This week, John and Sophie chat to Rebecca Rowley of Cranleigh Abu Dhabi about her role as the exams officer there. As well as finding out all about family life as an expat in the United Arab Emirates, you'll hear about how tax inspectors and exams officers have a surprising amount in common!
How does running exams differ across countries, and does running exams in sunnier climes mean it’s all glamour and less work? The Exam Man team explore this and more in the second of two episodes where they delve into the work and life of international school exams officers.
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[00:00:00] Yn ymgyrch, mae'n gweithio'r gwaith o'r ddweud o'r cyflawn.
[00:00:04] Dwi'n gweld i chi ddweud ychydig o'r examen i'r llawdd y dyflawn.
[00:00:26] Mae'n gledd, mae'n gweithio i'r ysgol yw'r cyffredin.
[00:00:30] Mae'n gweithio i'r hunain, mae'r gwahodd y ddechrau, a'n dweud, mae'n gweithio i'r llys.
[00:00:35] Mae'n gweithio i'r llys!
[00:00:43] Mae'n gweithio i'r llys.
[00:00:46] Mae'n gweithio i'r llys, a mae'n gweithio i'r cwlwch,
[00:00:50] a'n gweithio i'r llys o'r llys.
[00:00:54] Mae'n gweithio i'r llys.
[00:00:56] Mae'n gweithio i'r llys, a mae'n gweithio i'r llys.
[00:01:01] Mae'n gweithio i ffyrdd gydaeth, ac mae'n gweithio i'r llys.
[00:01:15] Llywodraeth i fi, ac rwy'n gweithio i'r gwaith gyda'r newid yma.
[00:01:17] Mae'n gweithio i'r gwaith John Gaston,
[00:01:19] a mae'n gweithio ar gwrthod o ddifol ar gyfer y myfyrdd
[00:01:22] byddwch eich gweithio ymlaen, fel yw'r wneud hynny.
[00:01:25] Dwi'n cael ei wneud.
[00:01:28] Felly mae'n gweithio'n gweithio, oherwydd,
[00:01:31] fel yw'r ymlaen o Andrew Allain Graham,
[00:01:35] yw'r ymlaen yw'r ymlaen yw'r ymlaen yw'r ymlaen yw'r ymlaen.
[00:01:39] A dyna'r cymdeilio'n gweithio,
[00:01:41] fel yw'r ymlaen o'i gwneud eich ffais o'r ymlaen
[00:01:45] o'r ymlaen o'r ymlaen o'r ymlaen o'r ymlaen o'r ymlaen
[00:01:48] ac y gallwn gwybod y gallwn yn gwneud y dyfodol Sophie'r gweithio ar y ddweud.
[00:01:53] Yn ymweld Andrew wedi bod yn dweud,
[00:01:55] a dyna'n rhan o'r gweithio'r gweithio ar y cyfnodau Cymru.
[00:01:59] Ac mae'n gweithio, rwy'n gweithio,
[00:02:01] mae mae'n gweithio'n gweithio'r anonwys,
[00:02:03] sy'n dweud yn ddweud.
[00:02:04] A wnaeth eich cyfnod o'r gweithio'r gweithio ar y gweithio'r gweithio.
[00:02:10] Ond mae'n gweithio'r gweithio.
[00:02:13] Felly mae'n ddigon i'r peth yn ddweud, ond mae efallai hwnnw i'r ddweud bod rhan o'r ffordd dda'r
[00:02:18] dda'r ddweud i'ch ganddorol y dyfodol.
[00:02:22] Fe oedd hynny, wrth gwrs.
[00:02:24] Fe oedd yn fwy oherwydd.
[00:02:25] Fe oedd hynny'n gweld o'r ddweud.
[00:02:26] Mae hi'r ganddorol, mae'r ddweud sy'n eu bod ni'n dweud sefydli o'r byd
[00:02:31] a'u ddu i'ch dweud e'ch dweud am ddefnyddio, fel y dyna yng Nghymdd yma,
[00:02:34] ond, ond yw'n mynd i wych i'w ddweud yw'r hyn a'i'r ffordd o'i'r ddweud y ddweud ar y bryd
[00:02:40] wedi bod yn rhoi'r cyflwyntol i'r ffordd o blynyddio'r gael o'r rhaid i'r unig.
[00:02:43] Rhaid i'w ffroffatio'r gael?
[00:02:46] Rhaid i'w ddweud...
[00:02:46] Rhaid i chi'w ddweud ei ddweud ar y peth o'r hanffordd,
[00:02:48] ond rhaid i chi'n ddweud arnyn nhw.
[00:02:50] Rhaid i chi'n ddweud...
[00:02:52] Rhaid i chi'n ddweud ar y blynyddio'r gael?
[00:02:54] Yn ei fod yn dweud yn gweithio i gyd, maen nhw'n gweithio'n gweithio i'r gwaith ar y gos.
[00:02:59] Felly, mae'n gweithio gyd i'r gweithio i'r gweithio i'r Rebecca Rowley,
[00:03:04] ymlaen i'r gweithio cymdeithasol ym Mhwylwyr Cranly Abou Dabbi yn yr Unedig Ysgrifennu.
[00:03:09] Yn ymlaen i'r gweithio'r gweithio, mae'n gweithio'n gweithio a wnaeth i'r gwaith
[00:03:15] yma sydd wedi'i gael y gwasanaeth yn gweithio i'r gwaith i'r gweithio i'r gweithio.
[00:03:17] Felly, mae'n fawr i'r bwysig, fyddwn ni'n dweud yn bwysig wedi'i gynhyrch â'r pwysig oedd.
[00:03:21] Ond mae'r fawr i'r bwysig oherwydd yn y FWAE,
[00:03:26] felly mae wedi cyfaint rydyn ni'n gweithio,
[00:03:28] a'r bwysig yn hwnnw i'r gweithio,
[00:03:30] mae'n bwysig ar gyfer gŵr fawr i'r unwyr argrwm,
[00:03:35] a'r bwysig i'r fawr i'r wneud o'r bod eisiau mwy o'r cyfansol.
[00:03:38] because I think that there's a lot of things that people don't really know about, but India
[00:03:49] has a culture of being there and being able to say like that that it's going to be comfortable
[00:03:54] out there and in that sense it's going to be great for the poor families and people
[00:04:00] who are coming in to work for India now.
[00:04:03] wedi'i gyrraedd ymyddol yn ddigon ni.
[00:04:06] Dylai'r ymddangos o'r sluwydau yma,
[00:04:09] ond maen nhw yma.
[00:04:11] Dyna os ydych chi wedi'u gwrthig?
[00:04:13] Dyna, mae gennym yn ymddangos Ibarwad.
[00:04:16] Mae'r Ibarwad wedi'u ganwound i gael ei wneud yma,
[00:04:18] a mae'r hyn o'r drws i'r cyfnod wedi'u gwrthig,
[00:04:20] fel y ffordd COVID-19,
[00:04:21] ac mae'n dwi'n meddwl yw o'ch bod yn ymddangos eu gyrraedd.
[00:04:24] Efallai yma yw'r gyflasiad yma,
[00:04:26] wedi'u gyrraedd yma yn y UK.
[00:04:29] Felly, mae'n ddweud ymlaen i gael ysgol yn ymdiddorol.
[00:04:33] Mae'r ystyried i'r gwrs yn ymddiol iawn i gael mwy o'r cyffredinol gwaith gael y gwaith.
[00:04:43] Felly, mae'r cyffredinol gwaith ymddiol yn y U.K.
[00:04:46] Mae'r cyffredinol.
[00:04:48] Mae'r cyffredinol yma.
[00:04:50] Mae'r cyffredinol i Llanrefynu, ac mae'r cyffredinol i'r cyffredinol.
[00:04:53] Felly, mae'r cyffredinol yma yn ymddiol, ond mae'r cyffredinol ymddiol.
[00:04:57] Mae cyfnodd yn ymdweud o'r wneud i'r mwyaf, dwi'n gwybod yn ymgyrchu, dwi'n gwybod yn ymgyrchu, dwi'n gwybod yn ymgyrchu.
[00:05:07] Felly, mae'n gweithio i Alain.
[00:05:11] Mae'r hunain yn ystod yn ysgolwch,
[00:05:14] mae'n ystod y prinsipol yw'r ysgolwch yn Alain.
[00:05:19] Felly, mae'n gweithio i'w ddweud hynny.
[00:05:23] Mae'n gweithio i'r partyn o'r job, rwy'n gweithio i'r ysgolwch.
[00:05:26] A'r ddweud hynny, wrth gwrs,
[00:05:27] yn ystod 5 ymlaen o'r cyfrifio'r bwysig a'r gweithio'r bwysig.
[00:05:31] Fe fyddech chi'n gweithio'n gyda i'n gweithio i ddim yn ysgolwch yn yr ystod.
[00:05:35] Fe ddim yn ystod i'r gweithio i'w ddweud o'r school,
[00:05:39] felly mae'n cyffredinol i gweithio'n ysgolwch.
[00:05:42] Mae'n gweithio i ddim yn ystod o'r gweithio i'w ddweud o'r school.
[00:05:45] Mae'r gweithio i'w ddweud o'r cyfrifio'r gymaint gyda'r dyfyn ni.
[00:05:48] Mae'n gweithio i ddim yn gweithio i ddim yn gweithio i gweithio i ddim.
[00:05:53] Dwi'n cael ei bod yn ddigonol,
[00:05:55] I need to earn some when you know I've been out of work for too long, I'll give it a go.
[00:05:58] And within a week my boss, my line manager, the old exam officer had found the exam office training
[00:06:09] that they come out to Dubai annually and it was the first year they were coming out to Dubai
[00:06:14] and she said, oh look I don't know about this company but go on this training it sounds really good.
[00:06:18] And I went on this training, oh thank God I did.
[00:06:22] And within a week I found my calling in life.
[00:06:26] Laisen!
[00:06:27] Did you meet a lot of other exams officers when you went to that training?
[00:06:32] Did they sort of convince you that it would be like a good thing to me?
[00:06:35] I don't think they convinced, I just was like oh this job is just so me.
[00:06:40] Well I hadn't run any exams at that point remember, this is still the start of the year,
[00:06:45] this is like September where it's all paperwork and lists and computer systems and codes
[00:06:52] and clicking numbers and stuff so I'm in my element, sat in my fancy office
[00:06:57] because I've never had it in my own office before.
[00:06:59] And loving life, yeah I mean it was interesting when I came to run in exams for the first time.
[00:07:07] My husband always said be a teacher then we can go work anywhere, we can go work anywhere in the world.
[00:07:14] And I thought about it, I inquired a lot about doing a PGCA.
[00:07:18] But I like my kids in 1.25 metres apart, silence, not able to move, no noise.
[00:07:29] That's I think my second job would be a librarian, I think that's the only two ways I'd deal with children.
[00:07:35] Total accidental, never thought it.
[00:07:41] And then it was then that yeah, you start seeing well actually you don't see many exam officer jobs in the UAE.
[00:07:49] I think most people have other jobs and they're asked to be the exam officer as well.
[00:07:58] And I mean it only took me five months in the job I suppose to realise that's just crazy.
[00:08:06] Like I just didn't have time for anything else, I kudos to anyone who does another role on top of this role.
[00:08:15] I always feel like I need to be a bit careful about what I say here but I always feel like
[00:08:21] in the end my other job has to play second fiddle because there's nothing...
[00:08:26] Absolutely.
[00:08:27] When it push comes to shove, providing a spreadsheet for someone versus does a kid have an invigilator and the right exam paper.
[00:08:38] It's no context is it?
[00:08:40] It's quite clear isn't it?
[00:08:41] So in the end you do always feel like you're backburnering other stuff.
[00:08:45] Absolutely I just don't know how you do it.
[00:08:49] When I actually started the job at Crannlea was part time.
[00:08:54] I remember thinking how can it be part time?
[00:09:00] I know it can be physically part time, like physically in the office two and a half days a week.
[00:09:06] But there's not half of the job, there's no half a job, there's no half an entry.
[00:09:13] Obviously when it came to exams they said you'd be in full time.
[00:09:17] They'd compensate that would be different for those two months.
[00:09:21] But I was quite adamant that I'm like this is not a two months of a year job.
[00:09:26] This is a full time full time and I think they've realised now that it is
[00:09:31] and I value any school that employs an exam officer.
[00:09:36] I just think it's great.
[00:09:46] One thing I'd say is there's new schools opening all the time here.
[00:09:50] Hundreds and hundreds of schools.
[00:09:52] So as you can imagine they might open at year 10 and only have like 50 kids.
[00:09:59] And it builds, obviously builds and grows but that first cohort of exams might only be 20, 30, 40, 50 kids.
[00:10:05] So I can see why they don't employ a designated exam officer straight away
[00:10:12] because someone probably could do it.
[00:10:15] But the two that I know who were also SLT, they were quick to give it up
[00:10:22] and not give it up because they didn't want to do it but quick to say like this needs a body.
[00:10:28] How much do you think your previous job as a tax person?
[00:10:34] How much did that help you prepare you to do this job
[00:10:39] and what weren't you prepared for? What were new skills that you had to acquire?
[00:10:46] I definitely wasn't prepared to work with children.
[00:10:50] I wasn't at all. My husband's been a teacher since I've known him.
[00:10:56] So I've always been connected with schools.
[00:11:00] You go along to open days and plays and things like that.
[00:11:04] I'm aware of how he deals with children.
[00:11:08] I've been around school environments since I met him 20 plus years ago
[00:11:13] but I never worked with him before.
[00:11:16] I'd say what helped me was the structure of it.
[00:11:21] I'm quite methodical. I've always got a checklist.
[00:11:26] There needs to be a process. There needs to be deadlines.
[00:11:31] I wish I was shawty for you.
[00:11:34] I was going to say you were in the right role for that.
[00:11:38] There's got to be a deadline.
[00:11:42] Some of the maths and practical stuff, working with spreadsheets
[00:11:49] things like that that you take for granted
[00:11:52] when you come out of school and you think I'm never going to make an Excel sheet again.
[00:11:56] There I am, Google Sheets Wizard now.
[00:12:00] I find you need data quickly.
[00:12:04] Sometimes you'll just...
[00:12:07] How many laptops do you need in that business exam?
[00:12:10] I don't want to be pulling out a sheet and looking through it.
[00:12:14] I think that happens over the years as well.
[00:12:17] I've been doing this for seven years.
[00:12:21] Every year whilst it's the same process
[00:12:25] according to the exam boards it's the same process.
[00:12:28] Your method gets more streamlined and learned from last year.
[00:12:32] You add that column.
[00:12:35] You refine your methods over time.
[00:12:38] This is quite a boring one but I've...
[00:12:41] It's not boring for me.
[00:12:44] I've never wanted to get and I don't think I ever will get
[00:12:48] one of those scheduling tools for invigilation.
[00:12:52] I have quite a lot of invigilators.
[00:12:55] About 25 that I have to manage.
[00:12:59] It's quite complicated when it comes to allocating them
[00:13:02] because they're different in terms of how much they're available.
[00:13:05] They want to do different things.
[00:13:08] Some of them want to work in the big schools.
[00:13:11] Then there's also the question of some of them work well together.
[00:13:14] Some of them don't work so well together.
[00:13:17] It is quite a complex process of getting it all right.
[00:13:21] It's funny you say that literally last week
[00:13:25] the HR want me to make a...
[00:13:29] I mean a schedule but to work out who's doing how many hours each week.
[00:13:34] I can't know that yet because of exactly what you said.
[00:13:39] I sometimes...
[00:13:42] A good week of my year is just sort of staring at the timetable.
[00:13:47] Just looking at it online, just looking at the timetable
[00:13:50] because yes someone might say one exam here and one exam there
[00:13:53] and one exam in the afternoon but you're seeing
[00:13:56] well that exam is a listening exam so you can't put that in the same room as that exam.
[00:14:01] Whereas it looks like one exam to you that means three invigilators to me
[00:14:05] and then she's got a private room because of whatever access arrangement she's got
[00:14:09] so that's another invigilator.
[00:14:11] Until you're used to looking at a timetable like that
[00:14:16] and then sometimes until you're in it
[00:14:19] you've spent a week with your invigilator.
[00:14:21] If you're lucky enough to have the same invigilator over and over again
[00:14:24] you learn and exactly right what you said
[00:14:26] I don't think I would use a tool for it as well.
[00:14:29] You need that human element in it absolutely.
[00:14:32] Exactly, but I've sort of built over time
[00:14:35] I've sort of refined the spreadsheet tool that I use
[00:14:38] I've made it better and more efficient.
[00:14:41] That takes time doesn't it?
[00:14:44] It's almost like it was only about eight or nine years into the job
[00:14:48] where I actually got that right I think.
[00:14:51] And all of that stuff does take time to do it.
[00:14:54] People say don't ever work with children or animals
[00:14:59] so this all sounds really great for people with really methodical brains
[00:15:03] which I do not and I really admire all you exams officers who do.
[00:15:07] But you're throwing a lot of children into this mix.
[00:15:11] Surely there's lots of curveballs and changes
[00:15:14] and how do you find that?
[00:15:16] That must have been quite different to what you've done before.
[00:15:19] I remember standing in front of my first year
[00:15:22] I was lucky enough actually to do my first few weeks
[00:15:26] I helped out invigilating
[00:15:29] that this was before the role actually got switched
[00:15:32] to we need a new person
[00:15:34] I was actually called in to do an November series
[00:15:36] an November series was quite big to do some invigilating
[00:15:39] so that was really good
[00:15:42] that was really handy
[00:15:43] I think that's quite a valuable lesson for an exam officer
[00:15:45] to be an invigilator first
[00:15:47] but I do remember standing up
[00:15:49] I didn't stand up that was the thing
[00:15:51] she stood up in front of the first exam
[00:15:53] and you know she'd given me the script
[00:15:55] I knew what she was going to say
[00:15:57] she's like do you want to say it?
[00:15:59] I'm like no I don't want to speak to them
[00:16:02] but then I don't know
[00:16:04] yes you're absolutely right
[00:16:08] but I think you can split it
[00:16:10] I think all this lists and spreadsheets
[00:16:14] and all of that stuff is now
[00:16:16] it's all the planning that I'm doing now
[00:16:18] and that quickly becomes the kids
[00:16:20] the spreadsheet's done
[00:16:22] the timetable's done
[00:16:23] and I know that however many hours
[00:16:26] it took me to make that timetable
[00:16:28] I did it that way for a reason
[00:16:30] don't ask me why I picked that way
[00:16:32] but when I was in the moment
[00:16:34] I was doing it and now it's all about the kids
[00:16:36] you're looking enough to see them
[00:16:39] hopefully year 10 mocs
[00:16:42] and then year 11 exams
[00:16:44] hopefully they stay and then do year 12
[00:16:46] and then you do build a bit of a report
[00:16:49] but my invigilators have got such a lovely report
[00:16:52] with the kids and I'm a bit harder
[00:16:54] don't mess with me
[00:16:56] don't send me silly emails
[00:16:58] that's a funny thing
[00:17:00] I've said a bit in our first couple of podcasts
[00:17:03] about how you can be a bit anonymous
[00:17:06] as the exams person
[00:17:07] particularly until they get to that age
[00:17:09] of year 10 and year 11
[00:17:10] and then you are quite an important figure
[00:17:12] but I think weirdly though
[00:17:14] some of my invigilators
[00:17:16] they're much better known
[00:17:18] so my invigilators will often tell me
[00:17:20] that a kid has stopped them
[00:17:22] someone has stopped them on the street
[00:17:24] years and years later
[00:17:26] and being like oh you're an invigilator
[00:17:28] and I don't think the same thing would happen to me
[00:17:31] I think the kids know me
[00:17:33] for that brief period of time
[00:17:35] but they see so much of some of my invigilators
[00:17:37] and they're in that intense environment with them
[00:17:40] they get all the presents at the end of the year
[00:17:43] they get invited to the prom
[00:17:45] they get invited to graduation
[00:17:47] I'm just there in the background
[00:17:49] no I think it's funny to see
[00:17:51] especially that leap from year 11 to 6 form
[00:17:55] I think the year 10s
[00:17:58] they don't care who I am at all
[00:18:00] and there's only maybe a handful doing some early maths
[00:18:03] or English or something
[00:18:04] and then year 11
[00:18:05] we're like oh that woman
[00:18:07] that woman is just telling me to sit down
[00:18:09] and shut up constantly
[00:18:10] and sending me emails all year to fill in this form
[00:18:13] and fill in that form
[00:18:15] and then that switch between they get 6 form
[00:18:19] and they're like
[00:18:20] oh this woman might help me actually
[00:18:22] she might help me get into uni
[00:18:26] and I think by the 6 form as well
[00:18:29] there's very much more sense
[00:18:31] when they're in 6 form as in there
[00:18:33] they've decided to be here
[00:18:35] and so there's a bit more of that
[00:18:37] they're going to value anyone
[00:18:39] who's helping them along that process
[00:18:41] because it's a process they want to do
[00:18:43] rather than just solely their being
[00:18:45] and they realise the benefits
[00:18:47] they keep me happy
[00:18:49] I tell them
[00:18:51] you answer my emails
[00:18:53] you do what I say
[00:18:55] and then when you've lost your certificates
[00:18:57] in 3 years time
[00:18:59] I'll be right there to help you
[00:19:01] to scrape them back
[00:19:03] scratch my back
[00:19:05] the question of certificates
[00:19:07] that's another episode of a podcast
[00:19:09] you've got a lot of thoughts
[00:19:11] I have a lot of thoughts on certificates Rebecca
[00:19:13] quite boring thoughts
[00:19:15] they're not boring though
[00:19:17] they're boring to the people
[00:19:19] they're not to us
[00:19:21] I can't believe how many of our certificates don't get collected every year
[00:19:23] same here
[00:19:24] folders and folders
[00:19:26] what's your stat on that
[00:19:28] I reckon we have about a third
[00:19:30] don't get collected every year
[00:19:32] and that's crazy for the UK
[00:19:34] because I thought it was
[00:19:36] I thought that was an international school thing
[00:19:38] because you know a lot of my kids finished their last exam
[00:19:40] and then literally leave the country
[00:19:42] they've moved on
[00:19:44] they've gone somewhere, they've gone home
[00:19:46] they've gone to uni in God knows how many countries
[00:19:48] around the world
[00:19:50] so I thought it was like
[00:19:52] they don't get picked up
[00:19:54] they're not there
[00:19:56] they don't care
[00:19:58] we get people phony up
[00:20:00] who took their exams in 1998
[00:20:02] can I get my certificates please
[00:20:04] get all of that
[00:20:06] you're insane
[00:20:08] phone the exam board
[00:20:16] Rebecca can you tell us a little bit more about the school
[00:20:19] what the school day is like
[00:20:21] where the kids come from
[00:20:23] anything about the school that we would find interesting
[00:20:27] well I think at last count
[00:20:29] last international day
[00:20:31] I think we have about 67 different nationalities
[00:20:33] at our school
[00:20:35] it's a crazy huge wonderful amazing mix of kids
[00:20:40] and we're a through school
[00:20:43] so we're FS1, FS2
[00:20:45] I think it's nursery and reception in the UK
[00:20:48] FS1 and 2 all the way through to year 13
[00:20:52] the early years
[00:20:54] the pre prep FS2 to year 2
[00:20:57] have moved just to a different side
[00:20:59] now just because we've got so big
[00:21:01] the last couple of years
[00:21:03] we've got a long school day
[00:21:06] long for me
[00:21:09] I'm a tired old lady
[00:21:11] the kids start school about
[00:21:14] I have to remember
[00:21:16] we get to school so early because of the traffic
[00:21:18] we leave really early
[00:21:20] I need to get my emails done before the day starts
[00:21:22] so I think my kids register
[00:21:26] about half past seven in the morning
[00:21:29] and then last lesson finishes at 3.30
[00:21:32] wow that is a long day
[00:21:34] eight lessons a day
[00:21:36] we have good breaks
[00:21:38] when I first saw the lunch break of an hour
[00:21:40] I thought wow, an hour that's lovely
[00:21:42] I don't remember having that much time
[00:21:44] when I was at school
[00:21:46] to eat my sausage, chips and beans in the canteen
[00:21:48] I don't remember that at all
[00:21:50] so a nice
[00:21:52] I'm not a teacher
[00:21:54] you should ask someone who gets about the time table
[00:21:57] but to me it's a lovely long day
[00:21:59] I managed to get all my work done
[00:22:02] but then one of the big things about Cranley
[00:22:05] is the emphasis on
[00:22:08] we call them CCAs
[00:22:10] I know they're sometimes ECA's
[00:22:12] extra-curricular activities
[00:22:14] co-curricular activities and they're your clubs after school
[00:22:16] and we've got such a massive
[00:22:18] huge array of after-school clubs
[00:22:21] so kids could potentially be at school
[00:22:24] my kids are there till about five o'clock
[00:22:27] so they do these clubs after school
[00:22:32] sorry carry on
[00:22:33] no, I was just going to say
[00:22:35] most kids doing that stuff
[00:22:37] then most kids staying on the other side
[00:22:39] they really are, yeah
[00:22:41] I can say we're quite an expensive school
[00:22:44] we're one of the top schools in the Middle East
[00:22:48] in Aberdababy
[00:22:50] and so parents want to get the most out of their school
[00:22:56] so yeah, the kids are there for really long days
[00:22:58] I mean there's clubs in the morning before school
[00:23:01] swimming and instrument lessons
[00:23:03] there's things going on at break times and lunch times
[00:23:05] depending on the activities that kids pick up
[00:23:07] and then the after-school clubs
[00:23:09] mostly my kids I think do three out of four
[00:23:13] days of after-school clubs
[00:23:15] only because they do one at home on the other day
[00:23:18] or else they would be in...
[00:23:20] my husband has to obviously run some CCAs
[00:23:23] so it's great
[00:23:24] we're there anyway, we're there at school
[00:23:26] which for an exam officer at this time of year
[00:23:29] is amazing because I do get like 11 hours at work
[00:23:33] I don't have to bring anywhere calm
[00:23:37] obviously maybe in what would you say
[00:23:41] November time when there's not exactly that much to do
[00:23:44] I can get a bit bored
[00:23:46] but I've started to learn to prep your heads
[00:23:48] to balance this time out
[00:23:50] or else I would be at school much more than I was needed to
[00:23:53] someone else who we spoke to described the job as being lumpy
[00:23:59] which I thought was quite a good description
[00:24:01] but I think the down times can be...
[00:24:04] you never really have huge long down times do you?
[00:24:07] but you obviously have times when you're less busy with running
[00:24:10] you're not doing day to day running of exams
[00:24:12] yeah I noticed on my HR record
[00:24:16] that I seemed to get all my dental work done in October
[00:24:20] so I didn't really notice that until I thought about it
[00:24:26] and thought do you know what, yeah
[00:24:28] you've just got over that bulk of results
[00:24:30] and post result services
[00:24:32] you may be done some entries for January
[00:24:34] but there's not much to do
[00:24:36] I seem to be taking a few health days in October
[00:24:41] I thought that's obviously why
[00:24:44] So in October can you also kick back at half three
[00:24:47] when you finish your kids are in clubs
[00:24:49] yeah absolutely
[00:24:51] cocktail overlooking a pool
[00:24:53] well we're right on the coast
[00:24:55] we're right on the beach at Cranley
[00:24:57] again I'll send you some pictures
[00:24:59] we're on a big strip that got recently developed
[00:25:03] it's absolutely beautiful down there
[00:25:05] yes I absolutely could do that
[00:25:07] so I could head down to Mum's shop for a card
[00:25:10] not May or June at all
[00:25:14] I won't even be coming home May or June
[00:25:17] Can I ask you a couple of slightly boring technical questions now
[00:25:21] so what exams do you do
[00:25:24] what are your exam boards and what do you run
[00:25:27] ok so we are predominantly Pearson
[00:25:30] a lot of Pearson exams
[00:25:32] a very few Cambridge exams getting fewer
[00:25:36] they're decreasing
[00:25:39] we did a lot with AQA
[00:25:42] and then we switched just
[00:25:45] sort of this year this last year
[00:25:48] this year to Oxford AQA
[00:25:50] so I now have but there's not quite enough
[00:25:53] availability of subjects in one exam board
[00:25:56] to get rid of the other exam boards
[00:25:59] so we are now a school of four exam boards
[00:26:02] this is my first year out with four
[00:26:05] ok so hang on so that's Pearson
[00:26:08] Cambridge, Oxford AQA
[00:26:11] and Oxford AQA
[00:26:14] you don't do IB then
[00:26:17] we're not an IB school no
[00:26:20] we do some BTECs
[00:26:23] but I'm really not involved in them
[00:26:26] after registration
[00:26:29] I do all the registering for the kids
[00:26:32] and then at the end of their two years I do their results
[00:26:35] to process the certificates
[00:26:38] but that's all done by a specific BTEC team
[00:26:41] that sounds as it should be
[00:26:44] because I didn't know either way
[00:26:47] I do remember thinking I don't want to do anything with BTEC
[00:26:50] you don't want to be getting involved in that crykey
[00:26:53] another question I had
[00:26:56] which is more like a personal curiosity
[00:26:59] is how do you get the exam papers
[00:27:02] right, because I remember you said you were going to ask me about the differences between the UK and the UK
[00:27:08] and I don't know because I've never done this job in the UK
[00:27:11] I just see what people write on Facebook and I get scared
[00:27:14] I don't think I could do this job in the UK
[00:27:17] you're much better at it than me
[00:27:20] we get them in the post
[00:27:23] we get them through most of the exam boards
[00:27:26] use DHL
[00:27:29] yeah, what's the other part
[00:27:32] not parcel force
[00:27:35] what's the other international one DHL
[00:27:38] most of them come through DHL
[00:27:41] the funny thing is about working in an international school
[00:27:44] I don't think you get this in the UK
[00:27:47] they can come at absolutely any time
[00:27:50] day or night
[00:27:53] it does not matter that the school gates have closed
[00:27:56] do you have to be there
[00:27:59] no, luckily I don't
[00:28:02] because it took a big long scout of the JCQ
[00:28:05] and Cambridge rule book
[00:28:08] my second key holder is more or less on site
[00:28:11] is the head of security
[00:28:14] 24x7 without extra key
[00:28:17] locked away for there
[00:28:20] we get the emails
[00:28:23] your consignment is on its way
[00:28:26] so we've got an idea of when things are going to come
[00:28:29] but there's no stopping the postman
[00:28:32] postman shifts
[00:28:34] with hours they have to deliver them during school hours
[00:28:37] because otherwise people would get massively stroppy about it
[00:28:40] I'll get texts in the middle of the night
[00:28:43] and parcels arrive and I'm like please lock it away
[00:28:46] and they send me all the pictures
[00:28:49] and they shut the doors and bang them on the shelf
[00:28:52] they get them like that
[00:28:55] I'm sort of surprised
[00:28:58] I had this image of them that they would send secure files
[00:29:01] and you would then print them on site
[00:29:04] please no
[00:29:07] Cambridge moving you towards digital exams
[00:29:10] for internet?
[00:29:13] we're trialling English
[00:29:16] next June 25
[00:29:19] and then my husband's actually involved
[00:29:22] with his head of department in developing
[00:29:25] the geography
[00:29:28] the geography modular, GCS, IGCSA
[00:29:31] to move that online that's taking a bit more work
[00:29:34] I mean as you can imagine an English paper
[00:29:37] geography, plot a graph, draw a map
[00:29:40] shade this draw a line there
[00:29:43] so they're actually trying to come up with
[00:29:46] how it'll actually look online so he's involved in that
[00:29:56] there were cars floating down the street
[00:29:59] the tunnels just fill up with water
[00:30:02] usually close the tunnels
[00:30:05] there's a picture of a car floating under the
[00:30:08] YASS formula on circuit
[00:30:11] just floating down in the street
[00:30:14] you said school has been closed for two days then?
[00:30:17] yeah so the government closed
[00:30:19] I mean Monday, Tuesday would have been closed
[00:30:22] because of the weather
[00:30:25] the apartment went black
[00:30:28] it was like 10 o'clock at night
[00:30:31] the cloud was thick black
[00:30:34] and we were fine
[00:30:37] but yeah so they closed the schools
[00:30:40] mostly because of the travel
[00:30:43] the travel to and from school
[00:30:46] and keeping kids safe and keeping staff safe
[00:30:49] and then today was probably closed more
[00:30:52] because of the damage from yesterday
[00:30:55] it hasn't rained too much today
[00:30:58] but the devastation of it
[00:31:01] is that when you're just not used to having rain like that
[00:31:04] suddenly
[00:31:07] proper crazy biblical rain
[00:31:10] they say it's not happened
[00:31:13] it hasn't rained like that in the OEA for 75 years
[00:31:16] I don't know if that's, I wasn't here then
[00:31:19] at least you'd been to the UK over Easter
[00:31:22] so you should probably be used to the rain
[00:31:25] for a change
[00:31:28] I feel like it's great to get back and away from the rain
[00:31:31] but we know now that this just means
[00:31:34] because there's always rain
[00:31:37] there's always rain like March time
[00:31:40] and then there's always, we call it the rain
[00:31:43] and we all know when the rain comes we see it
[00:31:46] and tomorrow will just be summer now
[00:31:49] that'll be it, it'll be hot and that'll be it
[00:31:52] there'll be no more breeze, there'll be no more springtime
[00:31:55] and so you'll be back to school tomorrow
[00:31:58] Insha'la, yes
[00:32:01] yes, the government
[00:32:04] I think Dubai had it worse than us
[00:32:07] so Dubai are closed until Monday
[00:32:10] they're closed for the rest of the week
[00:32:13] remember when closed used to mean closed, hadn't it
[00:32:16] and now it means remote
[00:32:19] can we talk a set ago remote?
[00:32:22] can we ask you a quick question Rebecca?
[00:32:25] you're in Abu Dhabi
[00:32:28] and in the UK everyone talks about Dubai
[00:32:31] and no one ever mentions Abu Dhabi
[00:32:34] they think Abu Dhabi's in Wales
[00:32:37] does it have that same feeling when you're in the UAE
[00:32:40] of it being like a little brother scenario
[00:32:43] or a little brother scenario
[00:32:46] or a little brother scenario
[00:32:49] no, not at all
[00:32:52] we're quite elite
[00:32:55] we've got the ruler
[00:32:58] and we've got the culture
[00:33:01] and Dubai is the black pool
[00:33:04] of the UAE but it's not at all
[00:33:07] it's not at all, it's not at all
[00:33:10] it's the black pool of the UAE
[00:33:13] we go when we need to go
[00:33:16] it's just so busy, it's so different
[00:33:19] it's so different, you can't explain it
[00:33:22] we've still got all the, I don't know what you see
[00:33:25] from the UK but the glamour
[00:33:28] and the weather obviously
[00:33:31] but Dubai is just on another level
[00:33:34] there's more people
[00:33:37] more diverse
[00:33:40] just busy a busy traffic
[00:33:43] we don't go if we don't need to go
[00:33:46] we don't go if we don't need to go
[00:33:54] so yeah, I'm starting next week with all my
[00:33:57] speaking tests and getting all of them out of the way
[00:34:00] before my first exam on May 3
[00:34:03] you started a bit earlier don't you
[00:34:06] geography, Cambridge
[00:34:09] best of luck with all your exams
[00:34:12] thank you so much, I'll talk to you anytime you like
[00:34:15] lovely to have you on, take care Rebecca
[00:34:18] bye bye bye
[00:34:21] Rebecca would have kept going then for a few hours
[00:34:24] if I hadn't said probably we're keeping her long enough
[00:34:27] into the evening
[00:34:29] there was a lot of exams off as a chance
[00:34:31] and that wasn't there
[00:34:33] both love talking about it
[00:34:35] I love talking to Rebecca, we've known her now
[00:34:38] for a little while haven't we
[00:34:41] she is so passionate about the job
[00:34:44] she's so honest about it
[00:34:47] but she also doesn't shy away from the things about it
[00:34:50] that are challenging and difficult
[00:34:53] she's also a really great advocate for exams officers
[00:34:56] she really reaches out to people
[00:34:59] and connects people
[00:35:02] very supportive kind of person
[00:35:05] it was fantastic to catch up with her
[00:35:08] and to see the thing we said we were going to do before
[00:35:11] which is to interview somebody who's not an exams officer
[00:35:14] like me with me, it's exciting
[00:35:17] one of you
[00:35:19] so we're really excited about that interview
[00:35:22] we can't tell you too much at the moment
[00:35:24] it's a bit of a secret
[00:35:26] but we thought it was an absolutely fantastic chat
[00:35:29] so we're looking forward to sharing it with you
[00:35:32] it's going to be focused around
[00:35:35] parents and helping them to get ready
[00:35:38] for what's coming down the line
[00:35:41] in the next couple of weeks
[00:35:44] but it took a couple of unexpected turns as well
[00:35:47] so I think there's quite a lot of good advice in there as well
[00:35:50] for exams officers and anyone
[00:35:53] who's under pressure having to do something big
[00:35:56] I learnt lots of things
[00:35:59] I thought I should be doing that
[00:36:02] so I'll regret your appetite for that
[00:36:05] and join us again next week
[00:36:14] thank you so much for listening to the exam man podcast
[00:36:17] we really appreciate your support
[00:36:19] remember that you can access it on all the major podcast platforms
[00:36:22] give us a rating, give us a follow
[00:36:25] and we will catch you next time
[00:36:32] bye