My DD suffers from exam anxiety. She in year 11 and on her 3rd set of mocks, she gets so stressed out and doesn't eat or sleep during exam periods. She is capable of 8's and 9's but as she panics and doesn't write much she has been predicted 5's and 6's which is just about enough to get her on to a BTEC. Therefore I have told her these don't matter too much because they are more a practice for how they work rather than the actual grades, but she is still stressed out by the whole procedure.
The last round in January they sat her at the back of the hall which she much preferred and also allowed her rest breaks when needed. Today she was sat at the front of the hall and not given rest breaks which made her more anxious as she had no option to leave the hall.
I have just phoned the school and last time round as the exams were in house they could give her rest breaks but as she has no significant SEN she will not be entitled to rest breaks for the real GCSE's and if she was entitled she has to use them. In the last lot of mocks just knowing there was an option to leave if necessary was all she needed and actually she only took the rest breaks in 2 out of 18 exams. Often when she is in the moment of writing and thinking she doesn't need them but other times she will. It isn't that I don't believe the school but if this is the case I worry she will worry even more.
I am cross that I have only found out now that she will not get these breaks for the real exams.
She is absolutely scared stiff of 16 more exams without no option to leave if she needs it. I thought these rest breaks (just knowing she could leave if necessary) were going to make it so much easier for her.
Just wanted to check that the school is right and is it worth me appealing or is it set in stone that the rest breaks HAVE to be used. If this is so it is no good because she doesn't need them all the time and knowing she has to use them is just as stressful as not having them at all!!