Exams

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Welcome to BFS's Exam Centre.  This page should provide you with important information to help you navigate the upcoming exam seasons. Should you have any questions or concerns please email exams@bristolfreeschool.org.uk. We're here to help you!

Contacts
Exams Officer: Mrs Jenny Ashton
Exams Administrator: Mrs Katy Bainbridge
Office opening hours: 8.00am - 4.00pm (Mon - Thurs) 8.00am - 3.30pm (Fri) (term time only)

Important Dates and Timetables 2024/5
Revision Resources for Y10 RP Short Course

RP Knowledge Booklet
RP Quotes

  • January BTEC Exams
  • January Y12 Mocks
  • February GCSE & A Level Mocks
  • April Y10 Mocks
  • Summer Series GCSE & A Level
 
Exam Contingency Dates

There are two exam contingency dates that students must keep free for the summer 2025 exam season should any national emergency take place that affects exams. The afternoon of Wednesday 11 June and all day on Wednesday 25 June 2025.  

PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ANY HOLIDAY PLANS UNTIL AFTER WEDNESDAY 25 JUNE 2025.
GCE (A Level) Results Day - Thursday 14 August 2025
GCSE Results Day - Thursday 21 August 2025 (Resits: 9 January 2025)

Regulations/Information for Candidates

All exams are undertaken within guidelines. These are set by the exam boards via The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).  The school also provide their own policy to prevent students committing malpractice. 

It is important that all students taking exams are familiar with the content of these documents.
They are valid for all 2024/25 exam seasons.

Preparing to sit your exams 2024-25
Warning to candidates 2024-5
FAQs Using Calculators
Unauthorised Items Poster
Food & Drink Policy (Exams)
JCQ Instructions for conducting examinations 2024
JCQ AI poster for students
IFC Written Examinations 2024
IFC On Screen Examinations 2024
Exam Board Privacy Policies

Assemblies occur throughout the year to cover the content.

NEA/Coursework Information

NEA is marked internally by your teachers and verified with the school Trust representatives. Students will then be given, in writing, the marks awarded and you will have 5 days to appeal the marks.  After this point the marks are submitted to the exam board. The exam board request, at random, a selection of student work to mark and standardise against the mark scheme. Any changes which occur will be shown on results day. Please note, grade boundaries can vary each year and are not published until results day.

Should you feel that the marks awarded for your coursework are not accurate, you may wish to request a review. Reviews can only be conducted if you feel that the work has been incorrectly marked against the relevant mark scheme. You should be aware that if work is reviewed, marks potentially could be altered upwards or downwards. Please read your NEA letter carefully and then follow this link to complete the form to request a review, using the mark scheme to indicate where you feel the mark scheme has not been applied correctly.

NEA, Coursework and Project Appeals Policy 

Please find links to important information regarding Non-Examination Assessments.
IFC Coursework Assessments 2024
IFC NE Assessments 2024
JCQ AI poster for students
JCQ Social Media Infographic
Exam Board Privacy Policies

Results - A Level

Results can be collected on site from 9am on Thursday 14 August from the Drama Studio, via the main gate.  Your results envelope contains important information including a breakdown of the marks achieved for each paper.  It also gives you all the relevant information about to how to apply for post results services.

Grade boundaries can be found at the following websites ON results day.
AQA: AQA | Exams admin | Results days | Grade boundaries
Pearson: Grade boundaries | Pearson qualifications
OCR: Grade boundaries (ocr.org.uk)
Eduqas / WJEC: Results and Grade Boundaries (eduqas.co.uk)

Results will also be emailed to students’ school email addresses before midday on results day.  If you are on holiday abroad, you will not be able to access your school email address.  Results uncollected will be posted to the address kept on file. Any change of address should be notified through the official change of details process. The centre does not take any responsibility for results information sent out to addresses where this process has not been followed.

Results can only be given to the student.  If you would like to nominate someone else to collect your results on your behalf, then you will need to notify the exams team using the form below, and the person identified will need to bring in photographic ID on the day for results to be released.  All completed forms should be submitted by 12 July 2025.

Results Collection Form

If you are concerned about any aspect of your results, staff will be available on results day to support you. 

Results - GCSE

Results can be collected on site from 9am on Thursday 21 August from the Drama Studio, via the main gate, please see email correspondence with timings as collection is per tutor group.  Your results envelope contains important information including a breakdown of the marks achieved for each paper.  It also gives you all the relevant information about to how to apply for post results services.

Grade boundaries can be found at the following websites ON results day.
AQA: AQA | Exams admin | Results days | Grade boundaries
Pearson: Grade boundaries | Pearson qualifications
OCR: Grade boundaries (ocr.org.uk)
Eduqas / WJEC: Results and Grade Boundaries (eduqas.co.uk)

Results will also be emailed to students’ school email addresses before midday on results day.  If you are on holiday abroad, you will not be able to access your school email address.  Results uncollected will be posted to the address kept on file. Any change of address should be notified through the official change of details process. The centre does not take any responsibility for results information sent out to addresses where this process has not been followed.

Results can only be given to the student.  If you are unable to collect your results or would like to nominate someone else to collect your results on your behalf, then you will need to notify the exams team using the link below, and the person identified will need to bring in photographic ID on the day for results to be released.  All completed forms should be submitted by 12 July 2025.

Results Collection Form

If you are concerned about any aspect of your results, staff will be available on results day to support you.