Purpose of the plan  

This plan examines potential risks and issues that could cause disruption to the exams process at Roselyn House School. By outlining actions/procedures to be invoked in case of disruption it is intended to mitigate the impact these disruptions have on our exam process.   

Alongside internal processes, this plan is informed by the Ofqual (and Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment) Exam system contingency plan: England, Wales and Northern Ireland which provides guidance in the publication What schools and colleges and other centres should do if exams or other assessments are seriously disrupted, the JCQ Joint Contingency Plan for the Examination System in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the JCQ notice Preparing for disruption to examinations. 

This plan also confirms Roselyn House School compliance with JCQ’s General Regulations for Approved Centres (section 5.3) that the centre has in place for inspection that must be reviewed and updated annually:   

• a written examination contingency plan which covers all aspects of examination administration. This will allow members of the senior leadership team to act immediately in the event of an emergency or staff absence. The examination contingency plan should reinforce procedures in the event of the centre being unavailable for examinations, or on results day, owing to an unforeseen emergency  

Possible causes of disruption to the exam process  

1. Exam officer extended absence at key points in the exam process (cycle)  

Further guidance to inform procedures and implement contingency planning  

Ofqual   

What schools and colleges and other centres should do if exams or other assessments are seriously disrupted:  

1. Contingency planning  

You should prepare for possible disruption to exams and other assessments and make sure staff are aware of these plans.  

2. Disruption to assessments or exams  

In the absence of any instruction from the relevant awarding organisation, you should make sure that any exam or timetabled assessment takes place if it is possible to hold it. This may mean relocating to alternative premises.   

You should discuss alternative arrangements with your awarding organisation if:  

• the exam or assessment cannot take place  

• a student misses an exam or loses their assessment due to an emergency, or other event, outside of the student’s control  

See also the JCQ Joint Contingency Plan for the Examination System in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.  

3. Steps you should take  

3.1 Exam planning  

Review contingency plans well in advance of each exam or assessment series. Consider how, if the contingency plan is invoked, you will comply with the awarding organisation’s requirements.  

3.2 In the event of disruption  

1. Contact the relevant awarding organisation and follow its instructions.  

2. Take advice, or follow instructions, from relevant local or national agencies in deciding whether your centre is able to open.  

3. Identify whether the exam or timetabled assessment can be sat at an alternative venue, in agreement with the relevant awarding organisation, ensuring the secure transportation of questions papers or assessment materials to the alternative venue.  

4. Where accommodation is limited, prioritise students whose progression will be severely delayed if they do not take their exam or timetabled assessment when planned.  

5. In the event of an evacuation during an examination please refer to JCQ’s Centre emergency evacuation procedure.  

6. Communicate with parents, carers and students any changes to the exam or assessment timetable or to the venue.  

7. Communicate with any external assessors or relevant third parties regarding any changes to the exam or assessment timetable.  

3.3 After the exam  

1. Consider whether any students’ ability to take the assessment or demonstrate their level of attainment has been materially affected and, if so, apply for special consideration.  

2. Advise students, where appropriate, of the opportunities to take their exam or assessment at a later date.  

3. Ensure that scripts are stored under secure conditions.  

4. Return scripts to awarding organisations in line with their instructions. Never make alternative arrangements for the transportation of completed exam scripts, unless told to do so by the awarding organisation.  

4.  Steps the awarding organisation should take  

4.1 Exam planning  

1. Establish and maintain, and at all times comply with, an up-to-date, written contingency plan.  

2. Ensure that the arrangements in place with centres and other third parties enable them to deliver and award qualifications in accordance with their conditions of recognition.  

4.2 In the event of disruption  

1. Take all reasonable steps to mitigate any adverse effect, in relation to their qualifications, arising from any disruption.  

2. Provide effective guidance to any of their centres delivering qualifications.  

3. Ensure that where an assessment must be completed under specified conditions, students complete the assessment under those conditions (other than where any reasonable adjustments or special considerations require alternative conditions).  

4. Promptly notify the relevant regulators about any event which could have an adverse effect on students, standards or public confidence.  

5. Coordinate its communications with the relevant regulators where the disruption has an impact on multiple centres or a wide range of learners.  

4.3 After the exam  

Consider any requests for special consideration for affected students. For example, those who may have lost their internally assessed work or whose performance in assessments or exams could have been affected by the disruption.  

5. If any students miss an exam or are disadvantaged by the disruption  

If some of the students have been adversely affected by the disruption, you should ask the awarding organisation about applying for special consideration.  

Decisions about special consideration, when it is or is not appropriate, is for each awarding organisation to make. Their decisions might be different for different qualifications and for different subjects.  

See also JCQ’s guidance on special considerations 

6. Wider communications  

The regulators, Ofqual in England, Qualifications Wales in Wales and CCEA Regulation in Northern Ireland, will share timely and accurate information, as required, with awarding organisations, government departments and other stakeholders.  

The Department for Education in England, the Department of Education in Northern Ireland and the Welsh Government will inform the relevant government ministers as soon as it becomes apparent that there will be significant local or national disruption; and ensure that they are kept updated until the matter is resolved.  

Awarding organisations will alert the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and the Central Applications Office (CAO) about any impact of the disruption on their deadlines and liaise regarding student progression to further and higher education.  

Awarding organisations will alert relevant professional bodies or employer groups if the impact of disruption particularly affects them.  

7. Widespread national disruption to the taking of examinations or assessments  

As education is devolved, in the event of any widespread sustained national disruption to examinations or assessments, national government departments will communicate with regulators, awarding organisations and centres prior to a public announcement. Regulators will provide advice to government departments on implications for examinations and assessments, including exam timetables. 

In September 2023, Ofqual and the DfE published joint consultation decisions on long-term resilience arrangements. As in 2023, Ofqual has provided guidance on collecting evidence of student performance to ensure resilience in the qualifications system for students entering GCSEs, AS and A levels, the Advanced Extension Award and Project qualifications.  For other qualifications used alongside or instead of GCSEs, AS and A levels, awarding organisations will provide guidance where needed and will contact schools and colleges with more information.  

The DfE has updated its guidance on handling strike action in schools in England in light of the industrial action in 2023. The guidance recommends schools should prioritise the running of examinations and assessments on any strike days and should review their contingency plans to make this happen. Schools, colleges and other exam centres must speak to the relevant awarding organisations if they are expecting any disruption that might affect the sitting of exams and assessments. 

The DfE has also issued guidance for education settings with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in their buildings. It includes the need for contingencies for possible disruption to examinations and links to the existing emergency planning guidance.   

General contingency guidance ·  

• emergency planning and response for education, childcare and children’s social care settings from the DfE in England 

• police guidance from National Counter Terrorism Security Office and partners on preparing for threats  

• cyber security guidance for schools and colleges from the National Cyber Security Centre 

(Ofqual guidance extract above taken directly from the Exam system contingency plan: England, Wales and Northern Ireland - What schools and colleges and other centres should do if exams or other assessments are seriously disrupted (last updated 7 May 2024) 

JCQ  

15.1 The qualification regulators, awarding bodies and government departments responsible for education have prepared and agreed information for schools and colleges in the event of examinations being seriously disrupted. This jointly agreed information will ensure consistency of response in the event of major disruption to the examinations system affecting significant numbers of candidates.   

Further information may be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/exam-system-contingency-plan-england-wales-and-northern-ireland/what-schools-and-colleges-should-do-if-exams-or-other-assessments-are-seriously-disrupted   

15.2 In addition, awarding bodies have their own well-established contingency plans in place to respond to disruptions. It is important that exams officers who are facing disruption liaise directly with the relevant awarding body/bodies.   

15.3 Centres should prepare plans for any disruption to examinations as part of their general emergency planning. It is important to ensure that relevant centre staff are familiar with the plan.  Consideration should be given as to how these arrangements will be communicated to candidates, parents and staff should disruption to examinations occur.   

15.4 In the event that the head of centre decides the centre cannot be opened for scheduled examinations, the relevant awarding body must be informed as soon as possible. Awarding bodies will be able to offer advice regarding the alternative arrangements for conducting examinations that may be available and the options for candidates who have not been able to take scheduled examinations.    

15.5 The awarding bodies will designate a ‘contingency day’ for examinations. This is consistent with the qualification regulators’ document Exam system contingency plan: England, Wales and Northern Ireland: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/exam-system-contingency-plan-england-wales-and-northern-ireland   

The designation of a ‘contingency day’ within the common examination timetable is in the event of national or significant local disruption to examinations. It is part of the awarding bodies’ standard contingency planning for examinations.   

The awarding bodies have collectively agreed a contingency day for several years now which is always scheduled at the end of the GCSE, GCE AS and A-level exam timetables. 

The contingency day is in the event of national or significant local disruption to exams in the United Kingdom, being part of the awarding bodies’ standard contingency planning for exams. 

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, further resilience was needed within the exam timetables. A single contingency day was not felt to be sufficient if a national event or incident had a significant effect on the exam timetable. For example, summer exams could be affected by extremely high temperatures. 

The awarding bodies have designated Wednesday 24 June 2026 as the ‘contingency day’ for examinations. 

Centres must therefore remind candidates that they must remain available until Wednesday 24 June 2026 should an awarding body need to invoke its contingency plan.  

This Notice is based on guidance provided within the JCQ Joint Contingency Plan, which is available from the  JCQ website:  

www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/ice---instructions-for-conducting-examinations/ 

In the event of widespread disruption to the examination system, all centres must have contingency plans in place. There are three main categories of disruption, which are outlined below.  

Candidates at risk of being unable to take examinations – centres remain open  

Centres’ contingency plans should focus on options that enable candidates to take their examinations. As part of these preparations, centres should take into account the guidance provided in the JCQ publication Instructions for conducting examinations: http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/ice---instructions-for- conducting-examinations   

• consider moving the starting times of the examination for all candidates (see section 6.2 of the JCQ publication Instructions for conducting examinations)   

• being aware of the rules for very late arrivals (see section 21 of the JCQ publication Instructions for conducting examinations).   

Wherever possible, it is always in the best interest for candidates to sit the examination. However, if candidates who are unable to sit the examination meet the criteria, special consideration through absence for acceptable reasons is an option (see Chapter 4 of the JCQ publication A guide to the special consideration process: https://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/access-arrangements-and-special- consideration/regulations-and-guidance   

Please do not hesitate to call the relevant awarding body if you require additional support or guidance in the event of disruption to examinations.  

Centres at risk of being unable to open as normal during the examination period  

As above, centres’ contingency plans must focus on enabling candidates to take their examinations if the centre is at risk of being unable to open as normal.  

The responsibility for deciding whether it is safe for a centre to open lies with the head of centre who is responsible for taking advice or following instructions from relevant local or national agencies.  

Information on what centres should do if examinations or other assessments are seriously disrupted can be found in the three country regulators’ exam system contingency plan:  

www.gov.uk/government/publications/exam-system-contingency-plan-england-wales-and-northern ireland/what-schools-and-colleges-should-do-if-exams-or-other-assessments-are-seriously-disrupted  

Special consideration through absence for acceptable reasons is also available as an option if all other avenues have been exhausted and candidates meet the relevant criteria.  

Please do not hesitate to call the relevant awarding body if you require additional support or guidance in the event of disruption to your examinations.  

Disruption to transporting completed examination scripts  

If there is a delay in normal collection arrangements for completed examination scripts:  

• where examinations are part of the national ‘yellow label’ service or where awarding bodies arrange collections, centres should contact the relevant awarding bodies for advice and instructions.  

• for examinations where centres make their own collection arrangements, they should investigate alternative options that comply with the JCQ publication Instructions for conducting examinations  

• completed scripts must be stored securely until they are collected.  

Summary of centre and awarding body responsibilities  

Examination centres are responsible for:  

• preparing plans for any disruption to examinations as part of centres’ general emergency planning   

• deciding whether the centre can open for examinations as scheduled and informing relevant awarding bodies if the centre is unable to open  

• exploring the opportunities for alternative arrangements if the centre cannot open for examinations and agreeing such arrangements with the awarding bodies  

•  judging whether candidates meet the requirements for special consideration because of any disruption and submitting these requests to the relevant awarding bodies  

• assessing their circumstances and liaising with awarding bodies in the event of disruption to the transportation of papers.  

Awarding bodies are responsible for:  

• ensuring centres receive examination materials for scheduled examinations  

• advising centres on possible alternative examination arrangements and declining/approving proposals for alternative examination arrangements  

• evaluating and declining/approving requests for special consideration.  

Contacting the awarding bodies  

In all cases, if there are any concerns, please contact the relevant awarding body for advice:   

AQA  

0800 197 7162  
eos@aqa.org.uk  

CCEA  

02890 261 200 
centresupport@ccea.org.uk  

NCFE 

0191 239 8000 

https://www.ncfe.org.uk/contact-us 

OCR