Dear Parent/Carer,
It goes without saying what a difficult and challenging few years our Year 11 students have experienced. However, they have persevered with resilience, and our Year 11 GCSE examinations have now started in terms of the students sitting their Art exam, and our MFL speaking tests are due to start next week. The examinations continue from Monday 15 May. Our Year 11 students have been working very well in preparing for their final GCSE examinations. They have responded well to support and intervention from their teachers.
We remain very optimistic for them in their forthcoming examinations.
From now until the last exam we are incredibly committed to supporting our students as much as we possibly can to ensure that they achieve success in their final examinations.
You will find enclosed with this letter, an overview of support throughout the examination period until the very last exam. As you will see in the document, it is compulsory for our Year 11 students to attend school full-time until the bulk of the main examinations are complete. From Wednesday 14 June students attend school for examinations and exam warm-ups only. Where detailed, the exam warm-ups are compulsory for students to attend.
Our Year 11 students are being given a final personalised copy of their examination timetable, which details rooming and seat numbers, prior to the exams starting. We will also hold a final examination briefing assembly to our Year 11 students so that they are clear of their expectations and the support in place.
We remain fully committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of all of our Year 11 students in the lead up to, and for the duration of, the examinations, and we have written to you regarding this before. As always, if you have any concerns or queries regarding your child, please contact our Year 11 Team who know our students best.
Please note the other information and key dates detailed below.
Examination Contingency Days
This year there are three exam contingency sessions and they are detailed in the exam support document. Two of them are during the examinations and one is after the examinations have finished, on Wednesday 28 June. Students must also be available on all days, in particular the GCSE Examination Contingency day on Wednesday 28 June to sit an exam should the examination board have need to rearrange an examination due to an emergency unforeseen circumstance (such as an examination paper being leaked online). We will inform you in advance during the examination period should this need to take place.
Return of Revision Guides
We very much hope that your child has found the revision guides that we gave out in Year 10 useful as part of their revision process. If your child’s revision guides are in a reusable condition once the examinations are over, and you have no use for them as a family anymore, we would very much appreciate them being returned to us so that we can use them with other students in school. They can be returned to Student Reception at any time once the examinations are over.
GCSE Results Day: Thursday 24 August 2023 9:30am – 10:30am
Year 11 students collect their GCSE results (School Assembly Hall)
If your child is unable to collect their results in person and wants someone else to do it on their behalf, they must put this request in writing before the end of term. The designated person will need to show some photo ID when they collect the results. Alternatively, we will post the results out to your home address. We look forward to seeing all of our Year 11 students again on this day and celebrating with them their excellent GCSE results.
Key members of staff, our Year 11 team and our Sixth Form team will be available to our Year 11 students on GCSE results day should they need any further information, advice or guidance regarding enrolment to Jesmond Park Academy Sixth Form or their other chosen destination.
As we have said, our Year 11 students have demonstrated a good attitude towards their exam preparation. With continued effort in school and productive independent study at home after school, we are confident that they will do well. Your child’s teachers will continue to support them throughout and until their final exam in each subject.
If you have any further questions or require any more information, please contact school by telephone: 0191 281 8486 or email: admin@jesmondparkacademy.org.uk and we will ensure that your query is directed to the most appropriate member of staff.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs C Smith Deputy Principal - Progress and Achievement
Mr C Mason - Head of KS4