Conflict of Interests Policy (Exams)
2025/26
Centre: 62339
This plan is reviewed annually to ensure compliance with current regulations
Approved/reviewed by | |
SLT | |
Date of next review | October 2026 |
Key staff involved in the plan
Role | Name(s) |
Head of centre | Mrs Nora Ward |
Exams officer line manager (Senior leader) | Mrs Adele Barrett |
Exams officer | Miss Shannon West |
This procedure is reviewed annually to ensure compliance with current regulations.
Reference in the policy to GR relates to relevant sections of the current JCQ publications General Regulations for Approved Centres and Instructions for conducting coursework.
Contents.
Introduction...........................................................................................................................2 Purpose of the policy.............................................................................................................2
General Principles………………………………………………………………………………….2
Declaration Process ………………...……………………………………………………………..2
Managing conflicts of interest …………………………………………………………………….2
Roles and responsibilities …………………………………………………………………………3
The role of the head of centre ………….................................................................................3
The role of the exams office/officer …….................................................................................3
Introduction
It is the responsibility of the head of centre to ensure that The Oxford Academy has a written conflicts of interest policy for inspection that must be reviewed and updated annually. This policy confirms that The Oxford Academy:
Manages conflicts of interest by informing the awarding bodies, before the published deadline for entries for each examination series, of:
maintains internal records of all instances where:
Purpose of the policy
The purpose of this policy is to confirm how The Oxford Academy manages conflicts of interest under normal delivery arrangements in accordance with the regulations.
General principles
A process is in place to collect declaration of interest from all centre staff to identify and manage any potential conflicts of interest.
Declaration process
An electronic copy of the declaration of interest form is sent to all centre staff. Completed forms must be returned to the exams office before the deadline for external examinations.
Managing conflicts of interest
A conflicts of interest log is maintained and any potential conflict declared by centre staff is centrally recorded on the log. The relevant awarding body/bodies is/are informed (where required by the nature of the conflict) of specific conflicts of interest/centre staff declarations before the published deadline for entries for each examination series by identifying and following the individual awarding body's administrative process. The agreed measures/protocols taken/put in place to mitigate any potential risk to the integrity of the qualifications affected are recorded on the log and the affected member of staff informed of these measures/protocols.
Teaching Staff / Teaching Support Staff – qualifications which include internally assessed components/units
The Oxford Academy makes every effort to avoid situations where a candidate is assessed by a person who has a close personal relationship with the candidate, for example, members of their family (which includes stepfamily, foster family and similar close relationships) or close friends and their immediate family (e.g son/daughter).
Where this cannot be avoided, the centre must declare the possible conflict of interest to the relevant awarding body and submit the marked work for moderation whether or not it is part of the moderation sample.
Exams Office Staff
Exams office staff must declare if they have members of their family (which includes step-family, foster family and similar close relationships) or close friends and their immediate family (e.g. son/daughter) being entered for examinations and assessments either at the centre itself or other centres. In these instances, all exams office staff, including invigilators, will be made aware of the conflict of interest.
• The member of staff that has a conflict of interest will not be left alone with an opened packet of examination papers prior to the start of the examination.
• The integrity of all packets of unopened exam papers is checked prior to the start of each examination.
• The member of staff that has a conflict of interest will not be left alone with the completed exam scripts at any point in time between the examination being completed and the examination scripts being sealed and posted to the exam board.
Roles and responsibilities
The role of the Head of Centre
• Ensure conflicts of interest are managed according to the requirements (GR 5.3).
• Ensure clear records are maintained and that the records include details of the measures taken to mitigate any potential risk to the integrity of the qualifications affected (GR 5.3).
• Ensure the records are available where they may be requested by a JCQ Centre Inspector and/or awarding body staff (GR 5.3).
• Ensure the records are retained until the deadline for reviews of marking has passed or until any appeal, malpractice or other results enquiry has been completed, whichever is later (GR 5.3).
• Ensure that entering members of centre staff for qualifications at this centre is as a last resort in cases where the member of centre staff is unable to find another centre.
• Ensure that proper protocols are in place to prevent the member of centre staff having access to examination materials prior to the examination and that other centre staff are briefed on maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of the examination materials.
• Ensure that during the examination series the member of centre staff is treated in the same way as any other candidate entered for that examination, does not have access to examination materials and does not receive any preferential treatment (GR 5.3).
The role of the Exams Office/Officer
• Ensure the process for collecting declarations of interest is undertaken.
• Identify and follow the awarding body's administrative process for submitting details of members of staff who are:
o Taking qualifications which include internally assessed components/units at their own centre.
o Teaching and preparing members of their family (which includes step-family, foster family and similar close relationships) or close friends and their immediate family (e.g. son/daughter) for qualifications which include internally assessed components/units (GR 5.3).
• Retain the records of the measures taken to mitigate any potential risk to the integrity of the qualifications affected until the deadline for reviews of marking has passed or until any appeal, malpractice or other results enquiry has been completed, whichever is later (GR 5.3)