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Original poster

To be beyond livid about this exam cockup

68 replies

pouffepants · 14/05/2013 20:14

Ds pointed out to the teacher when the timetable came, that for biology he had an 'f' next to his name indicating foundation tier. All the other papers were at higher tier. He and one other boy had the same mistake.
They were assured it was a typo.

Fast forward to today, and he's been given foundation paper, despite doing all the higher work, and taking higher mocks and getting b's. He tried to argue it, but was yelled at and told to do it. It was obviously easier but was work he hasn't done, or revised for, so he thinks he probably hasn't even got a 'c'.

This is the end of a long line of cockups by the school. What can we do?

OP posts:
BehindLockNumberNine · 14/05/2013 22:01

Uhm, I really, honestly, don't think that the invigilator had a grudge from the football match. I really, honestly can't see it. Invigilators (at the school where I used to work) had to be professional and accountable at all times. And we were never allowed to take a final decision when it came to what tier paper a pupil took. If there was a query we'd immediately summon a teacher /head of subject.

Also, there are always more than one invigilator at every exam so if an argument had broken out or she had been shouting at your ds then other invigilators would have been there like a shot!

MadamFolly · 14/05/2013 22:03

Deffo kick up an enormous fuss at the school.

Loshad · 14/05/2013 22:09

If this was today, which the op appears to indicate it was, then the difference in biology between higher and foundation tiers is tiny in terms of content. So i am afraid his comment that he hadn't revised it just does not wash - he would have needed the same content, and not much more for the higher tier, the difference is in the difficulty of the questions. Does not mean that he shouldn't be annoyed if there was an error and he was assured that he was sitting higher tier.
Was there no one from the science department there to help start the exam off, in most schools you would expect the programme/subject leader to be there to sort out such issues.

bigbluebus · 14/05/2013 22:10

DSs school sent the exam entry home to be checked. It was so complicated with all the codes for various modules and codes for applying for final grading that you needed to be an Exam Officer to understand it. I tried to look at it with DS but he just gave up and said it would be fine Hmm. I happened to bump into one of his peer group's Mum in town, who said she had spent 1 1/2 hrs checking her son's entries. I came home and had another look at it, only to discover that DS had been entered for a Foundation paper for Geography, instead of Higher (no where in the instructions/notes did it say that a suffix of F was Foundation or H was Higher - although it is obvious now I know the sysytem!!!). Fortunately DS was able to sort it out even though we had passed the deadline stated in the letter for alterations.

I wasn't aware that you could change papers on the day - I thought you had to sit the paper you had been entered for. But I did also think that if you had studied for the higher paper, then you should still be able to pass the Foundation paper as the syllabus is the same, but just more detailed for the Higher, so if you are not making the grade for the H paper, they can just enter you for F paper to give you a better chance of a C pass grade

MrsLouisTheroux · 14/05/2013 22:12

Madam:Deffo kick up an enormous fuss at the school.
Yeh, go in and kick ass.

FFS Hmm

HollyBerryBush · 14/05/2013 22:14

Papers can be changed on the day. The start of the exam can be deferred an hour whilst the mess is sorted out.

Google JCQ ICE book - its all in there. It's a PDF so I cant link it because I'm a bit thick

kim147 · 14/05/2013 22:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mrsjay · 14/05/2013 22:18

are you in scotland ? he was probably entered into foundation because of his nab results maybe it isn't a typo If you are not in scotland I have no clue sorry

CurlyhairedAssassin · 14/05/2013 22:21

This exact same thing happened to 2 boys in the school where I work today. The boy that told me has worked so hard the past couple of years that he had been moved up a set in most subjects and put in for higher tier papers etc. he told me that he had seen the mistake on the exam list but was assured that it would be corrected by today and when he came to sit the exam he was given the foundation tier. The daft thing just sat it withoit saying anything as he thought he might do better doing the foundation in the biology as its his weakest subject and he can do better on the higher tiers in the other sciences and so get a higher mark overall for his combined science. I just hope he knows what he's doing - I'm just support staff and he was just chatting to me afterwards - but I told him to always question it with the invigilators and subject teacher present in future and also to speak to the head of dept now to find out how it happened.

He told me that the other boy raised it in the exam room but was told it was right.?????

Assuming that we're not talking about the same boys and school, Pouffe, it seems like this must be a very common thing?

I hope you sort it out - definitely ring and speak to both the head of department and exams officer and possibly the head of year if you don't get any joy with them. I would be angry too.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 14/05/2013 22:24

It's no good saying "they''ll get a C so it's ok" if you need higher than that to go on to A-levels. Livid for these kid it happens to.

ReluctantlyBeingYoniMassaged · 14/05/2013 22:27

A grade c on the foundation paper may not be accepted by some colleges/unis.

WakeyCakey · 14/05/2013 22:28

I would think that the main problem is that you have a maximum grade in the foundation papers.
I did foundation science and the highest grade you could get was a C.
There was no different content, just an easier paper, in fact I think the questions were all in the same order as the higher paper but it was simpler answers, with a huge amount of the questions being identical.

It would be a massive shame for him to be on track for a B but only capable of getting a C because the school messed up!
I would kick off!

cumfy · 14/05/2013 22:30

I'm probably being a bit thick here, but won't the paper he's sitting have been determined by prior marks ?

Why therefore is it not a question of checking previous marks ?

WakeyCakey · 14/05/2013 22:30

Reluctantly
a C is a C, it makes no difference whether that was achieved on a foundation or higher paper as they are worked out a different way.

threepiecesuite · 14/05/2013 22:36

This happens more frequently now that the class teachers cannot be present in the exam venue. The science teacher is the person who can get to the bottom of this (and might face a bollocking).

cumfy · 14/05/2013 22:37

Would be rather "coincidental" Curly. Wink

CurlyhairedAssassin · 14/05/2013 23:21

Pouffe, give me a clue - is Mr R the science teacher or the headmaster?

Slavetominidictator · 15/05/2013 02:07

If teacher thought was typo, he should have checked with exam officer...... Error could be teacher's, head of department's or exam officer's. One person whose error it is not is ds.
Invigilators are generally not trained, unused to working with kids and sometimes (generalising massively) revert to the 'do as I say' approach they will have had at school, rather than listening to kids. I'm not blaming - I'm head of year 11 and I would hate to try and deal with a hall full of super tense 16 year olds I hadn't met before.... And subject teachers are allowed in the room - we aren't allowed to give pep talks anymore but we are there for this exact reason, to iron out technical problems (and be a reassuring, familiar presence).
I would call head first thing tomorrow to plan damage limitation. School will be horrified.

Original poster
pouffepants · 15/05/2013 07:50

Mr R is the science teacher.
The head is Mr S.

OP posts:
Mumof3men · 15/05/2013 08:01

OP, hope you manage to sort it today. Do come back and tell us what happens x

Original poster
pouffepants · 15/05/2013 08:05

I've emailed Mr R and Mr S, and also left phone messages with reception and head of community, so just waiting for a response now.

OP posts:
Wishfulmakeupping · 15/05/2013 08:06

I'd be fuming if my understanding of foundation papers is right c is the highest he can possibly get if he's been studying a higher level he's been robbed of the chance to apply that information and earn a higher grade. I'd be going nuclear at the school today

Original poster
pouffepants · 15/05/2013 08:11

It's not just the fact he can only get a c, which is bad enough.
It's that I don't know if it can be combined with the higher tier papers that he's taken in Physics and Chemistry. Does it void the whole lot?

OP posts:
kim147 · 15/05/2013 08:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 15/05/2013 09:21

Not the same school then! Worrying that it sounds so common. I hope you get it sorted.

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