This section of the website will be updated to provide parents, carers and examination students with announcements regarding public examinations.

Click on the Ofqual guide Ofqual student guide to exams and assessments

Click on the Ofqual 'Coping with exam pressure – a guide for students' for advice and guidance on how to cope with pressure associated with test and exam anxiety. 

Resources to help students prepare for exams and assessments - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Understanding how exam grading works

The following Ofqual resources will help students and families understand how GCSE and A level exams are marked:

Ofqual presentation: How your exams are marked and graded. (Please note: the full explanation is in the ‘Notes’ section from slide 4 onwards.)

Ofqual video: How GCSE and A level grading works - How GCSE and A level grading works

Ofqual_GCSE_A_level_grading_assembly_presentation (website)

Resources-for-managing-assessment-related-anxiety-GOVUK.335196356

Information about November 2026 GCSE examinations         

All examinations start at 9.00 am. Students need to line up outside examination rooms by 8.45 am.

English Language Paper 1 - AQA (Tuesday 3rd November)     

Mathematics Paper 1 (non-calculator) - Pearson / Edexcel (Wednesday 4th November)

English Language Paper 2 - AQA (Thursday 5th November)     

Mathematics Paper 2 (calculator) - Pearson / Edexcel (Friday 6th November)

Mathematics Paper 3 (calculator) - Pearson / Edexcel (Monday 9th November)

GCSE results will be issued to students on Thursday 14 January 2027

 

Information about Summer 2027 public examinations

GCSE / Level 2 BTEC / Cambridge National / NCFE Level 1 and Level 2 / A Level / Level 3 BTEC

Heritage language examinations and practical public examinations follow a separate schedule which runs from March to May 2027. 

Main Summer 2027 dates of public examinations 
Monday 10th May 2027 – Main summer exam series begins for GCSE and A Level exams

Friday 18th June 2027 - Final GCSE exams on the common timetable

Tuesday 22nd June 2027 – Final A level exams on the common timetable  

Contingency date for Summer 2027 examinations
Wednesday 23rd June – all day

All examination candidates sitting Summer 2027 public examinations at Blackfen School must be available to sit GCSE, A Level and BTEC examinations from the date of their first examination until Wednesday 23rd June 2027. This decision is not a school decision and it applies to all candidates, in all schools. 

The examination contingency dates have been put in place to be used in the event of “sustained national or local disruption”. In these circumstances, the exam boards whose examinations are running at this time will have the option to postpone their examination and to rearrange it for one of the contingency dates. This means that students affected by the incident have a fair and equal chance to gain their qualifications. The decision to change the date of an examination to the contingency day is not taken by the school, or by parents and carers or by students. 

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) makes the following point: “If students are not available because they are on holiday and one of their exams is rescheduled to this day, they will not be eligible for special consideration by the exam boards. For this reason, the JCQ requests all schools inform parents and students of this date so that it can be taken into account when making plans for the summer.”

Parents, carers and students should note the examination contingency dates in the event that an awarding body needs to invoke its contingency plan. They should also ensure that telephone and email details held by the school are accurate so that students can be contacted quickly, in these circumstances. 

Morning and afternoon public examination start times

Students in Year 11 and Year 13 taking public examinations before Easter and in the Summer term should note the following arrangements for morning and afternoon start times. There is no late admittance to public examinations:

Morning examinations: Line up outside examination rooms at 8.45 am

Afternoon examinations: Line up outside examination rooms at 12.45 pm

Mobile phones, mobile devices and digital watches must be switched off and handed in at the beginning of all public examinations. Year 11 students should ensure their phones are locked in their phone pouches, in line with school policy. Other electronic devices such as ear pods and all watches are kept safely for the duration of the examination in individually numbered bags, placed at the end of each row of examination tables.

Year 11 early lunches

Light lunch items will be available to Year 11 students before the start of the afternoon examinations from the ‘Glasshouse’ (NOT the canteen) at the earlier time of 12.15 pm to 12.45 pm. We strongly recommend Year 11 students to have something to eat and drink before the afternoon examinations. Bottled water - with the label removed - is allowed in examination rooms, but no other still or fizzy drink.

Collection of Summer 2027 A Level examination results / Year 12 GCSE examination results / Year 12 Level 3 BTEC unit results

• A Level examination results are published and will be available for collection on Thursday 12th August 2027 in the Sixth Form Learning Zone from 8.00 am - 9.30 am. Results that are not collected at this time will be posted home to students. It is not possible for students to collect results on behalf of their friends. Parents/carers may collect results on behalf of students as long as suitable identification is provided, for example, a driving licence photo card or passport and this arrangement has been agreed and processed by the Exams Office before the end of this term.

• Level 3 BTEC unit results for current Year 12 students will be available for collection on Thursday 12th August 2027 in the Sixth Form Learning Zone from 9.30 am - 10.30 am. Results that are not collected at this time will be distributed to students at the beginning of term in September. 

• GCSE Mathematics examination results for Year 12 students will be available for collection on Thursday 19th August 2027 from 8.30 am - 10.00 am in the Performance Space. (See ‘Collection of GCSE results’, below). 

Collection of GCSE results

GCSE examination and BTEC Level 2 results are published and will be available for collection on Thursday 19th August 2027 in the Performance Space from 8.30 am to 10.00 am. Results that are not collected at this time will be posted home to students. Parents and carers are warmly invited to join students in the Performance Space for this special occasion and may collect results on behalf of students as long as this arrangement has been agreed and processed by the Exams Office before the end of this term and suitable identification is provided, for example, a driving licence photo card or passport.

Year 11 student enrolment in Blackfen School Sixth Form

In order to confirm their place in Year 12, Year 11 students need to enrol on-line on Thursday 19th August 2027 by 11.45 am.

1. Go to the ‘Sixth Form’ tab on the Blackfen School website (www.blackfenschoolforgirls.co.uk).
2. Click on ‘Enrolment’ on the right-hand side of the page.
3. Complete the form by entering your GCSE results and confirmed course choices. Then click on ‘Submit’.
4. You will receive a confirmation email with a unique ID. Save this email.

Any queries on the day should be emailed to: sixthform@blackfen.bexley.sch.uk You must have the correct entry requirements for your course choices. We will only contact you (via email or mobile phone) if there is a problem with your course choice.

Contact Miss J O'Connor or Mrs H Hill (Examination Officers) on Extension 3143 should you have further queries regarding public examinations. 

Contact Ms K Brewer, Head of Sixth Form, regarding enrolment in Blackfen School Sixth Form.