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son had his mobile phone in GCSE biology

211 replies

Applecheeks · 05/06/2015 17:22

Three minutes before the end of my sons Biology paper today his mobile phone rang. It was in his pocket. He forgot he had it despite usual prompt at the beginning to hand any mobiles in. He didn't answer it, Invigilator took it off him. He was then interviewed after asked had he intended to cheat etc. My son is chaotic and disorganised. The school rang me to inform and explain that they would submit an incident report. My son is in pieces , angry at himself. I am hoping someone may have had experience. I have read the guidelines on the website of the exam board. This suggests he will receive a penalty of either a warning, lose of points on a unit or the paper, disqualification of this GCSE or ultimately of all he has taken under this board. That would be five GCSEs. I'm so angry with him but that's not helping so trying to stay calm. Clearly it's a breach of the rules but the website doesn't help me work out which penalty is likely as it is judged case by case

OP posts:
stonecircle · 09/06/2015 07:57

I don't know what invigilation is like elsewhere, but where I have done it I just can't see how it would be possible to cheat using a mobile phone with invigilators seated on stage looking down on the hall, invigilators stationed at various points around the hall and walking up and down the rows.

Really, it's just amazing what people forget when they're stressed and nervous and how easy it is to switch off when you've heard stuff loads of times - does anyone other than a first time flier really listed to the safety talk before a plane takes off?

noblegiraffe · 09/06/2015 07:50

I had a student a few years ago who was found to have bits of paper on them. They didn't appear to be revision notes.

Their marks for that paper were cancelled.

ReallyTired · 09/06/2015 07:40

Lots of child have all kinds of bits of paper in their blazers. Ds blazer has about ten pockets.

Sandpipernest · 09/06/2015 07:26

The kids don't have bags in the exam room. A mobile phone went off when I invigilated in 2004. The child was given a written warning and their marks did stand.

Which was in the time before smartphones. The main issue with phones i scheating - internet access! It is exactly like taking in revision notes!

Bunbaker · 09/06/2015 06:57

"What should happen to a child who accidently takes revision notes into an exam?"

At DD's school they have to put their bags into their lockers prior to the exam. They only take clear pencil cases into the room with them, so it would be difficult to smuggle revision notes in.

CamelHump · 09/06/2015 06:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SallyMcgally · 09/06/2015 02:15

I think everyone recognises that he shouldn't have had the phone and should have some kind of punishment, but that people do make mistakes and he was unlikely to be intending to cheat, otherwise he'd have turned the thing off.

passthewineplz · 09/06/2015 01:20

And re the comments about the phone going off and being distrating, yes there is that issue but also the issue it can be used to cheat,

passthewineplz · 09/06/2015 01:18

I'm absolutely amazed at the majority of the responses on this thread.

I've just recently sat a GCSE. The inviglators ask for all mobile phones to be handed in. And irritate this several times, as well as the consequences of mobile phones going off during the exam - i.e if a candidates mobile phone rings they will be disqualified.

DS would have had several warnings, and the opportunity to hand his phone in. I feel he's learned a valuable lesson in life, either hand your phone in, turn it off, or listen to your teachers.

SallyMcgally · 09/06/2015 01:01

Agree with stonecircle. It's not as if there's ever silence in an exam room. Invigilators walk up and down, people cough a lot, people cry and jiggle. When I sat Maths O level a bloody wood pigeon cooed outside all the way through. A mobile phone going off three minutes before the end should not be that big a deal. I was once on an exam board where we had to read a plea for mitigation from a student who couldn't concentrate because a drop of water fell on his head. There was v little sympathy and no mitigation. I think it's comparable. I also think the poor OP is anxious enough without recriminations for how her son distracted a whole exam hall.

ReallyTired · 08/06/2015 23:33

The kids don't have bags in the exam room. A mobile phone went off when I invigilated in 2004. The child was given a written warning and their marks did stand.

CamelHump · 08/06/2015 23:29

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ReallyTired · 08/06/2015 23:16

The staff write a report and then the board decides. At least he wasn't updating Facebook. I am hoping he gets a slap over the wrists and that his marks stand.

CamelHump · 08/06/2015 23:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ReallyTired · 08/06/2015 22:56

It's possible to access the Internet with a smartphone. There is a difference between the annoyance of the phone going off and a child using the Internet to find out the exam answer.

What should happen to a child who accidently takes revision notes into an exam? That is easily done. A smartphone is a set of revision notes.

ReallyTired · 08/06/2015 22:53

They do make a judgement call and that is why the child gets a chance to explain himself and school submits a report. I hope the young man gets away with a formal warning. Whatever you think of him taking a phone it must be sheer hell not knowing what is going to happen next.

CamelHump · 08/06/2015 22:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CamelHump · 08/06/2015 22:40

This reply has been deleted

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stonecircle · 08/06/2015 22:31

I'm really sorry Applecheeks - the penalties seem completely out of proportion to the offence, not to mention the stress to a student of waiting to hear what their punishment will be.

stonecircle · 08/06/2015 22:29

*" Quite frankly, a phone ringing would be no more distracting to me than people walking past my desk regularly."

But you aren't the stressed out student sitting the exam.*

No, but I've done a hell of a lot of exams and have 3 grown up/almost grown up children so have a fairly good idea of what causes stress in an exam room - and what doesn't.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 08/06/2015 20:43

Oh it would be bloody PPI
Really hope it all works out for your DS Applecheeks and he gets what he needs for his next steps into college - I'm sure he will
Hope he's OK too x

Bakeoffcake · 08/06/2015 20:05

Bloody PPIAngry

Hope he gets his college place Applecheeks.

Coconutty · 08/06/2015 19:50

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PerspicaciaTick · 08/06/2015 16:35

Bloody PPI.

LineRunner · 08/06/2015 16:25

Bloody hell, Apple, I really do feel for you both.

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