GCSE retake results - mistake/query??

[Stressedout1980]

Hopeful someone can advise.

My daughter was entered into the English and maths retake GCSE’s in November. After sitting her first English and maths exam, she was then contacted by the college to inform she had to isolate due to the child next to her having a positive Covid test. Therefore she completed 50% of the English exam and 33% of the maths exams, enough for a compensatory grade to be given. Results day today and she has been given a maths grade but an ‘ungraded’ for English. She has been given no score for paper 1 and no compensatory grade overall. I’ve Contacted the exam board who said she should and the college needs to appeal, college said she can just carry on with classes and get a grade in June, Ofqual said complain if the college do not respond but we still have no idea what has happened to her paper and what she might have scored!! The D of E have confirmed having to isolate is a special circumstance Any advice?

When you say "school" have said she can carry on who was it in school?

You need to speak to the exams officer, and ask why she hasn't received a mark for the first paper for English.

But a teacher won't necessarily know this or know what to do (they might just think she failed).

It was the exams officer, the same one I contacted to ensure the paperwork had been completed to the exam board so she would receive -
Compensatory grade. I have done just that, and they said they don’t know. I asked them to check with the board and that’s when they said she can just carry in with classes and receive a grade in June. When I’m contacted the board they said they had no idea what has happened and the college (apologies not school) should submit an enquiry.

Escalate to the college - ask to speak to the Head of English. This is a reasonably simple admin error - but there are strict deadlines. If you do not get any joy there - go above Vice Principal or above. Good Luck

Why on earth would the college not want to investigate? Is your DD the only one who didn't get a grade or have others missed out too?

Did the exam board have a record of her paper? Getting a U instead of an X suggests that they have something from her.

I have escalated as high as I can today and now have a 1 line email saying they will contact the exam board. The ‘ungraded’ is what’s worrying me. I would find it hard to believe she went from a 3 to ungraded and the fact there is no score for the paper (like there was for her maths with a different exam board). Even if she scored 1/80 on the first paper. I have asked about the 2 student in the room with her as they also would have missed the second exam

Was she with Edexcel? If so, the school will have access to her paper online immediately, if it's there.

No it was AQA. Edexcel was maths and that’s fine. There was a special circumstances appeal about her missing the second exam due to having to isolate which the college says has been rejected. But the d if e has said students can not be penalised for that

The not getting a score for the first paper even though she sat it is weird and the college saying not to bother and just continue with classes is also weird!

Keep chasing as something's gone wrong and they should be able to fix it.

There is probably a simple admin error somewhere, the exams officer should be able to sort it for you all.

@noblegiraffe - thanks. I will continue chasing so there is a paper trail

@MiddleClassMother that’s what I thought at first until there was a complete reluctance to address it until now after I have spent all afternoon speaking to AQA, the D of E, Ofqual and feeding back what they said

Oh no! I hope you get it sorted soon OP.

So a small update....she passed! AQA admitted losing the paper and then locating it, and after marking she’d passed!! No more English classes 😀

Good news! Glad they found the paper, and bet the school feel stupid for trying to brush you off earlier.

That's really good news - well done!