Exam Contingency

Purpose

This plan outlines the procedures and responsibilities for managing disruptions to examinations at The Independent Grammar School: Durham (IGS: Durham). It ensures that the school can respond effectively to internal or external events that may impact the integrity, scheduling, or delivery of public examinations, in line with JCQ guidance and awarding body requirements.

Scope

This plan applies to:

• All public examinations 

• All internal mock examinations where relevant

• All staff involved in the administration, invigilation, or support of examinations

• All students entered for examinations at IGS: Durham

Key Principles

• Integrity: Maintain the security and validity of examinations.

• Fairness: Ensure no candidate is disadvantaged by disruption.

• Compliance: Follow JCQ regulations and awarding body instructions.

• Communication: Provide timely, accurate information to all involved.

• Continuity: Restore normal examination operations as quickly as possible.

Roles and Responsibilities

Principal

• Holds overall responsibility for activating the contingency plan.

• Liaises with awarding bodies and external agencies.

• Approves communication to parents and students.

Exams Officer

• Leads operational implementation of contingency measures.

• Maintains secure storage and exam materials.

• Communicates with awarding bodies and JCQ.

• Coordinates invigilation and rooming adjustments.

SENDCO

• Ensures SEND and access arrangements remain in place where possible.

Invigilators

• Follow revised instructions during disruptions.

• Maintain exam integrity and candidate supervision.

Students

• Follow instructions issued by the school.

• Attend rescheduled sessions where required.

Potential Disruptions and Responses

• Severe Weather or Site Closure

Examples: Snow, flooding, heating failure, unsafe building conditions.

Actions:

• Principal decides on closure and activates contingency plan.

• Exams Officer contacts awarding bodies for guidance.

• If safe, exams may proceed on site with adjusted rooming.

If unsafe:

• Seek approval for alternative venues (e.g., partner schools, community halls).

• Reschedule exams where permitted.

• Communicate arrangements via email, SMS, website, and social media.

• Transport Disruption

Examples: Public transport strikes, road closures, severe traffic.

Actions:

• Exams proceed as scheduled where possible.

• Candidates advised to allow extra travel time.

• Late arrivals permitted within JCQ rules.

• If a significant number of candidates are affected, consult awarding bodies regarding alternative arrangements.

• Staff Shortages 

Examples: Illness, industrial action, emergencies.

Actions:

• SLT reallocates trained staff to invigilation.

• Activate reserve invigilators.

• Combine exam rooms where appropriate.

• If insufficient staff remain to run the exam safely, contact awarding bodies for guidance.

• Cyber Attack or IT Failure

Examples: Network outage, ransomware, printing failure, online exam disruption.

Actions:

• Principal initiates incident response.

• Exams Officer secures all digital exam materials.

• Switch to paper-based backups where available.

For online exams:

• Attempt restart within awarding body rules.

• If impossible, seek awarding body approval for rescheduling or special consideration.

• Communicate clearly to students and staff.

• Loss of Exam Materials or Security Breach

Examples: Compromised papers, missing scripts, unauthorised access.

Actions:

• Exams Officer immediately informs Headteacher and awarding body.

• Secure all affected areas.

• Follow awarding body instructions for replacement papers or rescheduling.

• Complete incident logs and maintain evidence.

• Communicate only essential information to students to protect integrity.

• Candidate Illness, Injury, or Personal Circumstances

Actions:

• Apply special consideration where appropriate.

• Offer supervised rest breaks or alternative rooms.

• If a candidate cannot attend:

• Follow awarding body guidance for absence.

• Reschedule only where permitted.

• Evacuation or Lockdown During an Examination

Actions:

• Invigilators instruct candidates to stop writing.

• Evacuate or secure the room following school procedures.

• Maintain supervision to protect exam integrity.

On return:

• Candidates resume the exam with adjusted timing.

• Exams Officer submits a report to the awarding body.

Communication Protocols

Internal Communication

• SLT and Exams Officer coordinate via secure channels.

• Staff briefed on revised arrangements as soon as possible.

External Communication

Parents and students informed via:

• School email system

• SMS alerts

• School website

• Social media (if appropriate)

• Awarding bodies contacted through official channels.

Record Keeping

All decisions, communications, and incidents logged by the Exams Officer.

Alternative Venues

IGS: Durham may use approved alternative venues if the main site is unavailable. 

Requirements:

• Secure storage for exam materials

• Quiet, compliant exam rooms

• Trained invigilation staff

• Accessibility for SEND candidates

Potential venues (examples):

• Local community centres

• Partner schools

• Church halls (e.g., Esh Winning Baptist Church, with whom contingency arrangements are already in place, although not yet approved)

All venues must be pre‑approved by awarding bodies.

Post‑Incident Review

After any activation of this plan, a review will be carried out by the Exam Officer who will:

• Identify strengths, weaknesses, and required updates.

• Report to directors.

• Update the contingency plan annually or after major incidents.

Publication

This plan is:

• Shared with all staff involved in examinations

• Available to directors

• Published on the school website 

The Independent Grammar School: Durham

Reviewed: May 2026

Next Review: May 2028