Exams Summer 2024
Rayner Stephens High School are expecting the GCSE Summer 2024 exams to go ahead. Please check this page for the most up to date information.
Results Day Information
Results Day 2024 – Thursday 22nd August
Students who cannot collect results MUST follow the following procedures:
- Collection by third party (student's representative) the person collecting the results on behalf of a student must be in possession of a letter signed and dated by the student stating the name of the person collecting the results on a student’s behalf. The person collecting results must bring ID (eg. passport, driving licence).
- Posting Results - Uncollected results will be posted to the Student’s address on results day.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL EXAMINATION RESULTS BE ISSUED OVER THE PHONE EITHER IN SPOKEN OR TEXT FORMAT OR BY FAX.
Grades and pass marks
Grades awarded for GCSE’s go from 9-1, with the highest Grade being 9 (this represents a higher grade than the previous top grade of A*). The grade awarded takes account of the marks from non-exam assessments and exam marks. The new GCSE Grades do not align perfectly to the old system of grading and there is an overlap across the grades as shown below. This means that Student’s in the past who would have gained a B grade for instance could be awarded either a grade 6 or a grade 5 in the new qualifications.
Each year examination certificates are awarded at the Aspiration Presentation Evening. Student’s are invited to attend (usually in November)
Students certificates will be stored for 12 months after this time these will be disposed of.
Once awarded, certificates must be kept in a safe place as they are difficult and expensive to replace. Certificates will probably be required as proof by college's and/or employers when applying for courses or employment.
If lost you must apply to the relevant exam board for replacements at a cost of £45 per certificate
Timetables
The awarding bodies have designated the afternoon of 6 June and 13 June 2024 and the morning and afternoon of 26 June 2024 as ‘contingency days’ for examinations. This is consistent with the qualification regulators’ document 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 local disruption to examinations. It is part of the awarding bodies’ standard contingency planning for examinations.
Student’s therefore must remain available until 26th June 2024 should an awarding body need to invoke its contingency plan.
GCSES Summer 2024 Exams
Exams start on Tuesday 7th May 2024 and end on Wednesday 26th June 2024
Timetables
Mock Exams
Mock Exams
Year 11 - Monday 4th December - Friday 15th December 2024
Year 10 - Monday 10th June - Friday 28th June 2024
Year 7 & 8 - Monday 20th May - Friday 24th May 2024
Year 9 - Monday 5th February - Friday 9th February 2024
Guidance, Rules & Regulation
Access arrangements
Special Consideration booklet
Ofqual Guidance to students
Top tips to help students with their exams
Timetables
You will be issued with a timetable listing the dates and times for each of your exams. Read your timetable carefully and report any errors or omissions to the Examinations Officer as soon as possible.
Seating plans
Seating plans will be displayed on the Examination Notice Board. You must check the seating plan before entering the exam room, and sit in the correct place which has been allocated to you. Being in the correct place at the right time is your responsibility.
Punctuality
You must arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your exam start time. If you are late the exam will have started without you and the Exam Board may refuse to accept the work that you do.
Tier changes
Your individual entry timetable confirms which tiers you have been entered for. If you have any concerns then see the exams officer well in advance of the exam. You will not be allowed to change tier on the day of the exam.
Lateness, illness and other circumstances
If you are too ill to attend, or unavoidably late, then you must ring school on 0161 338 2374 as soon as possible.
If you are taken ill at school, have any significant health concerns or other genuine problems affecting your performance you must see the examination officer as soon as possible.
If you feel unwell during an examination let an invigilator know immediately.
The Examination Board may take your circumstances into account, but only if you follow the guidance above. Under no circumstances can we deal with any issues that are brought to our attention after the end of your exams.
Authorised materials
You are only allowed to bring the following equipment into any exam:
- Normal writing equipment either loose or in a completely see-through pencil case.
- A calculator (although not permitted in all exams)
- Subject –specific materials such as preparation sheets or set texts only if specifically instructed
- A drink of water in a see through re-sealable bottle with the label removed no bigger than 250ml
- Single tissues
Anything other than these items is regarded as 'unauthorised material' by the Exam Boards and must not be in your possession in either a written exam or speaking test. This includes but is not limited to:
- Mobile phone (must be in your bag and switched off)
- Watches of any kind
- MP3 or 4 players/ipods/any other electronic equipment
- Earphones
- Notes of any description
- Dictionaries
- Calculator lids, cases and/or instruction leaflets
- Coats or any other outdoor clothing
- Blotting paper
- Tissues in packets
- You can face disqualification by the Exam Boards if you do not follow this rule, even if you have not attempted to use the items for dishonest reasons.
Conduct
Once you have entered the exam room you must not communicate with candidates in any way. You may only speak to the invigilators by raising your hand and waiting for them to come to your desk, please be mindful of other candidates when speaking to the invigilator by keeping the noise level to a minimum.
Once seated you should face the front at all times and ensure you only look at your own work. To avoid any misunderstanding, do not look towards candidates in the rows on either side of you or behind you.
Your conduct in the exam room must not disturb or distract any other candidates. Remain silent until you have left the room at the end of the exam and respect the fact that there may still be candidates working.
Basics
- Never write in you answer booklet until you have been instructed to do so, not even to fill in your candidates details.
- Always check that you have been given the correct question paper for your subject and unit and that you have everything listed. Note the time allowed and read all instructions carefully.
- Ensure you fill in answer books and any supplementary sheets according to instructions.
- If you need to attract an invigilator's attention at any point in the exam, raise your hand.
- Acceptable writing equipment
- Black ink or ballpoint pen only (blue is not allowed)
- Coloured pencils/inks only for maps, charts etc. (unless instructed otherwise)
- Pencil – only for graphs and diagrams
- Highlighters – only on the question paper not in your answers
- Completely see-through pencil case.
Any other type of writing equipment is not allowed.
Fire alarm
If the fire alarm sounds, remain silent and listen to the instructions given to you by the Invigilator/Exams Officer. Exam conditions continue to apply even if there is an evacuation. You must not communicate with other candidates at all and if you do so it is likely that the Exam Board will disqualify you from that exam.
At the end of an exam
You are not allowed to leave an exam before that stated finish time even if you have finished working.
When the invigilator tells you to stop writing you must do so straight away. You must not attempt to finish a question or a sentence and should immediately close your answer book.
If you are unsure about any of these rules then please see the Examinations Officer.
Exam Board Information
Listed below are the examination boards used by the school with relevant subjects below them.
Below are a list of our Exam boards and subjects. Please click on the Exam board logo to go to their websites.
Maths, BTEC Music, BTEC Sport, History, Business, English, Health & Social Care, Statistics, PE
Geography, Citizenship
French, Spanish, Drama, Computer Science, Biology, Physics and Chemistry, Design & Technology, Art
Media, Hospitality and Catering