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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To complain - daughter didn’t get her extra time!

151 replies

Hamnetsdad · 08/06/2022 12:56

My Dd, 16, went in to do her English Literature exam today and the invigilator told her she didn’t have the 25% extra time she is entitled to. Dd thinks she had confused her with another student, but as she is autistic, she wasn’t able to explain herself.

I did receive a phone call half an hour into the exam to say Dd wasn’t there - which obviously panicked me! Then they checked again and found her. The exams officer said she may have arrived late (she didn’t). So I suspect the issue may have been the seating plan.

I am really upset as Dd didn’t finish the paper and wasn’t able to articulate herself because of her disability. She didn’t receive any of her extra time.

OP posts:
Original poster
Hamnetsdad · 08/06/2022 12:57

Sorry that was unclear - the invigilator said she didn’t have extra time.

OP posts:
Gizacluethen · 08/06/2022 12:58

Definitely complain. Its a huge cock up!

UndertheCedartree · 08/06/2022 12:59

I would definitely try to get to the bottom of it. My autistic DS's college didn't even bother to organise the extra time he needed for his exams!

Andromachehadabadday · 08/06/2022 12:59

100% complain. That’s really not ok.

skgnome · 08/06/2022 12:59

Complain 1 sounds like they messed up

Antarcticant · 08/06/2022 13:00

Can you contact her school? No idea how these things work but maybe she could be given an allowance in lieu in the marking? I would start from the position of 'what can we do to make this fair for DD?' rather than 'I want to complain' in the first instance.

I hope you can sort something out.

Rummikub · 08/06/2022 13:02

They need to employ proper invigilators

Original poster
Hamnetsdad · 08/06/2022 13:02

I’ve contacted school regarding special consideration. They haven’t replied yet. I’m wondering how to take it further if I don’t get a satisfactory response.

OP posts:
LittleOwl153 · 08/06/2022 13:03

Yes raise it with school. Sadly it won't make any difference to that paper as she can't be given it back now but it will make them more vigilant next time.

Can the exam office give her a letter she can hand over to the invigilator in future to say that she gets the extra time - would she be able to do that?

Phlewf · 08/06/2022 13:05

This is a real concern I have with DS, I’m pushing to get extra time on every test just so that it becomes a no big deal for him to advocate for himself (as if disabled kids didn’t have enough going on they need the confidence of a middle aged man).

how is she feeling?

Original poster
Hamnetsdad · 08/06/2022 13:05

I think they should be able to apply for special consideration.

OP posts:
Original poster
Hamnetsdad · 08/06/2022 13:05

She’s ok - I’ve tried not to make to much of it to her, as it’ll put her off her other exams.

OP posts:
BringBackCoffeeCreams · 08/06/2022 13:06

Rummikub · 08/06/2022 13:02

They need to employ proper invigilators

^^ This

The one my DD had was a nightmare. She's also autistic so was allowed to take supervised breaks if she needed them. The invigilator kept asking her if she wanted a break, every 5 minutes. DD ended up walking out of one her exams because she was stressed about it.

Suedomin · 08/06/2022 13:14

Was it an external exam? If so you would need to contact the examinations board as the marking is out if the hands of the school. If the school don't agree to do this on behalf of your daughter. You should make a formal complaint /appeal to the exam board. You should set out all the details. Is that your daughter was assessed as needing extra time but that on the day an invigilator said she had not been awarded it and she wasn't given it.
I have worked as an invigilator in schools and a university and I can't see how this happened. If there was any question like that the invigilator would check with the chief invigilator who would check with the office staff.
In the school I worked at all the students were told where to sit according to their exam number while all students with extra time were seated in the same rows so it was easier when the exam finished . All I can assume is your daughter was seated in the wrong row. But even then it should not have happened . At the school I worked at the exam officer came into the exam at the beginning and she knew all the students by sight. It sounds like incompetence by the school.
Good luck

Original poster
Hamnetsdad · 08/06/2022 13:16

It was a GCSE. I think it’s for school to raise the issue with the exam board for special consideration.

OP posts:
Oblomov22 · 08/06/2022 13:19

Did you email OP? Put it in writing. Then there's a paper trail?

Sortilege · 08/06/2022 13:22

You can still contact the exam board yourself if the school don’t progress it properly. Write down a chronological account now of all the details and errors you’re aware of and tuck it away. Make the school aware that you know how serious this is and won’t drop it. First priority is to the scare them straight for her other exams. It’s obviously an administration problem but if it isn’t addressed, it might recur.

sandraven · 08/06/2022 13:22

Yes definitely complain.

MrsR87 · 08/06/2022 13:25

Rummikub · 08/06/2022 13:02

They need to employ proper invigilators

Definitely, as it’s such an important job. The problem is, there is such a huge recruitment crisis in most jobs in schools at the minute that this is proving more and more difficult! The school I I work in, which is one of the best in the area, is struggling to recruit for every post.

@Hamnetsdad you definitely need to contact the school and inform them of the mistake. It does sounds like a seating plan error from what you’ve described. Unfortunately, at this point, there is nothing the school can do other than inform the exam board and apply for special consideration.
When you contact the school, I would also make sure you discuss the remaining exams and ensure that the correct provision is in place for those. It might be also worth checking the exam timetable issued to your daughter by the school as there may be information on there that may help you spot any other mistakes. Often, pupils with access arrangements are in a slightly different area or room to the main cohort.

FlamingoQueen · 08/06/2022 13:25

I would contact school asap. For my dd’s mocks she’s not getting extra time because they are working around the actual GCSE’s. But she will be marked as if she had the extra time - eg how much more would she have written (probably not a lot, but that’s not the issue!). I would insist that they contact the exam board and say they’ve forgotten her extra time! Your poor dd.

user1471504747 · 08/06/2022 13:25

Email the exams officer OP, she should get special consideration for this paper, and of course to prevent it happening in future.

Your poor DD, that must have really thrown her off. Hope she’s feeling okay for her other exams Flowers

Fink · 08/06/2022 13:26

You absolutely need to make sure this gets escalated. Keep on at the school until you are 100% confident they have raised it properly with the exam board. Get the assurances in writing.

Original poster
Hamnetsdad · 08/06/2022 13:27

This is the email - I’ve had no reply yet.

To complain - daughter didn’t get her extra time!
OP posts:
Original poster
Hamnetsdad · 08/06/2022 13:28

She is in a separate room for exams - so don’t know if that caused an issue.

OP posts:
MrsR87 · 08/06/2022 13:31

Well written. I’d be very surprised if you did not receive a reply to this today, you certainly would from my school.
If you do not hear anything by around 3pm, I would call. Don’t leave it later than that as some people may leave around that time.
I advise calling because it sounds to me that your daughter would very much benefit from such reassurance this evening.