The DfE exam support service will provide financial support to schools and colleges to find alternative venues to run the 2021 autumn exams where it is not possible to run them on their own venues (or collaboratively) without disruption to study. You need to make sure that you follow JCQ guidance on alternative venue arrangements or appropriate guidance for VTQs set by the awarding organisation. This includes ensuring that you make bookings in time to inform them of your alternative venue for exams. For GCSE, AS and A level exams, this means that for any exams that were conducted at an address other than your school or college’s registered address, you would need to have notified the JCQ Centre Inspection Service by 23 August 2021 for AS and A level exams, or 20 September 2021 for GCSE exams. You must have completed the JCQ Alternative Venue form online using the Centre Admin Portal (CAP). CAP can be accessed via any of the exam boards’ secure extranet venues.
3.2 Funding eligibility criteria for booking your own alternative venue Centres should book their own alternative venues and submit claims to us along with supporting evidence. Claims for alternative venue costs can include associated set up and cleaning costs for the venue where necessary. This extends to normal set up and cleaning costs required under the terms of the venue hire. It does not extend to purchasing additional materials such as screens or booths. The service will not provide funding if you are using your own premises to facilitate exams. Cleaning or set-up required for your own premises is also not covered. You should submit your claim after exams have taken place because cancellation charges will not be covered apart from in exceptional circumstances. For example, cancellation charges would be eligible where local restrictions prevent candidates from taking exams at a venue where payment has already been made and cannot be refunded, but not in circumstances such as the centre subsequently deciding it can run exams on its own premises. When booking alternative venues, we would expect costs to reflect local rates. We have set out an illustrative table below and we would not generally expect costs to fall outside these ranges unless there are exceptional circumstances (for example local restrictions leading to an increase in prices for all suppliers). These illustrative costs include cleaning of the venue and are based on candidates being spaced 2 metres apart. You will need to retain evidence to support your claim, for example by sourcing a range of quotes. DfE reserves the right to fund on the basis of the rates shown below if this evidence is not provided. Venue rates per day outside London
Candidate numbers per venueTypical rateMaximum rate 1 to 15£450£650 Up to 30£700£1,650 31 to 60£900£1,650 61 to 100£2,000£2,500 Venue rates per day in London
Candidate numbers per venueTypical rateMaximum rate 1 to 15£750£950 Up to 30£2,000£3,000 31 to 60£2,500£3,000 61 to 100£2,500£3,500
3.3 What you will need to make a funding claim for alternative venues You will need to retain evidence to support your claim, for example by sourcing a range of quotes. When booking rooms for over 100 candidates, you must get three quotes to confirm value for money and submit these as part of your claim. You will also need to provide an explanation should you not select the lowest quote. We have set out an illustrative table of costs in section 3.2 of this guidance and we would not generally expect costs to fall outside these ranges unless there are exceptional circumstances. To assess this, we will ask you to confirm the largest number of candidates using the venue in a single exam for each day that you claim. If you acted in collaboration with other schools or colleges, then the school or college that made the arrangement and paid for the venue will be able to enter a claim through the DfE exam support service. Examples of acceptable venue costs evidence include:
final invoices for venue hire
invoices for cleaning or set up (where necessary)
quotes for venue costs over DfE’s illustrative costs