This next blog was jointly written by Claire Tasker, Andrew Walton McBain (Deputy Head and SLT link for exams) and our wonderful exam’s lead, Clare Kenyon.
It would be easy to assume that things get quieter in school when GCSE and A Level examinations begin, but the reality is quite the opposite.
At HSS, we have 772 students taking a total of 2908 GCSE and A Level qualifications this summer involving 6753 exam papers. The examination period lasts 27 days and, on most days, there is at least one exam paper in the morning and another in the afternoon. Some days are even busier, with multiple papers taking place simultaneously. In fact, there have been days when 6 different examinations were running across the school at the same time.
Many students sit their examinations in the main hall, which can accommodate 228 exam desks. Behind the scenes, however, a huge amount of planning goes into creating seating plans that take account of different examination papers, start and finish times, and students who receive extra time.
What many people may not realise is that, for every examination session, up to 15 additional rooms may also be in use. Following rigorous assessment and evidence gathering, some students are entitled to a range of access arrangements, including the use of scribes, laptops, readers, smaller examination spaces and other support measures. Ensuring that every student has the conditions they need to demonstrate their knowledge fairly requires significant organisation and coordination.
All of this relies on the commitment of a great many staff. Firstly, our brilliant Exams Team of two, who oversee the entire process. Alongside them is a dedicated team of 42 invigilators, who ensure every examination runs smoothly. Plus, each day, members of the Senior Leadership Team start examinations and support student dismissal, Student Support Assistants check that students are present and ready, and numerous colleagues relocate lessons and activities to different rooms to accommodate examination requirements. And it does not end there, for example, our Science technicians and many other staff can also be seen dashing from their offices at break and changeover times to hold our “Silence Please” signs, helping to maintain the calm environment needed by students completing examinations.
Exam season is complicated. It requires careful planning, teamwork and flexibility from staff across the entire school. Most importantly, it reflects our collective commitment to giving every student the very best opportunity to succeed. As always, we would like to thank all of our staff for their dedication and wish every student the very best for the remainder of the examination season. And, of course, when the GCSE and A Level papers are finished we move into our Y12 and Y10 exam weeks …