Examinations Officer - Ysgol Friars

Salary: GBP 26,008.00 - 27,523.00 per year

Details
Job Advertisement

This is an advertisement for the post of a Examination Officer at Ysgol Friars, Bangor for which the ability to communicate through the medium of Welsh and English is essential.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The Council will require a Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate for the successful applicant before they can start at the school.

Person Specification

Candidate Specification- Examination Officer Post

Qualifications

• Educated to GCSE with C grade or equivalent in English or Welsh first language and Mathematics (F)

• Vocational qualifications relating to an office environment(F)
• Evidence of continuing professional development (F)
Experience • Working knowledge of MS Office (Word/Outlook/Excel) (F/I)
• Relevant experience in data handling (F/I/R)

• Working in an educational environment. (F/I/R)
• Experience of managing an examination programme and correspondence with awarding bodies (F/I/R)
• Working knowledge of SIMS (F/I/R)

Skills • Ability to take responsibility and work with autonomy within set boundaries. (F/I/R)
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) (F/I/R)
• Excellent organisational and planning skills including the ability to be flexible in order to achieve targets. (F/I/R)
• Ability to form good working relationships with colleagues and external bodies. (I/R)
• Enthusiastic, innovative and forward-looking. (F/I)
• Ability to manage and disseminate information in a range of different media (F/I)

• Excellent attendance record (F/R) •
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Ability to work with a diverse team of staff. (F/I/R)
Sense of humour. (I)
Ability to work to professional standards, to develop effective working relationships, think independently and make judgements and to influence others through persuasion/ discussion (F/I/R)

Evidence assessed from: Application form (F): Interview (I): References (R)

Job Description

PURPOSE:
To manage the internal/external examination/testing programme for students throughout the school.

REPONSIBLE TO: Headteacher/Deputy Headteacher (Curriculum)

DISCLOSURE LEVEL: Enhanced

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Administrative
• Familiarise and keep up to date with relevant JCQ documents such as General Regulations, 'ICE Booklet', Access Arrangements etc..
• Collect data from Heads of Faculty & Heads of Department regarding the GCSE, GCE, BTEC and other awarding body courses that are offered during the forthcoming academic year.
• Download relevant basedata files for all examination seasons - e.g. September, November, January, March, May & June for GCSE, GCE, BTEC and Welsh Baccalaureate entries.
• Process all entries for GCSE, GCE, Welsh Baccalaureate, BTEC and other awarding bodies ensuring that all Heads of Department / Teachers in Charge of Subject check the relevant subject and 'cash-in' codes.
• Provide Heads of Department / Teachers in Charge of Subject entry lists for their relevant specification.
• Manage the examination budget particularly ensuring that any late fees are avoided through meeting all stipulated deadlines.
• Process all amendments received from individual departments by the stipulated date.
• Consider processing amendments that are received after the stipulated date and ensure the relevant departments bear the cost of late / amendment fees if the amendment is processed.
• Ensure that all staff are aware of the regulations regarding coursework and Non-Examination Assessments (NEA's).
• Be responsible for the formulation and revision of the Examinations Standard Operating Procedures.
• Formulate and review policies associated with examinations e.g. appeals procedure, emergency evacuation procedures, NEA policy.
• Ensure that other awarding bodies' candidates such as BTEC/LIBF/NCFE/SWEET/Agored Cymru are:
* Entered for the correct course
* Entered using the awarding bodies accepted format
* Results are submitted by the correct deadline - to be done in co-operation with the Assistant Headteacher (Additional Qualifications) and the relevant Head of Department.
• Formulate mock examination timetables for Years 10/11/12/13 after consultation with relevant Head of Year, Heads of Department and Teachers in Charge of Subject.
• Organise mock examinations.
• Ensure that every despatch from examination boards is checked against the despatch notice and ensure that examination papers are stored securely and are arranged in chronological order.
• Ensure that each external examination has a seating plan.
• Ensure that each candidate receives an individual examination timetable for external examinations.
• Identify and resolve candidate clashes in individual examination timetables.
• For each examination season ensure that the school has received a full complement of:
* Examination papers
* Attendance Registers
* Examiner Labels
* Envelopes
• Ensure that for each script despatch to individual examiners that there is a certificate of posting and scripts are posted promptly and at the very latest the next day.
• Ensure that coursework / NEA marks are submitted via the relevant awarding body portal.
• Complete all Estimated Entry information requested by examination boards by the appointed deadlines.
• Distribute all relevant circulars from the examination boards to the relevant HOF / HOD / HOS.
• Ensure that all teachers are informed in any revision to examination procedures and regulations.
• Provide access to relevant teachers to examination boards secure sites.

Procedural
• Ensure that each examination room is provided with the:
* relevant notices
* a clock
* relevant publications
• Ensure that each examination room has an appropriate layout and it meets statutory requirements.
• Check and pack examination scripts for the individual examiners ensuring that the number of scripts tally with the appropriate attendance register.
• Check and view DVD's required for external examinations e.g. Media Studies & PE by the designated time and inform the relevant examination board in the event of any problems.
• Facilitate through the provision of labels and envelopes the submission of coursework / controlled assessment.
• Provide additional support to those subjects that may require a high level of supervision and where practical administer 'catch up' sessions for Controlled Assessments where candidates were not able to undertake the Controlled Assessment at the designated time.
• Oversee invigilation arrangements.
• Recruit and train invigilators annually.
• Oversee the arrangements for candidates who require separate accommodation due to Access Arrangements or clash management.
• Maintain a regular presence in the examination room during all examinations particularly at the start and at the end.
• Facilitate requests from VI form candidates regarding the sitting and administration of external examinations required by some universities.
• Deal with any instances of examination malpractice making sure:
* That candidates are afforded an opportunity to write a statement.
* Complete the required paperwork
* Liaise with the relevant examination board regarding the incident.
* Inform the candidate and parents of the outcome of the enquiry.
• Facilitate and assist any visit from a visiting examiner.

Liaising with other teachers, examination boards, educational institutions and other agencies
• Co-operate and liaise with other institutions regarding candidates who have moved between educational institutions.
• Co-operate fully with the BTEC, NCFE, LIBF, SWEET & Agored Cymru adviser during any monitoring and quality assurance visits.
• Liaise with Coleg Menai and other schools regarding Partnership Pupils who follow BTEC, Vocational and other subjects off site.
• Liaise with neighbouring schools who may have guest candidates following courses in Ysgol Friars regarding entry procedures, 'cash in' arrangements etc.
• Liaise with Data Support regarding Partnership Pupils.
• Liaise with IT support staff.
• Provide copies of results to outside agencies e.g. Coleg Menai, Careers Wales.
• Ensure that every effort is made to contact candidates who have failed to attend an examination.
• Liaise with the Director of VI Form Studies, Year 10 & 11 Year Team Leaders to arrange a slot during an assembly whereby candidates are made fully aware of examination administration, procedures and candidate responsibilities.
• Liaise with the relevant person at the appropriate examination board in dealing with any examination issue.
• Liaise between external moderators and Heads of Department / Teachers In Charge Of Subject regarding problems with coursework / controlled assessment.
• Liaise with the relevant examination board regarding any lost or missing coursework or NEAs.
• In instances where VI form students have transferred to the school to complete A level courses administer and arrange a 'Transfer of Credit' between the relevant examination board.
• Co-operate with JCQ Inspectors and enter into meaningful discussions regarding examination administration and procedures.
• Attend Gwynedd Examination Officers Network meetings.
• Facilitate annual meetings with the dedicated Regional Support Officer from Qualification Wales.
• Deal with any requests from examination boards regarding missing scripts and co-operate fully with their procedures.

Post results
• Download results from the relevant examination board and import into the school's SIMS system.
• Disseminate examination results in the appropriate format to candidates and relevant Heads of Faculty / Heads of Department.
• Organise the distribution of examination results in August in terms of time, format, layout of room.
• Be available to deal with any examination result query raised by candidates, parents or teachers on the day results are issued.
• Provide Heads of Faculty / Heads of Department with a pack containing the relevant SIMS outputs (within the constraints of the school's SIMS system) which allow comparisons to be made between classes and courses.
• Process any requests for the return of photocopied or original scripts.
• Ensure that payment is received from a student before the request for a photocopied or original script is submitted.
• Process any request for individual candidate re-marks whether the request has come from a candidate or HOF / HOD. Ensure that candidates are aware that their marks could go up or down.
• Process any requests for late certification.
• Comply with any reasonable request from individual examination board e.g. re the retention of course work.
Analysing, Verifying & Interpreting data
• Provide the school's SMT a general picture of GCSE and GCE performance.
Appeals, Access Arrangements & Special Consideration
• Process all appropriate requests for Special Consideration during each examination season.
• Liaise with parents particularly in cases where temporary Access Arrangements or Special Consideration is required.
• Manage the school's Internal Appeals Procedure for all qualifications.

The job description and responsibilities may be amended by agreement from time to time.