process. The Examinations Officer is responsible for the efficiency and effectiveness of internal and external examination systems. Examination Notices The Examinations Officer is to issue periodic Examination Notices that deal with the fine detail of the examination process. The Examinations Officer is to promulgate the provisional and final timetables for public examinations published by the awarding bodies. Public examinations Joint Council for Qualifications The Joint Council for Qualifications has published instructions for conducting public examinations. GCE and GCSE Examinations GCE and GCSE examinations are to be conducted in accordance with the regulations and guidance notes issued by the awarding bodies and the Joint Council for General Qualifications. University Admission Tests Page 2 of 10 Sep 2014 Examinations Policy 2014-15 Abbey College Cambridge University Admission Tests are to be conducted in accordance with the regulations and guidance notes issued by the testing authority. Instructions for conducting examinations The Examinations Officer is to make arrangements for GCE and GCSE examinations to be conducted in accordance with the requirements set out in Joint Council for Qualifications publications and the testing authorities for university admissions tests during the academic year 1 September 2015 to 31 August 2016. The arrangements are to include the training and supervision of invigilators. The Examinations Officer is to maintain a record of the training provided to invigilators. General management of examinations Entries The Examinations Officer is to make entries to GCE and GCSE examinations, and university admissions tests in accordance with the wishes of candidates. Private candidates Abbey College Cambridge does not accept private candidates for examinations. External and transferred candidates The Examination Officer will decide whether or not to accept examination entries from external or transferred candidates. Examinations database The Examination Officer is responsible for the construction and maintenance of the Examinations Database. Examinations management information system The Examinations Officer is to make maximum use of the College’s examinations management information system. Communication with awarding bodies Page 3 of 10 Sep 2014 Examinations Policy 2014-15 Abbey College Cambridge The Examinations Officer is to maximise communication with the awarding bodies by electronic data exchange and the awarding bodies’ web-based services. Interface with other systems The Examinations Officer is to ensure that: The Examinations Database provides the financial data required by the College’s Registrar. The Examinations Database is consistent with the administrative records held by the College’s Registrar. Coursework The Examinations Officer is to publish an appeals procedure for candidates who are not content with the internal assessment of coursework. See Appendix 1. Examination centre The awarding bodies recognise the College as an examination centre. The College’s Centre No is 22102. Disruption of public examinations – with regard to entry The Examination Officer is to ensure that the College’s Contingency Plan contains the arrangements to be made to enter students in their public examinations in the event of disruption of the College’s Network and communications systems in the days leading up to the closing date for entry. Disruption of public examinations – with regard to conduct The Examination Officer is to ensure that the College’s Contingency Plan contains the arrangements to be made with regard to the proper conduct of examinations in the event of Fire or other Immediate Threat to Security in examination rooms. Action to be taken in the event of Fire or other Immediate Threat to Security The Examinations Officer is to make arrangements for GCE and GCSE examinations to be conducted in accordance with the requirements set out in Joint Council for Qualifications publications and the testing authorities for university admissions tests. The invigilator(s) of the examinations must take the following action: Stop the candidates from writing. Page 4 of 10 Sep 2014 Examinations Policy 2014-15 Abbey College Cambridge Collect the attendance register and evacuate the examination room in accordance with the College’s Contingency Plan. Advise candidates to leave all question papers and scripts in the examination room. Make sure that the candidates leave the room in silence and do not discuss the examination. Make a note of the time of the interruption and how long it lasted. Allow the candidates the full working time set for the examination. If there are only a few candidates, consider the possibility of taking the candidates to Regent Terrace to finish the examination. The Examinations Officer will send the relevant awarding body a full report of the incident and of the action taken. Division of responsibility Policy Security of examination material and conduct of examinations Issue of examination notices and examination timetables Construction and maintenance of examinations database Applications for special arrangements and considerations Entries and amendment of entries Promulgation of statements of entry Conduct of examinations Arrangements for the submission of coursework Promulgation of results and distribution of certificates Handling Post-Result Enquiries Improvement of the examination process Appointment of invigilators Page 5 of 10 Sep 2014 Examinations Officer Examinations Officer Examinations Officer Examinations Officer Examinations Officer Examinations Officer Examinations Officer Examinations Officer Examinations Officer Examinations Officer Examinations Officer Examinations Officer Examinations Officer Examinations Policy 2014-15 Abbey College Cambridge Training and supervision of invigilators Examinations Officer Other Public Examinations Heads of the Departments are responsible for entering candidates for other public examinations. Heads of Department should encourage selected students to enter the competitions provided for secondary school students under the aegis of the national and international science Olympiads. Examples of recent entries are: The British Biology Olympiad The British Chemistry Olympiad The British Informatics Olympiad The British Mathematical Olympiad The British Physics Olympiad Heads of Department are responsible for entering students. Heads of Department should provide the Examinations Officer with the details of each examination and a list of candidates. The Examinations Officer is to publish the timetable and co-ordinate the administrative arrangements for the examinations. The Examinations Officer is responsible for the safe custody of examination papers and the despatch of scripts. The examinations are to be conducted in accordance with the regulations by the testing authorities. Abbey College Cambridge ACC International Foundation Programme Examinations Heads of Department are to set Foundation Examinations in accordance with the International Foundation Programme syllabi. The Foundation Examinations are to be conducted in accordance with the guidelines laid down in the Foundation Handbook for 2015-2016. The Foundation Examinations are to be conducted entirely separate from all other examinations. Page 6 of 10 Sep 2014 Examinations Policy 2014-15 Abbey College Cambridge The Examinations Officer is to maintain a log of Foundation Examinations. The Examinations Officer is to assemble and publish the results of the Foundation Examinations. Internal Examinations Class tests and stage tests Class Tests and Stage Tests are set and marked by teachers; the Stage Tests take place at a frequency of not less than 1 test in each of the half terms during the Christmas and Easter terms. Conduction of Stage Tests should as much as reasonably possible reflect the conduct of external exams and should reflect JCQ Regulations. Teachers are to use the marks to inform the periodic reports they make on their students’ progress. Mock examinations Mock Examinations are set and marked by teachers; they take place in the weeks set aside for the purpose. Tutors should set Mock Examinations for each of the GCE and GCSE units their classes have been entered for. Mock Examinations are of equal length to the GCE and GCSE units; they are sat under examination conditions. The Examinations Officer is to publish a timetable for the weeks in which Mock Examinations are to be held. The Examinations Officer is to publish the schedule of Mock Examinations. The weeks set aside for Mock Examination will provide the following examinations sessions: 09.00am 01.30pm Page 7 of 10 session No 1 session No 2 Sep 2014 Examinations Policy 2014-15 Abbey College Cambridge Exam Results Procedure Following release of the Exam Results, the Academic Team will prepare a transcript of grades and confirmation of studies letter to send out to all students. Once the embargo is lifted, all students will be emailed their results by the Academic Team. Heads of Department have a duty to be available to students on Results Day, either in person or via phone/Skype etc. Enquiry About Results (EAR) Procedure Heads of Department will be the first point of contact with the students for EAR; following release of the results, HoDs should contact students they feel should consider applying for EAR. Following this consultation, the Academic Team will process any EARs. Page 8 of 10 Sep 2014 Examinations Policy 2014-15 Abbey College Cambridge Appendix A Abbey College Cambridge Appeal Against Internal Assessment of Work Appeals against internal assessment of work for external qualifications Abbey College Cambridge is committed to ensuring that the work of students for an external qualification is marked fairly, consistently and in accordance with the specification for the qualification concerned. All assessments will be conducted by staff who have appropriate knowledge, understanding and skills, and who have been trained in this activity. Where a piece of work is divided between staff, consistency should be assured by internal moderation and standardisation. Students’ work should be produced and authenticated according to the requirements of the examination boards. If a student considers that this may not have happened in relation to his or her work, he or she 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 by an Examinations Notice published by the Examinations Officer. The relevant form is available from the Business Director, and is posted on the notice board outside the Study and in Norman House Library. Procedure for appeals 1 2 3 4 Appeals Procedure 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. Appeals should be made using the form available from reception, and should be submitted to the Business Director, who will begin an investigation. If the Business Director was directly involved in the assessment in question, he will ask another senior member of staff to conduct the investigation. The senior member of staff conducting the investigation 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. You will be informed in writing of the outcome of the appeal, including any correspondence with the board, any changes to the assessment of your work, and Page 9 of 10 Sep 2014 Examinations Policy 2014-15 Abbey College Cambridge any changes to improve matters in future. 5 The outcome of the appeal will be made known to the Principal. 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. Moderation of work by awarding bodies After work has been assessed internally, it is moderated by the awarding body to ensure consistency between examination centres. Such moderation frequently changes the marks awarded for internally assessed work. Such moderation is the business of the awarding bodies, not Abbey College Cambridge. It is not covered by the procedure set out in the Appendix. Students who have concerns about the moderation conducted by the awarding bodies should request a copy of the appeals procedure of the relevant examinations board from the Business Director. Submission of appeals Submission of Appeals 1 You should ensure that all the boxes on the attached form have been accurately filled in, including all your names and your candidate number. It is very important that you should explain the reason for your appeal as concisely as possible in the space provided. You may continue on another sheet if required. 2 The completed form should be given to the Business Director no later than two weeks before the end of the Examination Series. He will appoint a panel, usually comprising of a senior member of staff and one other tutor, who will hear the appeal. To ensure independence, the panel will not include anyone who has prior involvement with the assessment. 3 A copy of your appeal form will be sent to the tutor concerned, who will reply to the panel in writing. A copy of this reply will be sent to you, along with the panel’s comments. 4 If you are not satisfied with this written response, you have the right to a personal hearing before the panel, following which a final ruling will be made. You may bring a friend or relative to such a hearing. 5 Any change to the mark for an internally assessed component will be notified to the examinations board. 6 Abbey College Cambridge will keep written records of all appeals and their outcomes. Page 10 of 10 Sep 2014