GCSE exam finished early. What can I do?

[CAMHShelp]

DDs GCSE exam was 1 hour and 45 mins. The invigilator asked the kids if they had finished to which DD replied yes, as she had answered all the questions (ASD) but planned to use remain 20 mins to check answers. They immediately took the paper away and ended the exam early as she was the last one to stop writing.
I have made a complaint to the school but they are being dismissive and fobbing me off.
What can I do?

So what would you like to see happen

students can leave after a certain amount of time has passed within each paper.
was the issue that all the other students had finished and there was still time left but the invigilator asked you dd is she had finished? If your dd has no exam concessions then the invigilator won’t know if she has additional needs. If so it sounds like your dd is unable to advocate for herself. In that case I’d ask school to make all the invigilators aware. She probably would’ve benefited from a promoter (someone to say you have 20 minutes left. Use this time to check your work).

It might not have been started by you as a bashing thread but other posters were doing that, it was them I was telling. And as for what happened, we'll I'd be interested in whst the invigilator had to say.

Most schools don’t timetable multiple exams on the same hall. This would have been an exam where they were all doing the biology paper. Don’t think any others are timetabled for that time. Often those with extra time or additional requirements are put in smaller spaces anyway. But this would have been the main exam hall as the OP has stated their child didn’t have any additional access requirements. Children are allowed to leave. Some schools might insist they stay but according to the exam board rules they are allowed to leave when finished so can and will. In fact my friend told me this morning that in her DD’s exam this week where they were in a separate space where they had the extra time, some did leave and did so quite noisily and were then told off by the invigilators. And not the noise and the telling off distracted those still working. Not all who are allowed extra time actually use it. It’s there should they need it. My DD is allowed extra time but doesn’t always take it depending on how it’s going. She also uses a laptop for longer written work like English and history rather than handwriting as she has issues. In mock exams she’s has both used and not used the extra time so it has been offered always.

I think there is a big difference between invigilators and staff who are used for invigilalation. I have done invigilation and I now work in an exams office and despite training - teaching staff are constantly forgetting the training and doing the wrong thing. Not saying it’s their fault - they only do it once a year - but it does happen. Last year had a teacher try and help a student during the exam as they didn’t understand the question 🤦‍♀️

at all schools I have worked at - no child would be let out before the end of full time even in they asked to go. They would be told to check their work. The only exception I have ever made is for students who are fluent to leave their language exam - eg Chinese students doing mandarin.

@celticprincessThe schools I work at most certainly timetable multiple exams in the same hall- both GCSEs and A levels. We sometimes have 4 or more different exams and that’s not including the Higher / Foundation and Combined/ Single Science.
I fully understand every school is different but in the 2 schools I work at and the 2 schools my DCs go to they have multiple exams in a hall and they are not allowed to leave before the exam is over, ever. We also have very, very few cases of malpractice or maladministration and that maybe why- much easier to correctly run exams if everyone knows what’s expected.

Yes agree with this - had biology on at the same time as an a level this week. Have also worked at schools who do the IB so you could have plenty going on!

Yes we have IB as well- luckily they do put them in a different hall but it’s hard invigilating IB in the morning and then GCSE / A levels in the afternoon! All the different rules!

Our large hall is currently out of action due to raac so it’s been a free for all!! 😜 (but still wouldnt let a student out before the end of regular time)

For the brief period I was an exam assistant (underpaid and overworked) I did the Exams Office course and multiple exams in a hall really is a thing you can have and science can have 4 different papers

Yes, the college I work at offers the IB too and students also sit AS levels, A levels, T levels, BTEC and GCSES…fun times!

Yes, pretty standard in my experience. We can have over 1000 papers being sat in one day at the college where I invigilate.

How does the school timetable the exams? The timetable is set by the exam boards is it not and publically available on their websites in advance. How is the school getting away with doing their own thing?

@B1indEye- what do you mean? The timetable is set by the boards but there are usually 1 or more GCSEs at the same time as well as A levels. Hence why there are sometimes clashes as well. The school aren’t ’getting away’ with anything!

For example- tomorrow is quite a simple day but there is still GCSE History and A levels Psychology in the same hall.

Yes, we had a big clash yesterday, which then meant isolation for some pupils, and knock on effect for the rest of the day. We had to change the times of three exams.

Yes @MissyB1- I think lots of exams officers had a stiff drink last night! Most of y11 had clashes it seemed.

Sorry, I am a little confused. I must have got muddled with the updates. I had not understood that you have seen cctv from the classroom showing the incident together with the information on the white board and the block. How bizarre that the school showed you all that yet are still fobbing you off. You need to write to the school. I would also contact the other. Parents, 25 children would not be finished that early.
Such a shame this happened to your daughter. Meanwhile I would try not to dwell on it with her if she has more exams to take.
She may come out with a high grade anyway and if not I am sure the school will follow the correct process for appeal. Good luck

Was the single Biology paper the only one going on in the room? I can only think that the invigilators got mixed up with triple science candidates whose exam was 1 hour 15? But still a big mistake to make even so.

Sorry, combined science, not triple.

for many exam boards the exam is the same for triple and double and triple will do a second paper.

which board? Most do the exact same number of papers (2 - designed to be spaced out so that it is unlikely anyone is ill for both) with combined being 1hr15 and Triple 1hr 45

@tiswa-ours were all 1hr45 on Tuesday- triple and combined H and F. Can’t remember which board though!

none of the main ones AQA Edexcel or OCR they are all 1hr 15 or under

Don’t know to be honest- I wasn’t there that day- just looking at the master timetable.