This summer will bring trepidation for many pupils sitting GCSEs and A-levels after two or more years of hard study. But what’s it like for the examiners who will be assessing the work of tens of thousands of students? How easy is it to pass judgment on young people under pressure?
For Stuart Jarvis, visiting examiner in GCSE and A-level drama, it’s actually a sheer pleasure. “The quality of work I have seen is brilliant, mind-blowing. I can see why the new (OCR GCSE) drama exam is so popular. It’s like going to the theatre without paying West End prices.”
He’s a drama teacher who’s also worked as an examiner for 40 years. He began after his headteacher recommended he give it a go to build up insight and expertise in his role in the classroom. “It gave me a lot of confidence when I was a young teacher,” he remembers. And that self-belief has had a knock-on effect. “It’s really helped me to progress in my career and apply for promotions I wouldn’t have gone for if I wasn’t an assessor for OCR.”
Approaching exams from “the other side” is useful for teachers who are also coaching their students through their exams – it gives a feel for what’s required from their own pupils. “And it’s helped me understand better the difficulties teachers face leading up to the examination period,” says Jarvis. “It’s also given me the confidence to rise to the many challenges of qualification reforms over the years, particularly with adapting to the new 9-1 grading system.”
When students are nervous ahead of live performances, Jarvis tries to put them at ease. “I encourage them to enjoy the exam, because I believe if they enjoy what they’re doing, they’ll do well.” As part of OCR’s drama GCSE, students study works by the likes of Willy Russell, Alan Ayckbourn or Arthur Miller, and they also give a final performance of a piece of work they’ve created. “If candidates are relaxed, they’ll do their personal best – and that’s what we want.”
Assessing live performances and written work has also boosted his own professional standing, says Jarvis. “As an assessment specialist, you see the full journey from start to finish and fellow colleagues have greater respect for you.” It also refreshes his classroom performance. “I get so many new ideas and resources for my own lessons, which is a huge bonus for me as a teacher in the creative arts.”
In fact, the vast majority of OCR examiners are full-time teachers, says Debbie Hancock, head of assessor management at OCR – although teaching experience isn’t always a prerequisite, providing examiners have sufficient expertise in their subject. “It’s a great way of networking with colleagues,” she adds. Good time management and a meticulous approach are also important to do justice to students’ efforts.
When someone signs up to become an examiner, OCR doesn’t expect them to leap straight into conducting assessments. New examiners receive training six weeks before before they’re expected to assess students in exams. Most training is online, though some subjects, such as drama, still require face-to-face training.
Once accepted, examiners become part of a team, complete with a team leader, who will be on hand with answers and guidance, and in Jarvis’s experience, he’s always been able to call on help if needed. As well as a team leader, OCR also offers an assessor support line. “OCR is really committed to supporting examiners,” says Jarvis. “They’ve always remained human and personal in their approach to examiners, which is one of the reasons I love working for them,” he says. “It’s like one big family.”
Teachers often welcome the extra earnings that come with being an official examiner, but that was never Jarvis’s motivation. “I didn’t become an examiner to make a lot of money, it was more to understand the quality of marking and to support colleagues in delivery of the subject.”
Joining OCR has been a lifetime decision for Jarvis, who in his free time works backstage at Ambassador Theatre Group’s venues, where he gets a chance to mingle with celebrities. But it’s the talent of the future that inspires him. “I often leave performances feeling spellbound and I have the utmost respect for colleagues who deliver the content to such a high standard.”
Head to ocr.org.uk/assessors for more information
