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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

A-Level Exams In This Heat

102 replies

PersianCatLady · 20/06/2017 13:17

Hi,

My DS (17) has just left the house to go to school to sit one of his A-Level exams and I am really concerned about this heat.

He has just told me that the room they sit their exams in has no windows and there is no A/C or fans.

AIBU to be concerned about the kids who am sitting exams today and the effect that this heat will have on them and their results??

Thanks

OP posts:
JassyRadlett · 20/06/2017 16:51

I grew up in a very hot, humid place (and no, contrary to what I'm always told here not all buildings were 'built for the heat' or had air conditioning - far from it) and I still have sympathy for the kids sitting exams tomorrow. I did almost all the major exams of my life in 30 degree plus heat and it can be pretty miserable and certainly harder work than in mid-20s weather. I don't know anyone from my childhood and youth who would disagree - despite the fact that I'm loving the current weather for the most part.

However, there's a really important message for kids taking exams so they don't stress about the heat having an impact on their results. And that is that everyone else is in the same situation. Unlike many factors that can affect exam performance that are more centred on individuals, this is much more universal so unlikely to affect their university entrance chances.

Pop a couple of water bottles in the freezer tonight, if you have a fan put it on tonight blowing over another frozen water bottle or cold block to make a makeshift air conditioner, and definitely sympathise without giving them the idea you think this will affect their results.

mummag · 20/06/2017 16:54

People are so snarky.

Elendon · 20/06/2017 16:55

You usually do find that if all students find the exam hard then the marking will be easier, so please don't stress about it. The examiners do factor in degree of difficulty.

We have had one student whose mum died during the exams and they did sit out the paper on the afternoon of her death (she died that morning). The pupil was insistent on completing the rest of their exams.

I would like to think that special consideration will be given in this case.

noblegiraffe · 20/06/2017 16:57

It needs to be done by Xmas Yr 9 at the latest

Confused For hayfever? Why? Access arrangements aren't even started by then so why would medical ones?

I've had kids get special consideration with just a note from the doctor covering the relevant day.

divorcedandpissedoff · 20/06/2017 16:59

To people asking what might happen and being critical of the OP, you don't know what might happen - This heat can bring on a severe asthma attack and I'm sure I don't need to spell out the possible consequences of that. To further complicate matters, if inhalers are kept where they are too hot (such as in a bag in a hot exam hall) then they can stop being effective so you risk the situation of a student having an asthma attack and finding that their inhalers don't work.

Elendon · 20/06/2017 17:01

Yes, for hayfever, in which a child has to have a parent come to the school to administer the drops (by Yr 11 the pupil can do this themselves and there are a couple who bring the drops into exams). There are also pupils who have to inject themselves because of diabetes type 1 - they get rest periods so that the injection, if needed, is not taken off the time.

Elendon · 20/06/2017 17:02

Pupils can put their inhalers in a cool bag and keep it on the table, or beside them. Most put them in a box (for the collection of mobile phones).

noblegiraffe · 20/06/2017 17:08

Elendon I've found at least a couple of schools online saying that for hayfever what's needed is a parental note confirming bad hayfever on the day of the exam, so I'm a bit confused. Are you an exams officer?

Elendon · 20/06/2017 17:18

A parental note is fine, but mostly the exams officer will have known about it beforehand.

No, I'm not an exams officer, but I'm a long time invigilating. I've done off site and was on standby for a hospital exam (the consultant decided not to proceed). There is flexibility, but a sudden bad case of hayfever when it wasn't previously flagged up, is going to need extra paperwork (evidence other than a parental note) to get the 2%.

Elendon · 20/06/2017 17:29

The decision to award the extra 2% will be determined by the exams board. Once the paperwork is filled in by the exams officer, it's out of their hands.

SoupDragon · 20/06/2017 17:38

Dammit - I never thought there could be an exam "bonus" for hay fever. Poor DS1 really suffers with it. Ho hum... he's half way through his A Levels so it's a bit late now!

I panicked on reading about C3 as he sat that today but I've checked and his was OCR. Not sure I want to ask how it went though...

He needs A* AA I think so I hope the weather hasn't affected him too much. He hasn't complained anyway (nor has DS2 who is doing GCSEs)

FreeNiki · 20/06/2017 17:39

Oh shit I am so sorry. I didn't mean to say that. What I meant to say was if he just scraped D and E after being predicted B-C there would be more to blame than a bit of heat as B-C are good grades.

I was walking along the road not really thinking.

I'll scuttle away now in shame. Blush

TheNaze73 · 20/06/2017 17:41

Think you need to loosen the apron strings a bit.

He'll probably be commuting soon and it'll be far worse on say the Central line than any exam room. It's life preparation

hackmum · 20/06/2017 17:41

The OCR C3 was quite difficult as well, apparently!

If I were in charge of education, I would change the system so that exams were sat in spring rather than summer. And I would change the system of university applications so that people applied after they had their results. And I know both those things are difficult to change, but they're not impossible. They would both remove some of the stress students are currently under.

Sparklingbrook · 20/06/2017 17:44

He won't be doing an A Level exam while commuting on the Central Line will he? Confused

Life preparation? Hmm

SafeToCross · 20/06/2017 17:46

Sympathy to anyone taking important exams in this heat, I can't focus on anything at all, and I know I am not as affected by heat as some people. And for what its worth I think there should be rules for heating and ventilation of rooms used for external exams. Good luck to him

noblegiraffe · 20/06/2017 17:46

it'll be far worse on say the Central line than any exam room.

But he won't be sitting potentially life-changing exams while on the Central Line, he'll just be stood there Confused

I totally feel sympathy for the kids. It has been hard enough trying to teach them this week, they are really struggling to concentrate, everyone is sweaty and grumpy and a lot aren't sleeping very well.

LineyWimey · 20/06/2017 17:48

Cheers, Naze, for casual sexist insult and the mansplaining. It really wouldn't be a Mumsnet AIBU thread without your input. Apparently.

Original poster
PersianCatLady · 20/06/2017 17:49

Oh shit I am so sorry. I didn't mean to say that. What I meant to say was if he just scraped D and E after being predicted B-C there would be more to blame than a bit of heat as B-C are good grades
Thanks for explaining, everyone makes mistakes but not everybody admits them and apologises.

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 20/06/2017 17:50

If he's going to University the commuting will be a way off yet, plus the commute could be in an air conditioned car.

ErrolTheDragon · 20/06/2017 17:58

But he won't be sitting potentially life-changing exams while on the Central Line, he'll just be stood there

Well, it could happen (though uni finals are generally earlier) but, it's their choice whether to go to a uni/get a job in a place which may require a hot commute.

hellokittymania · 20/06/2017 18:02

When I had to do the Italian high school exam, I was in the room for seven hours 25 minutes. Not kidding, two of the exams give a six hour time and as I have special needs I am giving 25% more time. It was over 30° on most of the days, but you just have to get on with it and take water.

Original poster
PersianCatLady · 20/06/2017 18:06

Think you need to loosen the apron strings a bit
The apron strings are already non-existent.

My son is amazing and compared to what I was like at his age, he is so much more responsible.

He hardly ever complains about anything and he helps me out with things when I ask without complaint.

I hardly ever have to worry about him because he is so responsible but today I did feel sorry for him when he was going to sit an A level exam in the hottest part of the country.

I am sorry if caring about my child makes me pathetic in your eyes.

I just can't help it but want him to do well and have every chance at having the best life possible because unfortunately due to my own stupidity I missed out on some wonderful opportunities in my own life.

OP posts:
grannytomine · 20/06/2017 18:06

Exams are stressful and whenever they happen there will be problems. When I was at uni we had a winter exam, I got soaked getting to the exam and we were in a cold basement room, the corridor had a door just outside the room and it banged constantly all through the 3 hr exam. The invigilators were two retired lecturers and people kept spotting them and coming in for a quiet chat. After about an hour of this I stood up, put my wet coat on and ripped up my answer paper. Everyone froze, the "visitor" crept out, the invigilators looked at me and I looked at them and I slowly took my coat off and they came over with more paper. I passed the exam which was nothing short of a miracle. By the end of the exam I was shaking and feverish, I had a migraine (not helped by the banging door.) It is amazing what you can do in an exam even when you aren't feeling great. As I said earlier my daughter was taken ill during her uni finals and ended up sitting with a bucket, one of the two exams she took that day ended up being her best result out of 6 exams.

It isn't ideal but it's hot everywhere, they are young and hopefully fit, I am sure they will do OK. I think sometimes the parents are more stressed than the kids.

LineyWimey · 20/06/2017 18:06

There's no need to go all Licked Road Clean Wit' Tongue.

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