DD not given extra time in gcse exam

[Hairyfairy01]

DD took her first gcse exam, having been assessed and granted extra time. This extra time was not provided on the day. To be fair to the school they have admitted that it was their error. They are going to put in a special circumstances form. As I understand it the maximum 'extra' they can provide is 5% - but this is in really extreme circumstances ie death. Realistically does anyone work for an exam board and could give me an idea on what will happen? An additional 1 or 2%?

I would write a very stern letter to the head of exams in the school asking them to review their policies and procedures. Sounds like they don't really know what they are meant to do. My school has 240 pupils and yet I feel they have an idea who is meant to have what.
Obviously if she didn't query it that's one thing, we are not mind readers, but the fact she did and it wasn't followed up is not ideal.

Which will not be allowed in the exam room - if she tries to take something like that in, it's malpractice.

The school will have to report their maladministration now, so I'd anticipate that their systems will be tightened up.

If this happens again they can still give the extra time as long as the paper and your DD are continually supervised while they check. So one invigilator stays with her and the paper while another goes and speaks to the exam officer.

I really feel for your DD, she spoke up which not every student does - they don't want to make a fuss in front of their peers and second guess themselves.

@MrsHamlet

No it's not

She'll just show it before the exam starts then put it away and bring it out if required

Where I work, the pupils entitled to extra time have sat together in the same exam room but apart from the other pupils. They are aware that this will happen so if their name card isn't where the other pupils with extra time are sitting, it can be sorted out before the exam starts.

See if you can find out what happens if a normal-length exam is cut short by a fifth, eg by a fire alarm.

If that gets more than 2% then I think you have a good case to argue disability discrimination.

That wouldn’t be JCQ compliant so wouldn’t be allowed in the room.

Having it on her person would be against JCQ regs.

It really is. Pupils cannot take anything into the exam hall except their writing equipment in a clear pencil case.

When this happens the exam is only paused, students are held in exam conditions and then return to their exam venue when they can re-enter the building, so exam time isn’t lost but split into two sections. Looking at JCQ this would typically gain the cohort a maximum uplift of 1%.

I’d write to the head and copy in the governors, and I’d ask what they intend to do to guarantee your daughter receives the additional time she is entitled to.

It’s lucky she intended to resit anyway, because just suggesting a child does an extra exam due to their incompetence really isn’t the one.

I don’t think any child should get extra time in an exam.

Thus ensuring that children with slow processing fail everything so can't progress in life?
Extra time only helps where it is needed. Most DC wouldn't benefit as exam lengths are sensible.

So they get their full time allowance and 1%. That seems more favourable.

Is there any rule for cases where the exam just can’t continue? That would be the closest case.

The children who progress slowly should be given additional support to get them to the highest level they can be before an exam. Disguising their true exam results does them no favours in the long run and simply sets them up for failure in the future.

In what way does it set anyone up for failure in the future? My husband had extra time due to having a physical disability which meant he has a slow writing speed, can you suggest ways in which he could revise away his disability?

Absolute rubbish.
Exams are a test of attainment. They are meant to be a test of speed. Giving extra time allows certain DC to show what they can do.
Note people aren't daft. If they have slower processing they won't choose to go into a job that requires critical instantaneous decisions.
Allowing DC to show what they know in an exam is setting them up for success, not failure!

Also, all the extra time in the world makes zero difference if you can't actually answer the question.

Exams are designed to measure ability and learning. Not everyone will reach the same level in all areas of assessment for a variety of reasons.

We seem to have become fearful of competition in this country which leads to this desire to pretend that everyone is of equal ability in all areas. I’m really not sure that is in any way helpful.

I disagree unless of course such individuals are very open about the facts with regard to job applications etc.

I don’t believe you answered my questions. How would by husband learn away his physical disability? How will extra time set anyone up for failure?

People generally won't want to do jobs they are going to fail at.
If say a medic has slow processing they might be fine in orthopaedics but not right for A&E.
Do you have any experience of SEN?

You can’t relate exams to the real world anyway. No writer is ever asked to write a ‘compelling’ story in 45 minutes to a given prompt of a rubbish photo with no access to a dictionary or any research.

Ability and learning

Precisely.

So someone with slower processing or handwriting needs the extra time to show their level of ability and learning.

It's not that hard to comprehend surely?

So a dyslexic child against a NT child is a fair and level playing field? They can both show their abilities in a 1 hour exam even though the dyslexic child may have spent 50% more time reading the questions than the NT child?

Give over, what next paralympians competing next to able bodied olympians as they don't need any adjustments it's just that not everyone will reach the same level of achievement. Forgetting the fact that not many paralympians will make the Olympics due to the fact that they have a disability.