Exams

Welcome to the Exams Page. Here you will find links to pages providing information in the following areas:

Exam Entry Information

In this area you can find details of the examination courses on offer at Helsby High School. The majority of GCSE and GCE A Level qualifications are currently in a modular/unitised format, meaning that assessment is broken down into a number of parts which are individually entered and reported upon. Completion of the relevant number of units does not automatically trigger the award of a qualification grade; this must be claimed, using the appropriate code, in the session when the qualification is completed (usually the summer). For GCSE, units worth at least 40% of the qualification must be taken in the session where you are completing (often called ‘aggregating’ or ‘cashing-in’) the qualification.

Exam Syllabi provides a summary of the Awarding Body and Specification Code for each of the Key stage 4 (Years 10 & 11 and some early entry for Years 7, 8 and 9) and Key Stage 5 (6th form) subjects studied at Helsby High School.

Specification and Unit Level Grade Boundaries further breaks down each qualification to list unit and qualification level detail including entry codes along with the minimum uniform mark required to obtain each available grade.

Year 11 pupils should use this table to check that they have all the entries required in order to obtain the subject qualification grade.

Exam Entry Fees advises of the fee charged should a candidate wish to be re-entered for a unit in the current academic year. Please be aware that:

  • Only two attempts at a unit are allowed in current GCSE qualifications.
  • Not all units are available in all sessions. The main sessions are January and Summer.
  • Late fees will apply to entries received after the published Exam Office deadline.
  • Late entries will not be accepted after a certain date. Before submitting a late application, please check with the Exam Office whether your application will be accepted.
  • Entries may be accepted from private candidates if they wish to take examination in a subject which is already being taken at the school and if no internal assessment is required. Please contact the Examination Officer , Mrs J Moulton, for further information.

Examination Entry Application Form

Exam Timetables

Timetables for forthcoming examinations are posted below. Students should already have been told which examinations they are due to take in each session via their teacher. If in doubt, check with the subject teacher in the first instance.

2012-2013 Exam Session Dates*
November examination series 5 November 2012 – 16 November 2012
Year 11 Mock examinations 26 November 2012 – 30 November 2012
January examination series 9 January 2013 – 1 February 2013
March examination series 27 February 2013 – 12 March 2013
Summer examination series 13 May 2013 – 26 June 2013
* Scheduled examinations will take place within these dates. Further details will follow in due course.

 

Important Information for Candidates

Regulations for the conduct of assessments and examinations are overseen by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). All candidates need to be aware of the regulations affecting their behaviour and responsibilities whilst completing a qualification. Click on the following links to read this important documentation which is updated in each academic year.

 

Results & Post Results Services

Results will be published on the dates shown below. During term time, these results will be issued to you via your form tutor in your registration period. In the Summer, the school will be open for you to collect results. More information about this will be provided nearer the time as arrangements are finalised.

Examination Session Results Issue
November 2012 – GCSE Maths & English Thursday 10th January 2013
January 2013 – GCE A Level & GCSE Thursday 7th March 2013
March 2013 – GCSE Maths Thursday 18th April 2013
Summer 2013 – GCE A Level Thursday 15th August 2013
Summer 2013 – GCSE, DiDA Thursday 22nd August 2013

 

 

Certificates

Certificates for November, January and March exams arrive in school approximately two months following the publication of results. Certificates from the Summer exams arrive in school during October and November. It takes a few weeks to collate them (in between other essential examinations administrative tasks) and they are usually available for collection by December of the year of your exams.

If you are still a pupil at the school in years 8-11, the certificates are kept securely until you have completed your Key Stage 4 studies. All your certificates will then be available to you together, in the December following Year 11. We find in doing this, certificates for examinations taken before Year 11 are less likely to be misplaced at home. As certificates will be needed for most jobs or further education applications and examination boards are charging in the region of £35 for confirmation of these results, it can be a very costly exercise for you if they are collected and subsequently lost. However, you are more than welcome to collect them from the Exams Office if you not wish to leave them in our safekeeping.

If you have left school, a letter will be sent to your last recorded address to advise you that they are ready for collection. If someone else will be collecting them on your behalf, please ensure that they have your written authority to do so. All visitors to the school should report to Reception via the main entrance at the front of the building.

Students in the Sixth Form will be advised via their form tutor when their certificates may be collected.

Certificates will be kept for a minimum of 12 months. After this time, the school is able to destroy any uncollected certificates in a confidential manner. If you have not collected your certificates within this 12 month period, please contact the Exam Office to check whether we are still holding the documents in the first instance.

Each exam board’s procedures for obtaining official confirmation of examination results following the loss or destruction of certificates are detailed on their website. Please click on the exam board name to be taken to the relevant webpage.