Exams

GCSE Results Day

Thursday 21st August 2025

Arrangements for GCSE Results Day will be shared closer to the time. Uncollected results will be posted to students home addresses. Please be aware that results will not be given to students over the phone or emailed.

Please direct any queries about exams to: examsresults@lhs.spt.ac.uk

Contingency days

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. The contingency dates for the 2025 GCSE exams are Wednesday 11th June (afternoon exam) and Wednesday 25th June (full day).  Candidates must remain available should an awarding body need to invoke its contingency plan.

Timetables

Provisional timetable for Summer 2025 GCSEs

Assessment/examination dates

Candidate Handbook

Access Arrangements

Special Consideration

The exams office - instructions for candidates

Ofqual Exam Top Tips

RESOURCES for students 

Ofqual: Student Guide to Exams and Assessments

Ofqual: Coping with Exam Pressure – A Guide for Students

OCR Exams Podcasts: Student wellbeing, exam anxiety and more

Guidance, Rules & Regulations

JCQ Preparing to sit your exams

JCQ Warning to candidates

JCQ Unauthorised Items Poster

JCQ AI and assessments A quick guide

JCQ Information for candidates for written examinations

JCQ Information for candidates for on screen tests

JCQ Information for candidates Privacy Notice

JCQ Information for candidates Social Media

JCQ Social media infographic

JCQ Information for candidates for Coursework

JCQ Information for non examination-assessments

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 Miss Payton the Examinations Officer as soon as possible.

Seating plans

Seating plans will be posted on the Examinations wall in the dining room on the day of each exam. You must check the plan before entering the exam room and sit in the place allocated to you. Being in the right place at the right time is your responsibility.

Punctuality

You must attend at the dining room or exam room at least 15 minutes before the start of the exam. If you are late the exam will start without you, and the Exam Board may refuse to accept the work that you do. You will not be allowed any extra time to finish.

Tier changes

Your individual entry timetable confirms which tiers you have been entered for.  If you have any concerns then see Miss Payton 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 01457 764006 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 Miss Payton 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 or bag

• 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 but only in a re-sealable container and with any label removed

• Single tissues

• Mobile phone (must be in your bag and switched off)

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.  

Unauthorised materials

You are not allowed to bring the following equipment into any exam:

• MP3 or 4 players/ipods/any other electronic equipment

• Earphones

• Wrist Watch

• 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.

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 or plastic bag

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 Senior Invigilator.  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 Miss Payton Examinations Officer.

Please direct any queries about exams to: examsresults@lhs.spt.ac.uk

Shown below are the examination boards used by the school.

Please click on the exam board logo to go to their website.