Operated by: Nudge Education Ltd · Version: v08.26 · Owner: Director NEO & Head of School
NEO BY NUDGE EDUCATION
Examination Venues Policy Nudge Education Online
| Policy Owner | Director, Nudge Education Online & Head of School |
|---|---|
| Approved | August 2026 |
| Review Date | August 2027 |
| Version | 08.26 |
| Operating Company | Nudge Education Ltd (Company Number 10192753) |
| Proprietor | Diego Melo |
| Accreditation Route | Online Education Accreditation Scheme (OEAS) — accreditation in progress |
1. Purpose and Scope
NEO (Nudge Education Online) is a fully online school operated by Nudge Education Ltd. NEO delivers all teaching online and does not operate its own examination venue. This policy sets out how NEO secures appropriate physical examination venues for its learners, the checks applied to those venues, and the process by which a venue is identified and confirmed for each candidate.
This policy applies to all public examinations for which NEO enters candidates, including Pearson Edexcel International GCSEs, and to all staff involved in examination administration. It should be read alongside the NEO Examination Contingency Plan and the NEO Appeals Procedure.
2. Examination Centre Partnership
NEO conducts all paper-based examinations through Tutors & Exams (tutorsandexams.uk), a specialist examination centre provider for private and external candidates, established in 2014. Tutors & Exams operates JCQ-compliant examination centres holding their own approvals with the principal awarding organisations, including Pearson Edexcel, at locations across England including Birmingham, Bolton, Coventry, Doncaster, High Wycombe, Mitcham, Newcastle upon Tyne, Romford, St Neots and Taunton, together with affiliate provision.
A written agreement between Nudge Education Ltd and the examination centre partner is maintained and sets out, as a minimum:
- the services provided: examination venue, secure receipt and storage of examination papers, invigilation and exam-day administration in accordance with the JCQ Instructions for Conducting Examinations;
- arrangements for candidate registration, entry deadlines and fees;
- delivery of agreed access arrangements on the day of the examination;
- safeguarding expectations for NEO candidates while on the host centre’s premises;
- communication routes between the NEO Exams Officer and the host centre’s examinations team, including escalation contacts; and
- data protection responsibilities of each party in respect of candidate personal data.
3. Process for Locating and Allocating Examination Venues
Because NEO learners live across the UK, venues are allocated per candidate rather than per cohort. The process is:
- Identify. At the point examination entries are planned (no later than the awarding organisation’s entry deadline for the relevant series), the Exams Officer identifies the partner examination centre nearest to each candidate’s home address.
- Confirm capacity. The Exams Officer confirms with the host centre that it can accommodate the candidate for the required specification(s) and series, including any access arrangements.
- Agree with the family. The proposed venue, dates and travel implications are agreed with the learner’s family (and commissioner, where a place is commissioned) before entries are made. Examination entry fees are charged separately from tuition fees and are confirmed at this point.
- Enter. The candidate is entered for the examination in accordance with the host centre’s procedures and awarding organisation deadlines.
- Prepare. The Exams Officer provides the candidate and family with a written summary: venue address, arrival times, identification requirements, permitted equipment and the host centre’s exam-day regulations. The learner’s Practitioner-Mentor supports exam readiness as part of pastoral care.
- Results and post-results. Results are received and communicated to the candidate, and any post-results services are co-ordinated by the Exams Officer with the host centre, as set out in the NEO Appeals Procedure.
Where no partner centre is within reasonable travelling distance of a candidate, the Exams Officer will identify an alternative JCQ-approved centre that accepts external candidates, apply the checks in section 4, and put a written agreement in place before entry.
4. Venue Checks
Before any centre is used for NEO candidates, the Exams Officer confirms and records that the centre:
- is approved by the relevant awarding organisation (for Pearson Edexcel examinations, holds a current Edexcel centre number, which is recorded against each candidate’s entry);
- operates in accordance with the JCQ General Regulations for Approved Centres and the JCQ Instructions for Conducting Examinations, including secure storage of examination materials;
- accepts external/transferred candidates and has a named examinations contact;
- can deliver the candidate’s approved access arrangements;
- has appropriate premises, insurance and safeguarding arrangements for candidates under 18; and
- provides suitable facilities for candidates with disabilities or medical needs.
These checks are refreshed annually and whenever a new venue or series is used.
5. Access Arrangements at Venues
Access arrangements (for example extra time, rest breaks, a reader, a scribe, or a separate room) are identified through NEO’s SEND processes, evidenced and approved in accordance with the JCQ Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments regulations, and communicated to the host centre in good time. The Exams Officer confirms with the host centre, in writing and before the examination date, exactly which arrangements will be in place. Responsibility for delivering the arrangements on the day rests with the host centre under the partnership agreement; responsibility for ensuring they have been applied for, evidenced and communicated rests with NEO. See also the SEND Policy.
6. Safeguarding
NEO candidates attend examination venues accompanied by a parent or carer, or with their explicit consent, in line with the arrangements agreed at entry. Any safeguarding concern arising at a venue is reported to NEO’s Designated Safeguarding Lead and handled under the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy. All safeguarding decisions defer to the DSL.
7. Roles and Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Head of Centre (Proprietor) | Overall accountability for the delivery of Pearson qualifications and for the partnership agreements with examination centres. |
| Director NEO & Head of School | Oversight of this policy, partner relationships and its operation in practice. |
| Exams Officer | Candidate administration; venue identification, checks and allocation; entries; access arrangements liaison; exam-day communications; results and post-results co-ordination. |
| SENCo | Identification and evidencing of access arrangements; liaison with the Exams Officer. |
| Designated Safeguarding Lead | Safeguarding oversight for candidates attending venues; point of escalation for any concern. |
| Practitioner-Mentors | Pastoral preparation of learners for the examination experience; on-the-day family liaison where agreed. |
8. Related Policies and Documents
- NEO — Examination Contingency Plan
- NEO — Appeals Procedure (with the Complaints Policy)
- Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
- SEND Policy
- Data Protection and Information Security
- JCQ General Regulations for Approved Centres; JCQ Instructions for Conducting Examinations; JCQ Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (current editions)
9. Review
This policy is reviewed annually by the Director NEO & Head of School, and additionally whenever the examination centre partnership, JCQ regulations or awarding organisation requirements change.