Exams

Humphry Davy School aims to make the examination experience as positive and successful as possible for all students who sit public exams. To ensure this, we believe that it is important that students, parents, and carers are as well informed as possible. The school will make every effort to ensure our students receive the best possible preparation and that exams are conducted in a way that enables students to achieve their potential.

The Awarding Bodies (or Examination Boards) set down strict criteria for the organisation of examinations and both Humphry Davy School and the students sitting the examinations, are required to follow them precisely.

We have included some useful information here, together with the official Exam Board notices to support your understanding of the process.

Please don't hesitate to contact us during school hours if you have any queries regarding public examinations.

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Please see below some information regarding revision and support for Year 10 and 11 students during the exam season.

Please note that students with examination concessions may be allocated additional time for the exams and the ‘length of the exam’ stated is the standard time available. Eligible students will be given a personalised timetable with reminders of the length of their exams, their venues and seat numbers. This information will also be published on the exams noticeboard outside Room 34 on a daily basis. When available the overview timetable will be published below. This will provide detail of which exams take place each day to support your planning.

Students will only be allowed to take a clear pencil case into the exam room (or just carry their equipment in their hand with no pencil case) so students may wish to purchase a clear pencil case if they don't have one.

Subject teachers will support students with their revision and exam preparation, after school revision sessions will continue to run during the exam period.

Your child’s mentor will be happy to provide advice and support regarding revision arrangements if needed.

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Reviews of Marking

Centre assessed marks (GCSE controlled assessments, GCE coursework, GCE and GCSE non-examination assessments and Project qualifcations) for Humphry Davy School.

Humphry Davy School is committed to ensuring that whenever our staff mark candidates’ work this is done fairly, consistently and in accordance with the awarding body’s specification and subject-specific associated documents.

Candidates’ work will be marked by staff who have appropriate knowledge, understanding and skill, and who have been trained in this activity. Humphry Davy School is committed to ensuring that work produced by candidates is authenticated in line with the requirements of the awarding body. Where a number of subject teachers are involved in marking candidates’ work, internal moderation and standardisation will ensure consistency of marking.

Humphry Davy School will ensure that candidates are informed of their centre assessed marks.
Humphry Davy School will inform candidates that they may request copies of materials to assist them in considering whether to request a review of the centre’s marking of the assessment.
Humphry Davy School will, having received a request for copies of materials, promptly make them available to the candidate.
Humphry Davy School will provide candidates with sufficient time in order to allow them to review copies of materials and reach a decision.
Humphry Davy School will provide a clear deadline for candidates to submit a request for a review of the centre’s marking. Requests will not be accepted after this deadline. Requests must be made in writing.
Humphry Davy School will allow sufficient time for the review to be carried out, to make any necessary changes to marks and to inform the candidate of the outcome, all before the awarding body’s deadline.
Humphry Davy School will ensure that the review of marking is carried out by an assessor who has appropriate competence, has had no previous involvement in the assessment of that candidate and has no personal interest in the review.
Humphry Davy School will instruct the reviewer to ensure that the candidate’s mark is consistent with the standard set by the centre.
Humphry Davy School will inform the candidate in writing of the outcome of the review of the centre’s marking.
The outcome of the review of the centre’s marking will be made known to the head of centre. A written record of the review will be kept and made available to the awarding body upon request.

The moderation process carried out by the awarding bodies may result in a mark change, either upwards or downwards, even after an internal review. The internal review process is in place to ensure consistency of marking within the centre, whereas moderation by the awarding body ensures that centre marking is line with national standards. The mark submitted to the awarding body is subject to change and should therefore be considered provisional.