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Examinations

The Examinations Office deals with all matters to do with external examinations from submitting entries to dealing with results when they are published.

Working alongside the Student Progress Faculty, the Examinations Office deals with those students with Special Needs and ensures their examination requirements are met.

At GCSE level the school currently takes examinations from four Boards (AQA, OCR, Edexcel and WJEC) and at GCE level from three of those four (AQA, OCR and Edexcel). Students may also take the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) from the AQA Board with Sixth Formers being able to undertake the AQA-Baccalaureate.

For Sixth Formers, university entrance tests can be taken where necessary e.g. the BMAT examination required for those students planning to take up medicine at university.

If you have any queries regarding public examinations please contact the exams team at exams@sghs.org.uk.

If you have any queries about internal assessments please contact your daughter’s subject teacher or the subject Curriculum Leader in the first instance.

GCSE/ A/ AS Exam procedures

  • Students should arrive in good time for all exams, students wait in Café Quad or Westbank.
  • Students must not have any electronic equipment including mobile phones, ipads, ipods, MP3 players, with them OR in their bags or pockets even if they are switched off or batteries removed. They must be handed in to Student Services and will be returned immediately after the exam finishes.
  • All exams must be completed in BLACK pen.
  • Some exams require additional specialist equipment (it is a student’s responsibility to come prepared).
  • Exams cannot be completed at any other time than stated on the students exam entry statement.
  • Let us know immediately of any change of circumstances e.g. illness.
  • Students should eat breakfast or lunch before exams.
  • Students can only bring water into the exam in a transparent bottle with the label removed. Metal and opaque bottles are not allowed under Exam Board regulations
  • Students must wear full school uniform to all exams.
  • Watches of any kind are not allowed under exam board regulations

Enquiries About Results

Services Available from the Examination Boards After Results are Published

You may have queries about your results from the summer series units you sat. There are various options from the Examination Boards available to you.

You should be aware that there is a cost involved for each of these options – a cost you will have to meet. Also be aware that marks and thus grades can go down as well as up in any check made. Grades are not considered final until certificates are published at the end of October.

Options

  1. Clerical Re-check: this will check all parts of the script have been marked; the totalling and recording of marks is correct.
  2. A Review of Marking: This is NOT a re-mark. An Examiner checks to see that the marking guidelines have been correctly followed by the original Examiner.
  3. A Review of the Moderation of Coursework (A level) or Controlled Assessment (GCSE) work: BUT this can only be requested if the Examination Board Moderator has changed the teachers’ marks and all candidates are willing for this process to be carried out. This service is not available to individuals.
  4. Access to Scripts: this allows you to have your script returned. Original scripts may not be returned until mid-November. If you want to see the script earlier than this (especially if you want to see it with a view to asking for a Review of Marking or Clerical Check) a photocopy of the script can be requested.

If you wish, after due consideration, to pursue one of these options before the start of term then email exams@sghs.org.uk. After the start of term, the necessary forms can be collected from Student Services but returned to the Exams Office by the deadline date.

The procedure to follow

  1. Most importantly talk matters through with your subject class teacher if possible and/or the Curriculum Leader or any of the Senior Staff here to help on Results Day e.g. Mrs McMillan. You may be disappointed with the result but this is not the same as having a genuine case to be made to the Board. You need to take advice from school.
  1. If the advice is to apply for a Review, see Miss Toner or others from the Exams Team to obtain and complete the appropriate form. These forms will be available following results days in August. There is a charge made by the Boards for a Review and you have to meet this charge. In a Review your mark and thus your grade could go down.