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AIBU?

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Original poster

Can any teachers tell me if this is allowed?

128 replies

bryheresse · 08/04/2018 16:51

Dd finished school last year and did very well in her essay subject A levels.

Over Easter, she has met up with a friend in the year below, at the same school, taking two of the same subjects that she did. This friend says that all the students in the year have been given photocopies of Dd's A level papers as examples of what the examiners are looking for.

I was rather surprised to hear that the school could just access a student's public exam papers and distribute them, without asking the permission of the student concerned. Does anyone know if this is allowed?

OP posts:
Enidblyton1 · 09/04/2018 18:50

Why on earth does this bother you?! I'd just be proud if it were my DD.

Octave777 · 09/04/2018 19:01

The dd might be feeling anxious everyone can see her work. Writing can be personal and even if it's through merit can be embarrassing.If you've invested time and creativity, having it shared without your knowledge, could feel like a breach of privacy.

Catra · 09/04/2018 19:02

I've had my essays used for this purpose (albeit at university). The difference was that they asked my permission first.

I'm surprised the school didn't think to anonymise your DD's work or mention it to her before using it as an example.

DairyisClosed · 09/04/2018 19:06

This was common practice at my school.

mumoy · 09/04/2018 19:27

I am an exams officer and this is NOT allowed.
The JCQ rules state the school should have:

  1. Asked for your daughter's written permission to have her paper returned in the first place.
  2. Her permission would also need to be given for it to be used in a classroom
  3. If permission was granted, she should have been given the option for her name to be removed from the paper.
There is a form your daughter would have to sign to give this permission and consent can only be given AFTER she received her results. I hope this helps.
NewYearNewMe18 · 09/04/2018 19:39

There has to be permission given by the candidate - but the boards don't actually request sight of this, it's down to teacher didhonesty in the matter

BlueBerryBiscuit · 09/04/2018 19:53

EO here too, just coming on to say what mumoy has. I think that the form has to be kept on file for 6 months but I always keep mine for at least a year so the exams officer may still have it if you want to ask to check that your dd signed the correct form.

3out · 09/04/2018 19:59

I remember this happening when I was at school, but it wasn’t the exam papers, it was previous years pupils oral French and German exams. The cassettes were played out for the class to hear. (I think as positive examples, but tbh it was more like the best of a bad bunch. Still, infinitely better than my oral exams though. Really hope mine weren’t played to subsequent years...it would’ve been an example of how not to do it)

Prancingonthevalentine · 09/04/2018 20:33

I don’t think OP has been back has she? All she said was “a level papers” and this is what a pupil said - could it not just have easily been an essay, or a prelim paper?

Original poster
bryheresse · 09/04/2018 20:42

@mumoy

That's very helpful, thank you.

If the form has to be signed after receiving results, then she definitely hasn't signed anything, as they got their results online and she hasn't been into school since she finished her exams.

Nothing has come in the post either.

And to those asking, it was her actual A level papers, in full, including the sheet on the front with her name and candidate number.

OP posts:
caringcarer · 09/04/2018 20:45

I actually thought the student had to sign to have a copy of their exam response back. I teach A level and would never use student work unless permission given. It is disrespectful. If they agree I always type it out so none identifying handwriting plus I check spelling and grammar. I sometimes cut it up and ask students to put it back together. Exam boards provide exemplars so not necessary to do this unless student gives permission.

BlueBerryBiscuit · 09/04/2018 20:47

The form specifies which papers too and should identify them by paper number rather than just a blanket permission. In my school, as many others, teachers don't have access to request exam scripts so if you want to follow it up the exams officer would be the best place to start.

Petrify · 09/04/2018 20:59

Might be allowed but that doesn't make it right x

AcademicOwl · 09/04/2018 21:29

Find this thread fascinating. (I'm not a teacher). Someone posts saying they are unhappy/their child is unhappy and everyone piles in to point out that this is stupid/unreasonable and they should just be proud. Can't see what the problem is...
I work in a completely different field, but one where if someone says they feel uncomfortable the normal reaction is to cease what's going on, ask why, support, y'know. Listen. Change practice. Not accuse of stealth boasting. Weird

Iadmititimnotsuperwoman · 09/04/2018 21:32

No, they can't. Schools MUST get signed permission from the student to get copies of exam papers. Beyond this, schools can then share these papers with other students but good practice dictates these should be anonymised! Is DD sure she didn't sign anything? Confused

achapman · 09/04/2018 21:42

This may be permissable at the moment, but under the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) it will no longer be. This comes into effect this May.
Even if anonymised it will still count as data belonging to her and so can only be used with her consent. Failure to get consent will potentially make the school liable for a large fine.

User11011 · 09/04/2018 21:44

Haven't read replies but this is common practice. However, if it was an exam script it would have had to have been ordered and paid for by the school and she would have had to signed to give consent.

Daisymay2 · 09/04/2018 22:10

The Head of History at DSs school wrote to DS1 asking if they could get one of his history papers back so they could analyse one of his papers where he got a particularly high mark and whether they could use it, anonomised, in class for revison later. He didn't have a form to fill out iirc but he did have to email to say OK. May be wrong about that.
I can understand why you are unhappy and would suggest she asks for an explanation from the examinations officer.

cheval · 09/04/2018 22:40

Sounds wrong to me. But what do I know?

wentmadinthecountry · 09/04/2018 22:44

Two of dd1's essay subjects were used as exemplar material in her school - dd2 recognised them when she was studying the same subjects.

MumW · 09/04/2018 23:01

And to those asking, it was her actual A level papers, in full, including the sheet on the front with her name and candidate number.
Including the personal info is not acceptable - it's a breech of privacy.

I'm an invigilator and will be scribing for one particularly student. I was given thier exam timetable but all that info was blacked out. I'm privy to this info as I fill in their exam paper but was still, quite rightly, not allowed it on a document leaving the school.

I suggest contacting the school, in writing, and tell them you object to the cover sheet and any other personal data being distributed.

Abbylee · 10/04/2018 02:56

The point was personal information and not asking permission.

Bouledeneige · 10/04/2018 06:10

School does it now. My son's teacher used his essay as a model answer recently.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 10/04/2018 07:10

This won't be affected by GDPR - at least not if the proper procedures are followed. If permission is given the student's name and number are removed then there will be no identifying data remaining. Therefore no confidentiality will have been breached.

There is so much misinformation about GDPR, it really isn't as onerous as some people fear, nor is it all that different from the previous legislation. It isn't supposed to cripple businesses, schools etc. Just ensure that personal and identifying information is not kept when not necessary.

BlueBerryBiscuit · 10/04/2018 07:18

Just to be clear for lots of posters saying it should have been annonymised. Schools need to ask permission before requesting exam scripts back and need to confirm they have the student's permission when doing so but the permission form has two options; one to say all identifying data should be removed and one to say the candidate is happy for others to know this is their work.
Many schools will remove all the data regardless to make sure they don't accidentally leave the data on one script when permission hasn't been given.