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?

The job tile, of ‘specialist lawyer’ says, in fact, nothing at all!
more sensible to start with a statement from pupil and invigilators/s I would think?

I recommend you look up these two words in a dictionary.

The school has already been dismissive. This is an ongoing exam situation and prima facie malpractice (and potential discrimination). I am not sure this is rational or fair to the child during the exams, i.e. taking statements and stressing her out. Also, this isn't for the OP to do, she should make sure the relevant boards, supervising authority, etc are put on notice of a potential malpractice, especially since there is a risk that this will happen again. This isn't about some minor little thing, GSCEs are important and should be held fairly and equally.

@Mushypeasandchipstogono teachers are allowed in the exam room unless they are SLT. But even then they leave before the exam starts. No one else is unless they are authorised (usually exam staff). If the SLT is a subject teacher for that subject they have to stay well away! Invigilators now go through rigorous training and DBS and safeguarding training.

I was invigilating today and we had a case of malpractice- student, not invigilator. I have written my statement, my co invigilator will write hers, student will do theirs and then the exams officer. No lawyers, ranting about idiot invigilators - just starting with what actually happened.

It seems unusual that all the other candidates finished 20 minutes early. Is there a possibility that your daughter mis calculated the time? Or did she ask to leave the room for some reason? If not and you are certain that the paper was taken away then write to the school.
You say you are being fobbed off but is it possible that the person you spoke to is checking what happened?

No such thing as prima facie malpractice in law - prima facie negligence exists, but you’d find it hard to prove as the parent has to prove that sole responsibility lay with the invigilator. This is not the case.

You are definitely not allowed to ask a candidate if they’ve finished. It can be seen as helping them. We are also not allowed to tell them how much longer they have if they ask. You can only direct them to the clock and the finish time. Just because some schools seem to do it doesn’t mean it’s allowed!

A lawyer wouldn’t rant. They state facts and legal aspects.

Disgusting behaviour from them. They should have waited till the alotted time was up. Whilst sitting there not just the op's child but other children could have checked back on their answers and suddenly realised one was wrong etc or one they were stuck on their mind had found the answer to.

My DD gets extra time but is allowed to leave before it finishes. On her terms though and not some invigilator asking. For some autistic children the fact that they were asked means that they assume they need to say they are finished rather than the actual answer of no.

It’s standard practice to take a statement. The pupil needs to say exactly what happened as do the invigilators. OP should contact the school to enquire why this is not being done. It’s a completely rational and logical approach and should be followed rather than the hysterical suggestions of involving lawyers.
there is a scenario, not saying this is the case here, where parent asks child if they used extra time. Child says no. Parent is cross asks why not and child says invigilator took paper away.

I did some exam invigilating a few years back and we would have been hung, drawn and quartered in the village square if we’d stopped an exam early 😮 most definitely complain !!!!

yes, the facts. Which are certainly not clear from OP. Hence the need for statements from all parties.

Absolutely.

I should think JCQ (basically the people who set the rules for external exams) would have strong words with the school. I’ve never heard of students having papers removed and I’ve been in plenty of exams over the years. The start/finish times are on the wall/board at the front and the exams’ officer will ask students to stop writing at this time. Extra time is also noted on there, ime.

@celticprincess- I’d forgotten but at one of the schools I work at this year they have actually changed it slightly and if a pupil wants to leave before they’ve finished extra time they have to sign something so their parents can’t complain they didn’t get the extra time ( very academic school with pushy parents).
At the other school a fair number of the pupils with extra time are low attainers and the school makes them stay just to give them the best possible chance.

I recommend you stop posting about things you know nothing about.

And what is the legal aspect here?

That's something the mother cannot (edited) decide or action. I don't agree that this is rational or logical. A rational approach appears to be to put the relevant authority on notice of a potential incorrect practice, so (i) they can follow the correct procedure (whatever this may be) and (ii) prevent a repetition of a potentially unlawful act in an ongoing exam situation with least disruption of the potentially harmed party, i.e. the child sitting the exam. Especially as there is already cause for some concern given the school is being 'dismissive'. It's about preserving your child's rights.

Yes unfortunately! I mean if the OP wanted to complain to make a point of it that’s fair enough, but from an exam board/ admin POV I don’t think anything would come of it.

Yes. That was my experience.

This is odd. Even if all kids have finished writing they need to be given the full time and chance to look back. Ask to speak to the exams officer tomorrow - get her candidate number, the exam board and paper reference. Ask the exam officer to contact the exam board to tell them what has happened. They could give her special consideration.

I think it would be helpful to understand a bit more about what has actually happened. What subject was she taking, and was 1hr 45 the normal exam time without extra time? What have the school actually said to you? Is it possible they are trying to clarify themselves what has happened first? If the 1hr 45 was without extra time I assume the exam was economics this afternoon, in which case your post at 3.15 would be very soon after the end of the exam, even if it did finish sooner than it should have done.

I think posters stating what happens at the school they work at isn't as helpful as it appears. JCQ rules should apply across the board but schools can add their own eg whether students who have extra time must stay till their time is up. Lots of practises described here are contrary to JCQ rules.
OP it would be helpful to know whether your daughter has extra time and whether she was spoken to during the extra time period.

What is this potentially unlawful act?
what laws have been broken?
the op can contact school again as to why her issues were dismissed.
if no satisfactory response then I would contact head.