Information for Pupils
The following information is aimed primarily at Year 11 GCSE Students, although some of the information here is also applicable to Year 9 SAT students.
Please check the dates of your examinations very carefully. It is your responsibility to make sure you are present on the correct day and at the correct time. If you are not sure please, ASK Mrs Maher or Mr Sleigh. NB: Anything that is not correct on your timetable must be amended and signed by the respective class teacher and returned immediately to Mrs Maher in the school office.
Almost all examinations start at 9am and 1pm. Every candidate MUST be dressed in full school uniform and arrive to be invited into the examination room by 8.50 and 12.50. This is very important as question papers and answer sheets need to be given out with instructions so you can start writing at 9am and 1pm. Please make sure you visit the toilet prior to entering the examination room, as there are rules that have to be followed that are just as inconvenient for us.
If you arrive late the examination board may not accept your paper. You are NOT allowed to make up lost time unless there are exceptional circumstances. It is very important that the school office has your telephone number or a number where you can be contacted. If it has changed LET THE SCHOOL OFFICE HAVE THE NEW CONTACT NUMBER IMMEDIATELY.
If you are absent you are NOT allowed to make up that examination on another day. Examinations may only be taken at the time stated on your timetable. If you are absent through illness, obtain a medical certificate from your doctor and send it to Mrs Maher within 48 hours of the examination. Please ring school at 8am on the examination day to let us know.
Please note that you are not allowed to leave the examination room until the full time of the examination is up. Some examinations may not finish until after 3pm so you must be prepared to stay until the end when all the papers have been collected.
What do I need to bring?
You will need your candidate number (can be found on your exam timetable as ‘Exam Number’). You must make sure you have pens, pencils, rulers, pencil sharpeners & calculators etc, of your own, as you are NOT ALLOWED to borrow from anyone else once inside the examination room. Please put your equipment in a see through pencil case or transparent plastic bag. Examinations must be completed in either blue or black ink unless drawing maps, diagrams etc. TIPPEX IS NOT ALLOWED.
There are calculators available that communicate with other calculators, these together with Mobile phones, pagers or MP3 players are NOT ALLOWED into the examination room, even if they are switched off. If any of these are taken into the exam room, the board may not accept your paper. The examination boards have very strict rules on these devices.
What do I wear?
Any time you come into school during the examination period, you must be in full uniform, and conform to the school rules, e.g. hair, jewellery, shoes, mobile phones etc. you are still our senior students, and you are the role models for the rest of the school.
When you arrive
You must leave your bags and jackets at the front of the examination room. Any good luck mascots must be left in your bag or jacket not on your examination desk. Please make sure that you have taken all your pens, pencils etc from your bag before entering the room. NB: Mobile phones are NOT ALLOWED in the examination room. You must either leave your mobile phone at home or hand it in to the school office before the exam. Candidates have failed examinations because they forgot to leave it at home or at the office.
Examination room procedure
Once you have entered the examination room, you must not speak to, or communicate with any other pupil at any time. This means looking around and sideways glances. You must face the front at all times.
Silence must be observed at all times in the examination room.
A seating plan will be posted outside the exam room in case you have forgotten your seat number (please note that your seat number is likely to be different for each exam and they will be printed on the final exam timetable that you will be given).
Listen carefully to all instructions given to you.
You must not leave your desk once you have been placed in the exam room. If you require any extra paper or equipment etc., please put your hand up and one of the supervisors will bring it to you. You must not call out.
When you have finished, you must check your answers carefully, you must not disturb the examination or communicate with another candidate in any way. This allows those who are still working to have the same opportunity as you to concentrate and do their very best.
At the conclusion of the exam you must again listen to all instructions carefully.
Results day is:
Thursday 21st August 2008.
Your results will be available for collection from 10:00am onwards, if you are unable to collect them on this day; do not worry as we will hold them for you until you are able to come for them.
Results will not be given over the telephone.
It is possible to send a parent/carer for your results after 21st August, you must phone the school office first to advise them and then send your parent/carer with a letter signed by yourself authorizing us to give your results to a third party.
If you have any queries or problems regarding your examinations or the information in this booklet, please see Mrs Maher or Mr Sleigh immediately.
AND FINALLY – GOOD LUCK!