An Education in Examinations

Every child’s experience of their time at The Grove is unique because their learning journey is personalised to them, but the one thing they all have in common is that the culmination of all their hard work will end with their final qualification exams.  We recognise that this is a stressful, but important part of their journey, so we do everything we can to help them prepare, so they can perform to the best of their ability when the ‘big days’ come.

We start preparing our students for their final exam experience in Year 7, so that when they get to their real GCSEs and A levels the whole experience is less scary.  In Year 11 and Year 13, students know what to expect, as they have years of experience to draw on; removing the fear of the unknown.  Our new students will get their first ‘taste’ of exams at The Grove in the April/May of their Year 7.  They will do these tests in the Morton Hall, which is the exam hall we use for the real GCSEs and A levels.  This is also the same hall where they sit their entrance exams, before joining The Grove, so even at this early stage, the venue is familiar to them.  The Morton Hall is set up with exam desks and students are introduced to the procedures we use to roll call before exams, entering quietly and making sure they come prepared with all their equipment and their phones in their lockers.

As the pupils progress up the school, there will be at least one opportunity every year for them to experience formal exams. As they get familiar with the basic rules, we build-up year on year, so by the time they reach Year 10, they are experiencing exactly the same conditions they will in their real GCSEs the following year.  They know the routine, they know what is expected of them, and any mistakes are made in a low stakes environment where they can be gently corrected, and they can learn from the experience.

Some pupils with medical conditions or SEN might need access arrangements in their exams. For example: a diabetic student might need rest breaks to check their blood sugar levels; a dyslexic student might word process their exams; or a neurodiverse student might need to do their exams in a smaller venue.  Mrs Monk, our SENCO, co-ordinates this process. She starts working with our Year 7 students from the moment they enroll; assessing their needs, and working with the students, their parents/guardians and their teachers to find the access arrangements best suited to the pupil and their individual needs.  Mrs Monk will work with the subject teachers to integrate these access arrangements into lessons, wherever possible, and each year the pupils can try them out in the exam hall, and make any tweaks, if necessary.  By the time it comes to applying to the exam boards for permission for these access arrangements, Mrs Monk knows exactly what each pupil needs and has the evidence to back it up.  Practising the access arrangements and refining them over the years, also allows the Exam Team to get to know these pupils, and their needs, so we can better support them in their GCSEs and A levels.

Giving our pupils regular formal exam experiences also helps our Pastoral Team to see how each pupil reacts to the stress of exams, so routines and adjustments can be put in place to help to support them and manage their stress.  For some, this is a wellness check with their Year Group Head at roll call, for others it might be walking into the room with a member of staff to reassure them.  The majority don’t need any extra support and take it all in their stride because they know what is coming through the years of practice and careful support they have experienced at The Grove.

I am prepared.

I am Grovian.

Jane Norris, Exams Officer