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Internal Marking of Coursework and Controlled Assessment (including appeals procedure) Policy
Co-ordinators: Martin Hall (Head Teacher)
Sarah Wood (Link Governor)
Startdate:May 2016
Reviewdate:May2019
Internal marking of coursework and controlled assessments,including appeals procedure
Coursework and Controlled Assessment
This policy applies to coursework and controlled assessments that are marked in the Centre and externally moderated by the examination board. Woodlands Education Centre is committed to ensure that when staff assess students’ work for external qualification this is done fairly, consistently and in accordance with the specification for the qualification concerned. Assessments are conducted by the staff who have appropriate knowledge, understanding and skills, and who have been trained in this activity. The Centre is committed to ensuring that assessment evidence provided by students is produced and authenticated according to the requirements of the relevant specifications for each subject. Where a set of work is divided between staff, internal moderation and standardisation will take place to ensure consistency.
It is the duty of the subject staff to ensure that all internal assessment is ready for despatch at the correct time. The Examinations Officer will assist by keeping a record of each despatch, including the recipient details and date/time sent.
Unauthenticated work submitted by a student as coursework and malpractice during a controlled assessment
If a teacher has serious concerns about the authenticity of a piece of work submitted as coursework, this will be raised with the student, their parent/carer and the Examinations Officer at the earliest opportunity.
The Examinations Officer will inform the Head Teacher of the teacher’s concerns and carry out further investigation to authenticate the work. If the work has not been produced by the student or there is a very strong suspicion of this, the Examinations Officer will report this to the parents/carers and the appropriate examination board. The decision of the examination board concerning the use of material that cannot be authenticated will be final. Parents/carers can follow either the Centre’s or the examination board’s complaints procedure if they are not be satisfied with the outcome.
If malpractice is suspected during a controlled assessment, this will be reported to the Examinations Officer at the earliest opportunity.
The Examinations Officer will inform the Head Teacher and the student’s parents/carers of the suspected malpractice and carry out further investigation if necessary to confirm or disprove this.
If malpractice is confirmed, the Examinations Officer will report this to the parents/carers and the appropriate examination board. The decision of the examination board concerning the malpractice will be final. Parents/carers can follow either the Centre’s or the examination board’s complaints procedure if they are not be satisfied with the outcome.
Marking and internal moderation of coursework and controlled assessments
Teachers should ensure that students have the skills and the awareness of what is required to achieve target marks/grades in their coursework and/or controlled assessments.
Staff will not be able to advise students on how to improve coursework and/or controlled assessments, when these are carried out under exam conditions.
Staff must not advise students of the marks and/or outcomes of internal moderation of coursework and/or controlled assessments: such work is subject to external moderation and teachers’ recommendations are not binding, which could lead to the marks being increased or decreased.
Any information about the coursework and/or controlled assessments (e.g. comments recorded by the teacher, or comments recorded during the internal moderation, or any correspondence with exam board about the work), should be filed and be available to the student and/or their parent/carer should they challenge the outcome of the external moderation.
Enquiries from students, parents/carers or home schools about coursework and/or controlled assessment marks/grades should be addressed initially by the teacher responsible for assessing the work.
If a student, parent/carer or home school is not satisfied with the externally moderated mark/grade awarded to coursework and/or controlled assessments, they should contact the Head Teacher, who together with the Examinations Officer will contact the examination board responsible for the course to seek clarification of the externally moderated mark/grade.
The examination board may, at its discretion, offer to have the coursework and/or controlled assessment remarked. This may result in the mark/grade staying the same, increasing or decreasing. The Centre has no influence over remarks and the examination board’s decision will be final.
Should the student, parent/carer or home school still be dis-satisfied with the outcome of the remark, they should follow the examination board’s complaints procedures.