School Exams During Lockdown

[brentwoodbaby]

Disclaimer: I posted this in Coronavirus topic last night but reposting here for traffic before I contact school as I'd like balanced views.

DD's school contacted us yesterday with the end of year exam timetable for the lower school. I've attached as a picture.

Parents are expected to confirm the integrity of the exams, which are being issued on Google classroom 10 minutes before the start time, by ensuring they are sat in controlled conditions with supervision.

I'm normally supportive of the school but on this occasion I am thinking of contacting the Head of Year to say that I will not guarantee the controlled conditions. I am working from home most days and in the office once a week but when at home also have a much younger child to look after - I can't guarantee the house will be quiet or that I will be able to supervise each exam in its entirety. I think it's ridiculous that they are even taking place to be honest.

If it makes any difference it's an all girls grammar- not a "super selective" but still very academic.

So, AIBU to contact the school re: this one?

Yeah that’s an absolute joke.

Not only the expectation that you can supervise, but the potential for cheating.

Bloody stupid idea.

Absolutely not unreasonable. I think the school is being totally unreasonable to expect exams to be taken in the current situation.

Just mocks? I don’t see the issue - they will twig cheating fairly easily

We had mocks after Easter for Year 12 - no input required from parents. I liked the idea - gave them something to work towards. Parents are too competitive here, the school would have no confidence that exams were sat in exam conditions

Not mocks, she's 12 (age not year!) and hasn't taken her options yet. They are just bog standard end of year tests to inform their report grade. I don't even want an end of year report this year!

That's far to extreme my DS has done a couple of tests in maths but to be taken in their own time and no controlled conditions required, which would be impossible in our home anyway.

It’s an academic grammar school, and while you don’t want a report, other parents might, and the school is trying to keep everyone happy. From my experience of grammar schools, the big deal they make of end of year exams right from year 7 is something that contributes to the usually excellent results they get at GCSE, and presumably they don’t want that to change. I would let the head know your concerns, but at the same time, do what you can to meet their request.

Our school still wants the children to sit Common Entrance (13+ exam, usually for admission to senior schools) even though all the senior schools have said they don’t need to. We haven’t yet heard how it’s meant to work though in terms of invigoration. Like you I would struggle to guarantee someone could sit with him for every paper. I was thinking the school could provide invigilation if I set up the laptop to face him on Zoom or something - they’re the ones wanting them to sit the exams after all! But obviously means you need a device that can be spared for this...

I think it's completely unreasonable for the school to expect parents to supervise - it's a full week of exams!

My DD is at a grammar and they've confirmed there'll be no exams for any students this term. Current year 12s are going to sit mocks in the autumn.

Doesn’t help with the problem of guaranteeing a quiet space though

Some parents will want exams as normal. My dd has had 11 weeks of online learning, including class tests, and will have exams as normal later this month. For the class tests I ensure she has a quiet place to work and has no access to Internet, books etc and leave her to complete the test in the allotted time. I have not been supervising the test.

Bonkers! My school I think has deffed the idea of doing any exams. Given the amount of google translate evidently being used, I don’t see how any parent can be expected to supervise these.

Totally daft!