Prendergast Ladywell

Examinations

EXAM-Calendar 2026.pdf

NOTE TO PARENTS/CARERS: Contingency Day for Summer 2026 External Examinations

The awarding bodies, through the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), include a contingency day within the examination timetable each summer. This is part of the awarding bodies’ standard contingency planning arrangements for GCSE, GCE AS and A-level examinations.

For the Summer 2026 examination series, the designated contingency day is Wednesday 24 June 2026.

This contingency day is reserved for use in the event of national or significant local disruption to examinations in the United Kingdom. If disruption occurs and an examination cannot take place on the scheduled date, the awarding bodies may reschedule the examination to the contingency day.

Students and parents/carers should therefore ensure that candidates remain available up to and including Wednesday 24 June 2026, even if their final examination is scheduled before this date.

Please note:

  • This contingency arrangement applies to all candidates in all schools.

  • This isn't a school decision; it's a requirement set by the awarding bodies through JCQ.

  • Candidates who are not available for a rescheduled examination (for example, due to holidays or other commitments) may not be eligible for special consideration.

Parents and candidates should take the contingency day into account when making any arrangements during the examination period.

Information for candidates – 2025 – 2026:

https://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/information-for-candidates/

The examination board for each subject can be accessed through PLS-KS4-Subjects Exam Boards and specification links and revision resources

 

Coping with exam pressure:

It is normal to feel a little worried or nervous about exams. However, for some students, exam periods can cause increased stress or anxiety. There are practical ways to manage exam pressure and support your wellbeing during this time.

Some useful strategies include:

  • Planning revision by creating a realistic timetable and breaking study into manageable chunks.

  • Taking regular breaks to avoid becoming tired or overwhelmed.

  • Getting enough sleep, as rest improves concentration and memory.

  • Eating well and staying hydrated, which helps maintain energy and focus.

  • Talking to someone you trust, such as a parent, teacher, or friend, if you feel worried.

  • Taking part in physical activity, such as walking or sports, can help reduce stress and clear your mind.

Remember that feeling nervous before exams is normal, and a small amount of stress can sometimes help you stay focused. The key is to balance revision with rest, healthy habits, and support from others.

It is normal to feel a bit worried about exams, but sometimes they can make you feel anxious or depressed. Find out how you can deal with exam stress. See below form more information on how to cope with exam stress:

For further advice and support, please see the following resources:

 

The key dates for your diary

GCSE results released to schools: Wednesday 19 August 2026

GCSE results day for students: Thursday 20 August 2026 

Deadline to request a priority copy of the marked paper: Thursday 27 August 2026

Deadline to request a review of marking: Thursday 24 September 2026

Important Reminders for 2026:

  • (*)Provisional Deadlines: While the Results Day is confirmed by JCQ, individual exam boards (AQA, OCR, Pearson, etc.) may have slightly varying internal deadlines for post-results services. Always check your school’s specific internal cut-off dates, as they often require requests a day or two earlier to process the paperwork.

  • The Main Event: Despite the new digital rollout, paper results slips will be issued in person from 9:00 AM to allow for immediate teacher support.

  • Digital Access: Use the Education Record app for your lifelong digital transcript. Ensure you pre-register before the term ends; note that digital results may not update until 11:00 AM.

  • Collection Rules: If you can't attend, your representative needs a signed authorisation letter and their own ID.

  • Expert Advice: Open your paper envelope first. Teachers can help you interpret raw marks and discuss next steps immediately, which the app may not show in detail.

  • Fees: Remember that reviews of marking (appeals) usually carry a fee per paper, which is only refunded if your overall grade changes.

What do I do if I’m unhappy about my results?

All inquiries about GCSE exams results must go to the exam board via Prendergast Ladywell’s Exams Office. There is a fee set by the individual Awarding Bodies for re-marks.

Please talk to your teacher or the Exams Office as soon as possible if you are unhappy with your exam results. The school will need to support any results inquiries with exam boards. You must do this within 2 weeks of getting your results and you may be charged a fee when you submit an appeal about your results to the exam board.

Please contact us by emailing: exams@prendergast-ladywell.com

If you have any other questions, please explore the other exam pages in this section or contact the Exams Office via exams@prendergast-ladywell.com

Find out more information about internal and external examinations here

Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations

We are committed to ensuring all students have fair and equal opportunities to achieve when undertaking assessments or exams on accredited courses.

The purpose of this policy is to provide staff and students with information about Prendergast Ladywell’s approach to making reasonable adjustments and applying for special considerations for exams or assessments on accredited courses.

Please read the policy before contacting the relevant department to discuss your needs: (see attached)

Special-Consideration-Policy-2025-2026 

Further information:

Internal-appeals-procedures-2025-2026

Appeals-Procedure-for-Internal-Assessments-for-External-Qualifications-Appendix-A

Word-processor-policy-2025-2026

Procedures-for-the-Use-of-Laptops-in-Exams

 

Requesting assessment/exam arrangements

Students must speak to their teacher or get in touch with the Exams team at the start of the course to make sure that appropriate adjustments are arranged in time for the assessment/exam.

Due to deadlines set by awarding bodies for submitting requests for assessment/exam arrangements/adjustments, it is not possible to put in place assessment/exam arrangements/adjustments at short notice.

Special considerations

Special consideration can be applied after an assessment if there was a reason the student may have been disadvantaged during the assessment.

For example, special consideration could apply to a student who has temporarily experienced: 

  • an illness or injury, 
  • some other event outside of their control, and which has had or is likely to have had, a material effect on that student’s ability to take an assessment or demonstrate his or her level of attainment in an assessment.

Special consideration should not give the student an unfair advantage, nor should its use cause the user of the certificate to be misled regarding a student’s achievements. The student’s result must reflect his / her achievement in the assessment and not necessarily his / her potential ability.

Special consideration, if successful, may result in a small post-assessment adjustment to the mark of the student. The size of the adjustment will depend on the circumstances and reflect the difficulty faced by the student and will be applied by the awarding body based on their criteria.

Submitting applications for special consideration

Where a candidate or group of candidates is/are eligible for special consideration, applications will be submitted by the Prendergast Ladywell’s Exam Office to the relevant awarding body following the published processes in JCQ special considerations guidance or according to the relevant awarding body’s procedures. Evidence to support applications will be kept on file until after the publication of the results.

Staff and students should note that 

  • where an assessment requires the student to demonstrate practical competence or where criteria must be met fully, or in the case of qualifications that confer a License to Practice, it may not be possible to apply special consideration in some circumstances, 
  • for example for on-demand assessments, it may be more appropriate to offer the student an opportunity to take the assessment at a later date.

Contacts

Regarding questions about special considerations, and reasonable adjustments please contact the Exams Office by emailing exams@prendergast-ladywell.com

Centre-Emergency-Evacuation-Procedure-for-Examinations