PURPOSE: 
To manage the internal/external examination/testing programme for students throughout the school.
REPONSIBLE TO: Headteacher/Deputy Headteacher (Curriculum)
DISCLOSURE LEVEL: Enhanced
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
 
Administrative
• Familiarise and keep up to date with relevant JCQ documents such as General Regulations, ‘ICE Booklet’, Access Arrangements etc..
• Collect data from Heads of Faculty & Heads of Department regarding the GCSE, GCE, BTEC and other awarding body courses that are offered during the forthcoming academic year.
• Download relevant basedata files for all examination seasons – e.g. September, November, January, March, May & June for GCSE, GCE, BTEC and Welsh Baccalaureate entries.
• Process all entries for GCSE, GCE, Welsh Baccalaureate, BTEC and other awarding bodies ensuring that all Heads of Department / Teachers in Charge of Subject check the relevant subject and ‘cash-in’ codes.
• Provide Heads of Department / Teachers in Charge of Subject entry lists for their relevant specification.
• Manage the examination budget particularly ensuring that any late fees are avoided through meeting all stipulated deadlines.
• Process all amendments received from individual departments by the stipulated date.
• Consider processing amendments that are received after the stipulated date and ensure the relevant departments bear the cost of late / amendment fees if the amendment is processed.
• Ensure that all staff are aware of the regulations regarding coursework and Non-Examination Assessments (NEA’s).
• Be responsible for the formulation and revision of the Examinations Standard Operating Procedures.
• Formulate and review policies associated with examinations e.g. appeals procedure, emergency evacuation procedures, NEA policy.
• Ensure that other awarding bodies' candidates such as BTEC/LIBF/NCFE/SWEET/Agored Cymru are:
* Entered for the correct course
* Entered using the awarding bodies accepted format
* Results are submitted by the correct deadline – to be done in co-operation with the Assistant Headteacher (Additional Qualifications) and the relevant Head of Department.
• Formulate mock examination timetables for Years 10/11/12/13 after consultation with relevant Head of Year, Heads of Department and Teachers in Charge of Subject.
• Organise mock examinations.
• Ensure that every despatch from examination boards is checked against the despatch notice and ensure that examination papers are stored securely and are arranged in chronological order.
• Ensure that each external examination has a seating plan.
• Ensure that each candidate receives an individual examination timetable for external examinations.
• Identify and resolve candidate clashes in individual examination timetables.
• For each examination season ensure that the school has received a full complement of:
* Examination papers
* Attendance Registers
* Examiner Labels
* Envelopes
• Ensure that for each script despatch to individual examiners that there is a certificate of posting and scripts are posted promptly and at the very latest the next day.
• Ensure that coursework / NEA marks are submitted via the relevant awarding body portal.
• Complete all Estimated Entry information requested by examination boards by the appointed deadlines.
• Distribute all relevant circulars from the examination boards to the relevant HOF / HOD / HOS.
• Ensure that all teachers are informed in any revision to examination procedures and regulations.
• Provide access to relevant teachers to examination boards secure sites.
Procedural
• Ensure that each examination room is provided with the:
* relevant notices
* a clock
* relevant publications
• Ensure that each examination room has an appropriate layout and it meets statutory requirements.
• Check and pack examination scripts for the individual examiners ensuring that the number of scripts tally with the appropriate attendance register.
• Check and view DVD’s required for external examinations e.g. Media Studies & PE by the designated time and inform the relevant examination board in the event of any problems.
• Facilitate through the provision of labels and envelopes the submission of coursework / controlled assessment.
• Provide additional support to those subjects that may require a high level of supervision and where practical administer ‘catch up’ sessions for Controlled Assessments where candidates were not able to undertake the Controlled Assessment at the designated time.
• Oversee invigilation arrangements.
• Recruit and train invigilators annually.
• Oversee the arrangements for candidates who require separate accommodation due to Access Arrangements or clash management.
• Maintain a regular presence in the examination room during all examinations particularly at the start and at the end.
• Facilitate requests from VI form candidates regarding the sitting and administration of external examinations required by some universities.
• Deal with any instances of examination malpractice making sure:
* That candidates are afforded an opportunity to write a statement.
* Complete the required paperwork
* Liaise with the relevant examination board regarding the incident.
* Inform the candidate and parents of the outcome of the enquiry.
• Facilitate and assist any visit from a visiting examiner.
Liaising with other teachers, examination boards, educational institutions and other agencies
• Co-operate and liaise with other institutions regarding candidates who have moved between educational institutions.
• Co-operate fully with the BTEC, NCFE, LIBF, SWEET & Agored Cymru adviser during any monitoring and quality assurance visits.
• Liaise with Coleg Menai and other schools regarding Partnership Pupils who follow BTEC, Vocational and other subjects off site.
• Liaise with neighbouring schools who may have guest candidates following courses in Ysgol Friars regarding entry procedures, ‘cash in’ arrangements etc.
• Liaise with Data Support regarding Partnership Pupils.
• Liaise with IT support staff.
• Provide copies of results to outside agencies e.g. Coleg Menai, Careers Wales.
• Ensure that every effort is made to contact candidates who have failed to attend an examination.
• Liaise with the Director of VI Form Studies, Year 10 & 11 Year Team Leaders to arrange a slot during an assembly whereby candidates are made fully aware of examination administration, procedures and candidate responsibilities.
• Liaise with the relevant person at the appropriate examination board in dealing with any examination issue.
• Liaise between external moderators and Heads of Department / Teachers In Charge Of Subject regarding problems with coursework / controlled assessment.
• Liaise with the relevant examination board regarding any lost or missing coursework or NEAs.
• In instances where VI form students have transferred to the school to complete A level courses administer and arrange a ‘Transfer of Credit’ between the relevant examination board.
• Co-operate with JCQ Inspectors and enter into meaningful discussions regarding examination administration and procedures.
• Attend Gwynedd Examination Officers Network meetings.
• Facilitate annual meetings with the dedicated Regional Support Officer from Qualification Wales.
• Deal with any requests from examination boards regarding missing scripts and co-operate fully with their procedures.
  
Post results
• Download results from the relevant examination board and import into the school’s SIMS system.
• Disseminate examination results in the appropriate format to candidates and relevant Heads of Faculty / Heads of Department.
• Organise the distribution of examination results in August in terms of time, format, layout of room.
• Be available to deal with any examination result query raised by candidates, parents or teachers on the day results are issued.
• Provide Heads of Faculty / Heads of Department with a pack containing the relevant SIMS outputs (within the constraints of the school’s SIMS system) which allow comparisons to be made between classes and courses.
• Process any requests for the return of photocopied or original scripts.
• Ensure that payment is received from a student before the request for a photocopied or original script is submitted.
• Process any request for individual candidate re-marks whether the request has come from a candidate or HOF / HOD. Ensure that candidates are aware that their marks could go up or down.
• Process any requests for late certification.
• Comply with any reasonable request from individual examination board e.g. re the retention of course work.
Analysing, Verifying & Interpreting data
• Provide the school’s SMT a general picture of GCSE and GCE performance.
Appeals, Access Arrangements & Special Consideration
• Process all appropriate requests for Special Consideration during each examination season.
• Liaise with parents particularly in cases where temporary Access Arrangements or Special Consideration is required. 
• Manage the school’s Internal Appeals Procedure for all qualifications.
The job description and responsibilities may be amended by agreement from time to time.