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WWYD Gcse advice please.

9 replies

chickydoo · 08/09/2011 14:16

Any advice much appreciated, will try to be brief.
Big family trip in October, we are all joining a group to volunteer in a school in Africa, also travelling around. Has been over a year in planning. Ds who is 16 wanted to come, he misses only 1 day of school, as the trip is in his half term holidays. I found out the day we land he has his Gcse English paper. we have exactly 2 hours to get him from airport to exam room. If the plane is delayed he will miss the exam. ( he will be jet lagged anyway) His school have said our only option is for him to sit it in the summer, with the re-sit students. WWYD. If I cancel trip for him it will be an opportunity missed. Also have paid 2k for him, and the same for each member of the family, insurance company wouldn't pay out, as not illness etc.
Any help and ideas much appreciated

OP posts:

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grovel · 08/09/2011 15:16

Let him do it in the summer.

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JordanBaker · 08/09/2011 15:54

What grovel said.

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PonceyMcPonce · 08/09/2011 15:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mumeeee · 08/09/2011 17:42

Let him do it in the summer.

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Talker2010 · 08/09/2011 20:20

Depends what his grade potential is

If he is a C- grade ... let him sit and then re-take

If be is a B+ grade ... wait until the summer

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balia · 08/09/2011 20:32

It really isn't as simple as 'take it in the summer'.

Can you get some clarification from the school? He can't do a resit of the November paper in the summer as November is the last time that exam is available. If he takes an English exam in the summer, it will have to be the new specification exam, either English or both English Language and English Literature. That means all the coursework he has already done would have to be binned and he would have to do Controlled Assessments - which presumably his class aren't doing. In fairness, that would be quite a headache for the school; they can't set up a separate class to prepare just one student for an exam. You need to go and have a face to face meeting with his english teacher or HOD and get a clear picture of the implications of this for DS before making a decision.

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Talker2010 · 08/09/2011 21:03

In fairness, that would be quite a headache for the school; they can't set up a separate class to prepare just one student for an exam

They would have to prepare all the others that failed to get a C in the November as well ... ime there would be 1 or 2 classes taking in the summer after an early entry

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balia · 08/09/2011 21:33

That's true - I was thinking of it in terms of the OP's DS not really being up for taking the exam (either from jet lag or delay - and let's face it, he's not going to be able to spend half-term revising like everyone else, is he?) so from now until January (when the results come out) what are the school going to do with him? And I suppose the answer to that is prepare him as best they can in the hope he gets to the exam room on time.

So I guess it depends on the grade DS is likely/needs to get? If he is an A candidate, he is going to be in a class with students who failed to get a C.

Please don't think I'm saying the trip doesn't sound fantastic, because it does - I just think the OP should have a clear picture of the consequences for her DS.

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chickydoo · 09/09/2011 18:55

Thanks so much for all your advice, i am meeting with the school next week to decide what is our best course of action.
Fingers crossed it all works out ok.