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Mock examinations rescheduled after Bourne Grammar School pupil breached computer network to access mark schemes




A pupil who breached a secure computer network to obtain exam papers and mark schemes will not return to a town school.

On Wednesday (January 12), headteacher of Bourne Grammar School, Alastair Anderson, was notified that some of the Year 13 mock examination papers, which pupils have been sitting this week, had been compromised.

The school immediately launched an investigation into the incident.

Bourne Grammar School
Bourne Grammar School

It was found that papers were leaked for the subjects of mathematics, biology, English language and further maths. The headteacher was reassured that no other subjects' papers were opened and therefore all other exams remain untainted.

In a letter to parents, Mr Anderson said: "It is with enormous sadness that I can confirm that question papers and mark schemes, which were saved in a secure, password protected folder on the school's staff network, were illegitimately obtained by a pupil.

"The question papers and mark schemes were subsequently shared."

Bourne Grammar School head teacher Alastair Anderson
Bourne Grammar School head teacher Alastair Anderson

While the school does not know exactly how many pupils had seen the papers before sitting their exams, Mr Anderson believes it is significant enough to take action.

He deems that the 'fairest' option for the pupils is to re-schedule mock exams for the affected subjects and provide new exam papers.

Mr Anderson said: "We have acted swiftly, and having identified exactly which papers were seen, we have rewritten those papers and are in the act of rescheduling the affected examinations.

"For some pupils this means having to resit an examination that was already completed.

"In the current covid context we know that all assessment data is relevant in case of Teacher Assessed Grades, and for this reason it is vital that we can confidently report to JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications) that the data we may use is untainted and accurate. Such resits are, therefore, unavoidable.

"To handle this situation in any other way would leave us open to justified criticism and therefore we have taken the correct action, and taken it quickly.

"I am very aware that this is not an ideal situation for pupils who now have to conduct resits, but as a school we will give them as much support as we can, confident that our response to the breach has been done absolutely with their best academic interests at heart."

The pupil identified as having breached the network will not be returning to Bourne Grammar School.

In addition, staff at the school will be reviewing the network security protocols.



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