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Original poster

How do I address this ridiculous mock timetable?

94 replies

MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 20:35

Ds1 is doing GSCE mocks starting on the 7th Jan. He has 25% extra time due to processing difficulties and attention deficit. He works hard though and has been revising his socks off this holiday.

I've gone through the exam timetable properly today and I'm fuming! I've realised that on his first day of exams he has 3 exams roughly 2 hours in length with a 10 min break between the first 2 and then a 5 min break (which is also including lunch) for his third exam. I just don't know how he can perform to any standard under these conditions. I don't think I could concentrate for 6 hours with 15 minutes of break and little or no time to eat/ go toilet. The timetable has clearly not taken the children with special needs/ extra time into consideration. It seems mad to give them extra time and then punish them for it.

I know it will never be like this for the real exams as mocks are over 1 week and GSCEs are not, but I'm worried that he's going to perform very badly and that will undermine his self confidence and the hard work he's put in. I assume offers for 6th form will also go on predicted grades from the mocks?

What can I do? I'm so angry so I'm not going to do anything tonight, but please help... 🙏

OP posts:
Original poster
MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 21:43

@cloudtree, he usually sits exams in a different room. He did GCSE RE a year early last year but of course, it wasn't 'normal' so was timed assessments but they were all in normal classrooms (as opposed to the gym). These seem to be scheduled in the gym so that side of things is also a bit confusing along with the short breaks.

OP posts:
Original poster
MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 21:39

Thanks so much everyone. I feel calmer and like this can be sorted! I appreciate your help.

OP posts:
Original poster
MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 21:36

@EducatingArti, that's very interesting. I think maybe we should find a tutor that could do this for Ds1.

OP posts:
VikingNorthUtsire · 26/12/2021 21:34

Mocks are really, really hard to schedule. Getting the right kids into the right number of rooms with enough invigilators and without disrupting other year groups is a real logistics challenge. Much much harder than running real exams.

I suspect that they just haven't noticed how crazy your DS's timetable is. Phone on the first day back and speak to his HoY and/or the exams officer. I am sure they will do whatever they can to help find a solution.

Hercisback · 26/12/2021 21:33

I would never say it to the students! It's just learned experience that students really don't seem to use the extra time in maths.

EducatingArti · 26/12/2021 21:28

[quote Hercisback]@EducatingArti
11 years as a maths teacher and seeing students in mock exams. They rarely use the extra time in maths.

Yes they are fully entitled to it in everything. Just in my experience it isn't used much in maths. If it is used its an extra 5-10 mins and not the full entitlement. I know this isn't the same as other subjects.[/quote]
I tutor maths and have a high proportion of students with SEND issues. I spend a lot of time showing them where they are likely to make errors because of their additional needs and encouraging them/training them how to spend the extra time to mitigate against this. I'd be furious if someone suggested that they didn't need the extra time for maths.
I guess we are looking at it from different ends of the process though.

Hercisback · 26/12/2021 21:26

2 days is ages in school time, just to reassure you. They will have a solution, come back to us if they don't!

wonderstuff · 26/12/2021 21:24

We don’t put students with ET in a separate room automatically, we don’t have the space to.

If you had actual exams with those breaks a student could take one later in the day. Definitely speak with the school, presumably your son won’t be the only one affected around 15% of our kids get extra time.

cloudtree · 26/12/2021 21:24

You don’t get a separate room automatically just because you get extra time. It’s a completely different exemption.

What are his exemptions and his normal way of working?

Ds2 gets extra time, ds1 gets breaks and can use a laptop.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 26/12/2021 21:24

Actually the schools exam officer shoukd have picked this up first and seen your ds before the timetable came out.

Original poster
MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 21:22

Thanks. I'll have 2 days to sort it! The bad day is on 7th Jan!

OP posts:
Hercisback · 26/12/2021 21:21

Get in touch with school when they go back and raise the issue of extra time and students breaks etc. They will have a solution somehow.

Original poster
MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 21:20

No, he doesn't have an EHCP. I thought they were trying to narrow the gap on SEND!?

OP posts:
Original poster
MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 21:18

[quote Hercisback]@EducatingArti
11 years as a maths teacher and seeing students in mock exams. They rarely use the extra time in maths.

Yes they are fully entitled to it in everything. Just in my experience it isn't used much in maths. If it is used its an extra 5-10 mins and not the full entitlement. I know this isn't the same as other subjects.[/quote]
That might be true. The issue is mostly between Physics and History though. He can take quite a while to process the physics questions and figure out what he actually needs to use to answer it.

OP posts:
Hercisback · 26/12/2021 21:17

@MerryMarigold Being in a different room is a separate exam consideration. If he has an EHCP he should qualify automatically (check with exams officer/senco for latest guidance). Extra time alone doesn't need a different room anymore.

Original poster
MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 21:14

@cloudtree, should they not put extra time children in a different room? I'm also going to ask about that as it says he is in the gym so I'm wondering if he will be disrupted.

If the worst comes to the worst, I will directly contact the teachers to let him know the conditions he's taken their exam under. It's not fair on their effort to teach him either. It must be sad to see a student get a lower grade than you'd hoped for them.

OP posts:
Hercisback · 26/12/2021 21:13

@EducatingArti
11 years as a maths teacher and seeing students in mock exams. They rarely use the extra time in maths.

Yes they are fully entitled to it in everything. Just in my experience it isn't used much in maths. If it is used its an extra 5-10 mins and not the full entitlement. I know this isn't the same as other subjects.

cloudtree · 26/12/2021 21:11

With ds2 (extra time) he sometimes starts the final exam later than everyone else. That way he gets extra time but can’t cheat.

Other leaving the exam room is disruptive though

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 26/12/2021 21:09

If they get extra time they get it for everything including Maths and any NEA.

Why would they not need it?

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 26/12/2021 21:07

With clashes it is possible for there to be three exams in one day

Yes with clashes. But students are isolated if there are clashes and sit another exam at another time.

EducatingArti · 26/12/2021 21:06

@Hercisback

He's unlikely to need extra time in maths, especially with the formula sheet.

History he probably will need the extra writing time.

Physics it depends on his strengths and how wordy the exams are. He will have a formula sheet for that too.

How on earth can you say he is unlikely to need the extra time for maths! There are all sorts of information processing issues that require students to work more slowly and take extra care to make sure they have understood the question correctly. In addition they will need to take more care over their recording of method and calculations. It can be very easy for them to mis-copy an answer from one part to the next.
Original poster
MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 21:02

Ahhh, thanks @noblegiraffe, that's worth knowing. Yes, maybe he can sit physics another time to allow a decent break. I can but ask. They may not allow as he could obviously ask friends about the paper.

OP posts:
FrippEnos · 26/12/2021 21:01

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

Also, GCSE don’t have 3 exams in one day ever. So not sure why he is. They have a morning one and an afternoon one. The school aren’t doing much for the welfare of the students with tiny break times.
With clashes it is possible for there to be three exams in one day.

The other option to taking three in one day is for arrangements to be made for where the pupils stay overnight and they take the exam in the morning.

This happened to us just before covid.

Hercisback · 26/12/2021 21:00

We do 3 exams in one day for mocks, it's the only way to get them all in 2 weeks.

For the real exams there can be 3 in one day if you have an exam clash but it is unlikely.

FrippEnos · 26/12/2021 20:58

the exam timetables for 2022 are already out

filestore.aqa.org.uk/admin/t_table_pdf/AQA-TT-GCSE-JUN22-CONFIRMED.PDF

If you talk to the exams officer they should be able to give you a version that relates directly to the school

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