Help do I have to pay for exams if my son leaves before AS levels

[rosemary1967]

My son has decided that he wants to leave school, he is in first year of his A levels I have rang and informed most of the people I think I am supposed to and he has gone in and filled in a form got it signed by his teachers and handed back his books. He wants to do an apprenticeship instead but hasn't got one yet but has applied for quite a few. Now the school have said that they have just sent off his exam entries so we will have to pay for them. Is this correct, can they make us do this as it is so far away from when he would be taking them and we phoned them as soon as he decided he could not continue with them. They were really nasty to him and shouted at him saying who did he think was going to pay. They had not mentioned it to me on the phone earlier when I rang to ask the procedure. We are going to be so stretched anyway as now that he has left my Child benefit and FTC will be stopped at least until we register him with the agency they specify which wont accept him until he is off the school role. They apparently will stop my family tax credit for all my children until they have reassessed it all. I have four in total but I do work full time and always have bwt not scrounging honest. Now on top of this the school are saying I will have to pay over £100 in exam fees. Please can anyone tell me if this is true or right. Apparently they only just sent them off but my daughters friend left a few weeks ago and didn't pay anything. My son found it hard enough today waiting around to have to get the form signed and having to give up without them shouting at him I feel so angry. Please does anyone know anything about this.

[honeysucklejasmine]

They've done entries already?!

Most exams are less than £20. You can look them up on the exam board websites, if your son knows them.

School sound horrible.

[honeysucklejasmine]

You used to be able to cancel them with no penalty provided you give enough notice.

Ring school, ask to speak to exams officer.

[rosemary1967]

It was the exams officer that I spoke to but she is the same lady who messed up my daughters exam last year (as my daughter is disabled and they didn't give her her extra time thanks to this lady messing up) I ended up complaining and the school had to have her results boosted. So I think she is doing this deliberately as she was so foul on the phone. She said she would have to find out how much it was and get back to me later and they would have to see if the teachers knew if he was thinking of doing an apprenticeship if so they would have to pay for them. Surely they can get a refund as they apparently only sent them off a few days ago.I have never heard of this before. Also how can they make us pay, he has left and he has his GCSE certs. Would they summons us?

[AugustRose]

They can't charge you for entries as they won't have done them yet if the exams are next summer, the AQA site states February as the last date, any entries after that are non-refundable. I think she is just being nasty.

[titchy]

There is no way they will have made exam entries for next summer yet. Tell them you'll need to see a copy of him entry form and confirmation of the cancellation fee from the boards before you pay anything.

[rosemary1967]

Hi AugustRose, that's what my daughter said as she said that they have to send a copy of the entries to us to check first and I remember doing that for hers. I haven't received anything for his yet as its still so early. They made him jump through hoops today waiting round for teachers and saying that he had to come back tomorrow and wednesday to get two final signatures before finally admitting that the subject heads could sign for the two that weren't in. He had to go to finance and pay 10p off his lunch account also they were that petty. Perhaps I should have continued to waste everyone's time by sending him for the rest of the year when he just doesn't want to be there and wants to get an apprenticeship. Thanks for that good advice titchy, I have a feeling that she is lying and just wants to cause trouble for us because she had a complaint against her over my daughters exam. Asking them for actual proof may make her consider what she is threatening. When I asked why they hadn't told me about the exam costs when I first phoned she said " they obviously didn't tell you about me " She is really horrible.

[mummytime]

My DD dropped out in January/February last year and there was no question of having to pay as they hadn't entered anyone for exams yet (she had glandular fever).
I would request a fully itemised invoice if they insist on paying, complete with exam boards and candidate numbers etc. Then you can double check for cancellation charges etc.
I knew one school which was in financial difficulties which over charged parents massively for resits (basically charged a fee for room hire and moderators), my DCs school just charged the basic exam fee if necessary.

[rosemary1967]

Was wondering if maybe email to the principle may do some good expressing how disappointed I am in the way they have treated my son. Also mentioning that I would like details of the exam boards their charges copies of the invoices and the date from which they refuse a refund I suspect it is February too. They have messed him about from day one in his A Levels insisting that he do four when he only had the results for three and the other subjects that he was able to do where not on the correct timetable. They kept him waiting for three weeks to start one subject and then told him that he couldn't do it because of a timetable clash. Some days he went in for registration then home till 2 oclock for his first lesson of the day. Then they made him do science as a fourth A level when he didn't want to as they said he would not have enough ucas points for university if he didn't and so couldn't do anything if he didn't take it. He has never wanted to go to university and told them that but it was all or nothing so he had to start science three weeks late and has been unable to keep up and catch up with the course work. I am just so sick of being pushed around by the school. They are fine if you are very academic as my two girls are but if you are normal they done want you there.

[noblegiraffe]

Estimated entries have to be submitted to the exam boards by 10th October, these are not a commitment to anything and the school won't have paid anything.

Final exam entries don't have to be done till 21st Feb and even withdrawals after that up to 21st April will be refunded.

Laugh in their face if they ask you for cash!