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May



May 2006

In this month's email...

Summer exams - plan for the unexpected

The summer exams are without doubt the most high-pressure time of the year for exams office staff. You are working against the clock, the deadlines are inflexible, and any unexpected events can really add to the pressure. You can't control everything, but there are some things you can do in advance to minimise last-minute problems and ensure that everything will run smoothly on the day.

Room booking - check that no exam rooms have been double-booked and that teachers normally using those rooms know what the arrangements are for their classes. This is the kind of task that could be delegated to support staff, where available.

Room set-up - check that your caretaker/facilities staff know which rooms are needed on which dates, and that they understand exactly how to set up exam rooms.

SEN candidates - confirm with your SENCO/additional learning support manager how many SEN candidates will need separate rooms and make sure you have enough rooms and invigilators to cover this.

Invigilators - where budgets allow, provide some flexibility and peace of mind by organising one or more extra invigilators on busy exam days. You can use the extra person to cover emergencies or provide breaks for others during long exam sessions, or use them in the biggest exam hall if they are not needed elsewhere

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Mobile phones

Candidates are often unwilling to be parted from their mobile phones, not through any desire to break the rules, but because of security worries. At the same time, candidates who bring phones into the exam room are breaching JCQ regulations and therefore seriously jeopardising their results, even if the phone is switched off and there is no evidence of use.

Effective solutions include providing secure storage near the exam room and clearly identifying each phone, for example by using labelled envelopes.

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Script collection - have you made arrangements?

Recently, you should have received some information in the post about arranging script collections for the summer exams.

If you have not yet spoken to a Parcelforce Worldwide advisor, call the Parcelforce Worldwide Exams Helpdesk on 0870 240 0913 to arrange for your scripts to be collected.

Summer half term - don't forget - unmarked scripts must not remain in centres over half term so you need to plan how you will despatch scripts on Friday 26 May.

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Access arrangements

The deadline to submit details of centre-delegated access arrangements for the summer exams is 31 July. Ensure you have supporting evidence for all access arrangements ready to show JCQ inspectors on request.

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    New good practice tool

    Based on the Good Practice Guide Part 1, this new tool allows you to assess your centre's progress in implementing good practice throughout the exam cycle and to plan improvements.

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      Your field support officer is only a phone call away

      Don't forget that your field support officer is available to support you during the summer exams. If time pressures mean a visit is impractical, you can still contact them by phone or email for advice on specific issues. If you find you have to cancel an appointment, please give as much notice as possible so they can use that time to support other exams officers.

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        And finally... good luck for the summer exams!

        Useful contacts:

        NAA Helpdesk 0870 0600 622
        info@naa.org.uk

        Parcelforce Worldwide Exams Helpdesk 0870 240 0913
        http://www.parcelforce.com/portal/pw

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