During their busiest term, we take a look at the day to day operations of the Exams Office.
As dawn breaks, the Exams Office at Benenden School is already abuzz with activity. This hub of quiet efficiency is where the day’s smooth running of exams begins, following weeks of meticulous planning and preparation, all with the goal of ensuring that every student can perform to their best.
At 7.30am, the Exams Office team, led by Keith Dudley and ably assisted by Amanda Petch, gathers to review the day’s schedule. Mr Dudley, with his calm demeanour and eagle-eyed attention to detail, oversees the planning and delivery of every aspect of the School’s exam process. The team starts by double-checking the exam papers, ensuring that each set is correct and complete. They then prepare the packs, carefully organizing the papers and any additional materials needed for each subject and ensuring they are ready to be transported to the correct exam rooms.
At 8.00am, members drawn from the 25 strong invigilation team – who are overseeing the morning exams – arrive for their briefing. Led by Mrs Petch, they are highly skilled and trained, forming a vital part of the wider exams team – essential for ensuring all exam regulations are followed and for supporting students while they are in the exam room.
The specifics of each exam are reviewed, highlighting any special adjustments needed for individual students. For instance, some students may require extra time, specific seating arrangements, coloured paper or the use of a computer. These accommodations are needed to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to succeed.
Each exam room is then checked to confirm it meets the optimal conditions for the day’s assessments. This involves ensuring that clocks are working, lighting is suitable, and the temperature is comfortable. These seemingly minor details are crucial; a malfunctioning clock or a dim light can be the difference between calm and chaos for a nervous student.
With the invigilators briefed and exam rooms prepped, Mr Dudley shifts his attention to the wellbeing of the students, checking in with the House staff and the Medical Centre. Some students might be dealing with anxiety, others might have health concerns that could affect their performance. Any necessary adjustments are made swiftly, be it providing a quieter room or arranging for a last-minute change to the exam schedule.
At 9.00am, the first exams of the day commence. Mrs Petch and Mr Dudley remain vigilant and in constant contact with the exam rooms to ensure that any issues or queries that arise are swiftly addressed. They deal with any urgent correspondence or question paper deliveries received from the various exam boards and make sure everything is logged and stored to ensure that the School is compliant with all JCQ regulations.
As the exams proceed, the Exams Office starts preparing for the next critical phase: the collection and logging of completed papers. Each paper must be handled with care, ensuring that they are correctly labelled and stored securely. The team works systematically, using checklists to verify that every paper is accounted for before they are packaged and sent off to the exam board for marking.
By the time the morning exams conclude around midday, the Exams Office is already a hive of activity for the afternoon session. Papers from the morning are logged and stored, while the packs are reset for the next batch of exams.
Throughout the day, the Exams Office manages a stream of queries from students, parents, and teachers. These range from confirming exam times to addressing specific concerns about exam protocols and managing clashes.
As the final exams of the day end, sometimes as late as 6.30pm, the team begins the meticulous task of final checks and logs. Ensuring every paper is collected, labelled, and stored for dispatch is a task that demands precision and diligence.
The focus then quickly shifts to preparation for the next set of exams. Moreover, the team begins to prepare for the results collation, tracking, and data review process, which is essential for understanding student performance and making necessary improvements for future exams.
While often operating quietly along the long corridor, the dedication and expertise of this function in the School must not go without mention, and our sincere gratitude goes to all who contribute to the smooth running of exams at Benenden.