Dear Parent / Carer,

All Year 9 students will be sitting mock examinations for core and EBacc subjects from Thursday, 25^th - Tuesday 30^th April 2019.  Students will not be on study leave at this time, normal lessons will run when students do not have an examination. Students should arrive to school as normal at 8.20am and register with their tutors.  The school day will end slightly later on certain days; please check the attached timetable carefully.

It is vital that students understand the importance of these exams. They provide an opportunity for students to practice completing examinations in subjects they study in controlled conditions.  In some areas the grades will inform tiers of entry (foundation/ higher papers) for final examinations and the results will help teachers and tutors identify students that require support throughout Year 10 and 11.

It is important that your son/daughter is preparing for these examinations at home. They should be revising using revision guides, their exercise books, revision websites and past papers on the Internet.  Exam topics, revision ideas, an example revision timetable and a blank revision timetable can be found on our website.

The examination timetable is available below. Please read through it with your child to make sure they know when they will be sitting an examination and what they need for that session.

Please help your son/daughter to do their best in the examinations by reinforcing the examination expectations outlined below:

• Students arrive on time to all exams in full school uniform.
• Students line up sensibly in the playground before the start of each exam.
• As they enter the exam, students are silent, they put their bags and coats in the allocated place in the hall and then take their seats as quickly as possible without talking.
• Students should have the correct equipment for each examination – at least 2 pens (should be black ink), pencils, rubber, ruler and any subject specific equipment necessary. This equipment should be kept in a plastic, see-through bag/ pencil case.
• Attendance should be 100%, and students should line up promptly before the start of each exam, in the designated area.
• Mobile phones and other electronic devices (e.g. iWatch) must be turned off, and either left at home or in their bags. Phones cannot be in students’ pockets during exams.
• Students know which exams they should be attending. Please display a copy of the exam timetable at home and ensure that your son/daughter has their own copy.

I hope all students achieve well in these exams. Good results should show students what they are capable of achieving; poor results should encourage students to take responsibility for their own progress and address where they went wrong.

Please take the time to go through the timetable and code of conduct with your son/daughter so that they can maximise their potential and get it right in these exams.  Students’ conduct in these exams must be perfect. Failure to behave in any manner other than that may result in non-entry for final examinations.

Yours sincerely,

Ms T. Gray                                                                                         

Deputy Headteacher - Standards