Updates about Summer 2025 examinations from Ofqual and the Department for Education (DfE)

This section of the website will be updated to provide parents, carers and examination students with announcements regarding public examinations in Summer 2025.

Click on the Ofqual guide 'Ofqual student guide to exams and assessments in 2025'

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)

Internal school examinations and public examination dates

*Pre-Public Examinations – internal school examinations

** Public examinations 

Heritage language examinations and practical public examinations follow a separate schedule which runs from March to May 2025. 

First and last date of Summer 2025 public examinations 
First examination: 8th May 2025
Last examination: 24th June 2025  

Contingency dates for Summer 2025 examinations
Wednesday 11th June - afternoon
Wednesday 25th June - all day

All examination candidates sitting Summer 2025 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 25th June 2025. 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. 

Summer 2025 public examination results are published to students on the following dates:
A Level results: Thursday 14th August 2025
GCSE results: Thursday 21st August 2025 

Do not hesitate to contact the Examinations Team in school by way of their dedicated email: exams@blackfen.bexley.sch.uk should you have further queries about examinations information.