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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aaargh! Chemistry fuck up - what to do?

163 replies

UsedtobeFeckless · 06/05/2017 23:50

Right - long story short ... DS has his GCSEs in a couple of weeks and apparently 25% of the Chemistry marks ride on three practical assessments which they are supposed to have done already. DS missed one of his due to being part of the band in the school musical extravaganza thing - he told his teacher he couldn't be there and she said no problem, she'd reschedule it ...

He found out on Friday the tests have already been sent of for marking. He's panicking and I'm well pissed off with the school.

Is there anything we can do at this stage or is it just a case of resigning himself to a worse mark. I want to take it up with the school - she told him she'd let him know when he could do it then posted the fucking things off without giving him a chance. It's really unfair!

OP posts:
CircleofWillis · 06/05/2017 23:57

Surely his assessment would have to be different to the one already taken otherwise he would have an unfair advantage. I would speak to his reacher myself before I complained as she may have been talking about him sitting a different paper. By now he would have gained full knowledge about what was in the practical exam? IME students are kept separate and sit the paper the same day if they have scheduling issues but still plan to sit the same exam.

MrsCK · 06/05/2017 23:58

Is he doing triple science? Is this also called an isa? If so...you might have a few days to get it done and sent off but I would be on the phone first thing Monday. Why have they left it so late anyway?!

Original poster
UsedtobeFeckless · 07/05/2017 00:05

It's triple science and the thing he missed is a CAU ...

OP posts:
GrimmDays · 07/05/2017 00:13

I think it depends on this. Was the school musical graded as part of a GCSE?

If so school should have sorted out a reschedule of the practical and imo they are responsible and I would be asking for them to file an extenuating circumstances form explaining.

If it wasn't why was he doing a hobby over something that makes up his GCSE grades? A chemistry practical in these circumstances is basically an exam surely?

Becca19962014 · 07/05/2017 00:16

The deadline for submission was 5th May for CAU.

GrimmDays · 07/05/2017 00:16

It's not fair she said she could move it then didn't. It's also not fair to schedule such a big fun thing at the same time as a graded practical. But I stand by something like the practical for a GCSE should be the thing you prioritise.

Original poster
UsedtobeFeckless · 07/05/2017 00:21

It's a school production and it was an actual performance for one of the feeder schools. DS has several solos on stage ( It's We Will Rock You ) he is taking Music Performance as one of his GCSEs. His chemistry teacher was fine with him doing it and said she would reschedule the test. I assume she forgot. I'm very pro teacher normally but this is a bit shoddy and unfair.

OP posts:
Iamastonished · 07/05/2017 00:23

So, a CAU is what used to be known as an ISA?

Why was the band event given priority over what could be 25% of the marks for a GCSE?

Either the teacher cocked up by not letting your son do his assessment at a later date, or someone has made a poor judgement call re the clash between musical event and the controlled assessment.

Original poster
UsedtobeFeckless · 07/05/2017 00:23

What's an extenuating form and is that something the school could do or is it me?

OP posts:
Becca19962014 · 07/05/2017 00:24

Honestly he shouldn't have prioritised the school musical over his exam. It's possible when it came to the teacher requesting it to be redone it was refused because his reason for missing it didn't qualify for it to be redone and they didn't pass that information on.

It appears to be a case of studying the rest of the GCSE and seeing what his grade is. You should mention it to the school Monday, the difficulty with an appeal though would be his reason for missing it - there shouldn't have even been a question over him doing the school musical instead of an exam and on the off chance he's doing music GCSE then it's up to the teachers to make sure contributing work do not clash (I doubt the musical would be part of a GCSE syllabus though). That doesn't exclude the school not telling him he couldn't redo it, but I suspect (don't know) an appeal panel would look at the original reason not the teacher.

Iamastonished · 07/05/2017 00:25

Ah, cross posted. It looks like the school has cocked up either way.

Becca19962014 · 07/05/2017 00:28

A performance for a feeder school shouldn't take priority over his GCSEs. He Could lose a lot of GCSE marks for this. The performance part of his GCSE music could be assessed via other means another time.

I don't think this qualifies as extenuating circumstances, sorry.

If you look up his exam board online then the extenuating circumstances form might be there or ask the school.

Becca19962014 · 07/05/2017 00:29

That's my personal opinion by the way, I've never worked on school exam boards but have taught at higher and further education where such circumstances wouldn't qualify.

Original poster
UsedtobeFeckless · 07/05/2017 00:31

If he'd been told it was either/or and had chosen to bin off the last bit of the practical I'd have no sympathy for his plight either! Point is he was told by the person in charge that it was fine and she would sort out another day for him to do it. He thought it was all fine because the bloody school told him it was all fine!

OP posts:
Becca19962014 · 07/05/2017 00:34

I'm not saying I don't personally have sympathy, that's not what I mean - I was looking at it from a different point of view, that of an appeal board.

What do you mean by 'person in charge' ? I was assuming you meant his teacher. Did he speak to the person in charge of exams at the school? That would definitely make a difference.

Original poster
UsedtobeFeckless · 07/05/2017 00:35

I'll give them a ring on Monday and see what they say ... It does sound like we're fucked, though.

OP posts:
Becca19962014 · 07/05/2017 00:36

It makes a huge difference if it was a teacher who told him it was fine or the person in charge of exams in the school.

There has been a screw up and you need to contact the school for sure.

Original poster
UsedtobeFeckless · 07/05/2017 00:37

I meant his Chemistry teacher. If you're 15 you do sort of assume if your teacher says it's ok then it is.

OP posts:
Becca19962014 · 07/05/2017 00:37

I hope you can sort it, and, I'm sorry for being blunt in my response above.

If it's recorded by the school Monday then it would make appealing much easier instead of waiting until his results are out in August.

Becca19962014 · 07/05/2017 00:40

It sounds like the teacher doesn't know how these exams work then. Definitely speak to the head Monday, at the very least there should be disciplinary action and it should never have happened that he was left like this with no information.

When I did my GCSEs we were always told to go through the exams officer if there were any problems, that's obviously changed now.

Original poster
UsedtobeFeckless · 07/05/2017 00:40

No worries - blunt is what I'm after! I don't need sympathy so much as cold hard advice ... l'll give them a ring first thing Monday.

Cheers!

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 07/05/2017 00:41

Are you sure he was meant to do three and not just two?

Some kids at my school sat another ISA recently, but some kids didn't have to because the grades on their original ones were high enough that there wasn't any point to try to improve on them.

Becca19962014 · 07/05/2017 00:41

Good luck!!

FritzDonovan · 07/05/2017 00:42

said she would reschedule the test. I assume she forgot. I'm very pro teacher normally but this is a bit shoddy and unfair.
Bit of an overreaction. Not every student will have been present for all of the practical exams, due to illness or whatever. I don't do this particular course atm, however, the teacher will know who was absent when she prepared and sent the papers off - if one particular paper test is so crucial to pupils marks she would have rescheduled if possible. But as pp said, he would already have knowledge of the assessment, so unless scheduled the same day chances are he couldn't sit this one. In these situations an average mark can be based on the ones he did complete, so it's not as if he will be missing a third of the possible marks.

noblegiraffe · 07/05/2017 00:43

Find out which exam board and google the specification. Check that he does actually need to have done three before panicking.