Catch22 reserves the right to amend this policy, following consultation, where appropriate.
Date of last review: October 2025
Date of next review: August 2026
What is the policy about?
This policy examines potential risks and issues that could cause disruption to BAU (business as usual) College activity, particularly during exams processes at the Catch22 Colleges. By outlining actions/procedures to be invoked in case of disruption it is intended to mitigate the impact these disruptions have on our exam process.
Alongside internal processes, this plan is informed by the Ofqual Exam system contingency plan: England, Wales and Northern Ireland which provides guidance in the publication What schools and colleges and other centres should do if exams or other assessments are seriously disrupted and the JCQ Joint Contingency Plan in the event of widespread disruption to the Examination System in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This plan also confirms Catch22 College’s compliance with JCQ’s General Regulations for Approved Centres (section 3.17) that the centre has in place “an up to date written contingency plan.”
Who does this policy apply to?
This policy applies to all staff and stakeholders involved in Catch22 College delivery, and the assessment cycle.
Responsibilities
Lead Teachers: Responsible for overall compliance, contingency management, and ensuring staff are aware of this policy.
Exams Officer (EO): Ensures the smooth administration of exams, from planning to post-results services.
SENCo/SEN Assistant: Manages access arrangements and supports students with additional learning needs.
Senior Operations Managers & Senior Leadership Team (SLT): Oversees the coordination of staff, resource allocation, and the execution of contingency actions.
Contingency plans for exam disruption
Exam officer extended absence at key points in the exam process (cycle)
Criteria for implementation of the plan
Key tasks required in the management and administration of the exam cycle not undertaken including:
Planning
- annual data collection exercise not undertaken to collate information on qualifications and awarding body specifications being delivered
- annual exams plan not produced identifying essential key tasks, key dates and deadlines
- sufficient invigilators not recruited and trained
Entries
- awarding bodies not being informed of early/estimated entries which prompts release of early information required by teaching staff
- candidates not being entered with awarding bodies for external exams/assessment
- awarding body entry deadlines missed or late or other penalty fees being incurred
Pre-exams
- invigilators not trained or updated on changes to instructions for conducting exams
- exam timetabling, rooming allocation; and invigilation schedules not prepared
- candidates not briefed on exam timetables and awarding body information for candidates
- confidential exam/assessment materials and candidates’ work not stored under required secure conditions
- internal assessment marks and samples of candidates’ work not submitted to awarding bodies/external moderators
Exam time
- exams/assessments not taken under the conditions prescribed by awarding bodies
- required reports/requests not submitted to awarding bodies during exam/assessment periods e.g. very late arrival, suspected malpractice, special consideration
- candidates’ scripts not dispatched as required to awarding bodies
Results and post-results
- access to examination results affecting the distribution of results to candidates
- the facilitation of the post-results services
Centre actions to mitigate the impact of the disruption
- Lead Teacher to take over responsibilities and SLT to nominate additional administration support as needed in line with JCQ guidelines.
- Exam Officers from partner centres to support in required tasks
SENCo extended absence at key points in the exam cycle
Criteria for implementation of the plan
Key tasks required in the management and administration of the access arrangements process within the exam cycle not undertaken including:
Planning
- candidates not tested/assessed to identify potential access arrangement requirements
- centre fails to recognise its duties towards disabled candidates as defined under the terms of the Equality Act 2010
- evidence of need and evidence to support normal way of working not collated
Pre-exams
- approval for access arrangements not applied for to the awarding body
- modified paper requirements not identified in a timely manner to enable ordering to meet external deadline
- staff (facilitators) providing support to access arrangement candidates not allocated and trained
Exam time
- access arrangement candidate support not arranged for exam rooms
Centre actions to mitigate the impact of the disruption
- Senior Operations Managers to nominate a deputy to cover the role with the assistance of the Exams Officer.
Teaching staff extended absence at key points in the exam cycle
Criteria for implementation of the plan
Key tasks not undertaken including:
- Early/estimated entry information not provided to the exams officer on time; resulting in pre-release information not being received
- Final entry information not provided to the exams officer on time; resulting in candidates not being entered for exams/assessments or being entered late/late or other penalty fees being charged by awarding bodies
- Non-examination assessment tasks not set/issued/taken by candidates as scheduled
- Candidates not being informed of centre assessed marks before marks are submitted to the awarding body and therefore not being able to consider appealing internal assessment decisions and requesting a review of the centre’s marking
- Internal assessment marks and candidates’ work not provided to meet awarding body submission deadlines
Centre actions to mitigate the impact of the disruption
- Senior Operations Managers to allocate activities Lead Teachers to cover the role/tasks
- Utilisation of other Catch22 capacity/resources to support Lead Teacher
Invigilators – lack of appropriately trained invigilators or invigilator absence
Criteria for implementation of the plan
- Failure to recruit and train sufficient invigilators to conduct exams
- Invigilator shortage on peak exam days
- Invigilator absence on the day of an exam
Centre actions to mitigate the impact of the disruption
- Internal invigilators and administration team to be utilised alongside the team of trained staff.
- Staff from other centres to be transported to other sites if required.
Exam rooms – lack of appropriate rooms or main venues unavailable at short notice
Criteria for implementation of the plan
- Exams officer unable to identify sufficient/appropriate rooms during exams timetable planning
- Insufficient rooms available on peak exam days
- Main exam venues unavailable due to an unexpected incident at exam time
Centre actions to mitigate the impact of the disruption
- Senior Operations Managers/Exams Officer to source alternative venues or partner colleges in line with JCQ regulations.
Failure of IT systems
Criteria for implementation of the plan
- Internal ICT system failure at final entry deadline
- Internal ICT failure during exams preparation
- Internal ICT failure at results release time
Centre actions to mitigate the impact of the disruption
- Exams Officer and IT Manager to communicate with awarding bodies/ internal ICT support at the outset to resolve the issue.
- Exams Officer to use awarding body secure areas and other internal systems if required.
Emergency evacuation of the exam room (or centre lock down)
Criteria for implementation of the plan
- Whole centre evacuation (or lock down) during exam time due to serious incident resulting in exam candidates being unable to start, proceed with or complete their exams.
Centre actions to mitigate the impact of the disruption
- EO will contact the relevant awarding organisation and follow its instructions.
- EO will take advice, or follow instructions, from relevant local or national agencies in deciding whether the school or college is able to open.
- Lead Teacher/EO to identify whether the exam can be sat at an alternative venue, in agreement with the relevant awarding organisation.
- Where accommodation is limited, prioritise students whose progression will be severely delayed if they do not take their exams when planned.
- Communicate with parents, carers and students regarding any changes to the exam timetable.
- Advise students, where appropriate, to sit exams in the next available series.
Disruption of teaching time in the weeks before an exam – centre closed for an extended period
Criteria for implementation of the plan
- Centre closed or candidates are unable to attend for an extended period during normal teaching or study supported time, interrupting the provision of normal teaching and learning
Centre actions to mitigate the impact of the disruption
- Senior Operations Managers to source alternative venue and methods of learning for an appropriate course of action.
- Centre to communicate with parents/carer and students about the disruption for teaching & learning.
- Extra administration support for calls to parents/carers sourced by SLT, to take the necessary action to prepare students as usual for examinations.
- Exams Officer to advise if exams can be sat in a different series.
- Exams Officer to apply for special consideration as appropriate.
Candidates unable to take examinations because of a crisis – centre remains open
Criteria for implementation of the plan
- Candidates are unable to attend the examination centre to take examinations as normal
Centre actions to mitigate the impact of the disruption:
- Exams Officer to liaise with candidate and see if exam can be sat at an alternative venue in agreement with the awarding body and in line with JCQ guidance.
- Exams Officer to apply for special consideration as appropriate.
Centre unable to open as normal during the examination period (including in the event of the centre being unavailable for examinations owing to an unforeseen emergency)
Criteria for implementation of the plan
- Centre unable to open as normal for scheduled examinations
Centre actions to mitigate the impact of the disruption
- Lead Teachers to try to keep centre open for examinations only if possible.
- Senior Operations Managers/ Lead Teachers to find an alternative venue in agreement with the relevant awarding bodies/JCQ.
- Centres may offer candidates the opportunity to sit exams in the next available series.
- Exams Officer to apply for special considerations as appropriate.
Disruption in the distribution of examination papers
Criteria for implementation of the plan
- Disruption to the distribution of examination papers to the centre in advance of examinations
Centre actions to mitigate the impact of the disruption
- Exams Officer to contact awarding body to organise alternative delivery of exam papers.
- Exams Officer to access papers from exam board secure area & store securely.
- Inform Lead Teachers as additional courier deliveries likely to the centre.
- Exams Officer to check papers are on site 24hrs preceding the exam.
Disruption to the transportation of completed examination scripts/assessment evidence
Criteria for implementation of the plan
- Delay in normal collection arrangements for completed examination scripts
Centre actions to mitigate the impact of the disruption
- Exams Officer to contact the awarding body and normal collection agency (Parcelforce).
- Exams Officer to keep scripts securely stored until awarding bodies re-arrange collection.
Assessment evidence is not available to be marked
Criteria for implementation of the plan
- Large scale damage to or destruction of completed examination scripts/assessment evidence before it can be marked
- Completed examination scripts/assessment evidence does not reach awarding organisations
Centre actions to mitigate the impact of the disruption
- Exams Officer to contact awarding bodies for advice, Lead Teacher to contact students as appropriate.
- Awarding body may generate candidate marks for affected assessments based on other appropriate evidence in consultation with the regulators, this will be confirmed.
- Exams Officer to apply for special consideration as appropriate.
Centre unable to distribute results as normal or facilitate post results services (including in the event of the centre being unavailable for examinations owing to an unforeseen emergency)
Criteria for implementation of the plan
- Centre is unable to access or manage the distribution of results to candidates, or to facilitate post-results services
Centre actions to mitigate the impact of the disruption:
- Exams Office to contact awarding bodies for advice for alternative options.
- Centre to arrange to access its results at an alternative site.
- Centre to make arrangements to access the post results service from an alternative site.
- Centre to share facilities with other centres if possible.
- Centre to communicate any changes with parents/carer and students as appropriate.
Related policies
- Communication Policy – Catch22 Colleges