On 15th July 2022, John wrote an article celebrating exam invigilators. Every year, every word rings true!
I've been thinking a lot about exam invigilation over the last week. Now that exams are finished for this academic year and we stagger towards the summer break, there’s a short period of breathing space when I have time to reflect on how exams have gone at my school this year. After the break enforced by the pandemic, running a full exam season at a large secondary school felt more daunting than usual, and this was a sentiment that was echoed by most of the exams officers I talk to all over the world who use Examscreen.
Fortunately, my exams went smoothly, both staff and students seemed palpably relieved to no longer have teacher assessments, and I enjoyed getting back to doing the job I love. Pre- pandemic, I used to organise an annual end-of-summer term evening out for my invigilation team and this year we went back to the same pub where we used to hold our yearly meet-up. I had been so busy beforehand that I hadn’t thought too much about it, and didn’t expect many people to turn up on a Wednesday in the middle of a heatwave. In fact, virtually all of my invigilators turned up- even people who invigilate just a few hours during an exam period. We had the best evening, camaraderie built up over a few of months of intense work together every year. At one point I went to the bar and the staff asked me how we all knew each other. I looked back at the team and could see why they were intrigued- we range in age from early twenties to late seventies, all laughing together. I told them that they help me run exams at a local school, and that I simply could not do my job without them. I explained that they are a mixture of students, retirees, former teachers, ex-pupils waiting to go to university, and for some people one of several jobs that they commit to in their community throughout the year. They earn a small wage for infrequent weeks throughout the year, and have a lot of responsibility- overseeing exam rooms, supporting students and school staff. They are so committed- my team know just how important exam days are for our pupils so they always show up, professional and ready for action.
During the pandemic, my invigilators stepped up to help me run the Covid-19 testing at the school, taking to it like ducks to water as they were already used to working together in challenging situations and high-pressure environments. The leadership team were suitably impressed and this helped them to see the value of having such a dedicated, flexible workforce supporting the permanent staff at the school. They are now thinking about other ways that their skills could be out to use in other areas of the school at non-exam times of year. It’s not always easy- invigilators naturally have very different backgrounds, skills and experiences and good training and support is key. As the work is infrequent, many have to juggle several work commitments so organising the timetable for them is complex. Tragically, due to the fact that many of my invigilators are older people, we have lost a couple of people in our team over the years, and supported several others through difficult periods in their lives.
What is brilliant to see if how this diverse, multi-generational group of people all support each other. They are united in their readiness to come together at key periods throughout the year to help children in their community through some of the most important days of their lives. As I described my team and our work together to the bar staff the other evening, I was struck by how special it is and how grateful I am. Schools should recognise the immense value and potential that invigilators bring to their school community, and I would encourage anyone looking for impactful, rewarding and flexible work to look at training to be an invigilator at a local school. They are the heroes of an exam team!