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Original poster

What the hell is happening with BTEC Exams tomorrow?

27 replies

SoscaredforJan · 05/01/2021 01:14

My vulnerable DH is expected to go into college tomorrow (and for the next 3 weeks) to supervise hundreds of students doing BTEC exams. It’s a shambles...

  • most of the invigilators are older retired people
  • the students have lost 6 months of teaching the rest mainly online
  • many have been isolating
  • some are now too scared to come in.
  • the college has to Covid test everyone of them the day before so many public transport journeys.

What a shitshow. The students are furious that gcse and a levels have been cancelled again and BTECs haven’t.

OP posts:
Northernsoulgirl45 · 05/01/2021 02:57

Yep. My dd and her friends can't believe it is happening. She is doing a course wher she has had about 8 x 40 minute lessons due to SI and teacher availability. They are scared despite me desperately trying to reassure her

She also has final exams in same subject in May yet GCSES and A levels are cancelled.
What a shitshow

WankPuffins · 05/01/2021 04:46

My Ds has an exam on the 8th.

What the hell.

Original poster
SoscaredforJan · 05/01/2021 10:58

Yep! All confirmed they are going ahead as planned now. Utter joke.

OP posts:
CompleteBarstool · 05/01/2021 12:02

My son has an exam tomorrow too.

I can't see how it's going to be safe considering that they haven't all had Covid tests as most were due to have them today.

They've been messed about so much this last year with the cancellation of GCSEs, online teaching, unable to even meet their whole cohort of the new courses or experience life properly at new colleges.

It's so unfair on them

WankPuffins · 05/01/2021 12:09

We've hard nothing about any covid tests fro Ds college!

slidingdrawers · 05/01/2021 12:25

DS's college have cancelled all assessments that were due to take place from today onwards. Mostly these were BTECs. Seems there is no consistency.

Original poster
SoscaredforJan · 05/01/2021 13:22

It’s a ridiculous situation

OP posts:
Whyarewehardofthinking · 05/01/2021 13:37

The exams are taking place as expected; we have 103 coming in over the next 2 weeks to do them. I say 103 as I know of 7 isolating and will therefore miss them. @slidingdrawers the college have cancelled them? These are external examinations that we can't cancel as a school so I am confused. Exams start tomorrow and finish on the 19th for us. Some students will be in for 6 days for them. Some are also in for official prep time for particular units that they missed before Christmas because they were isolating. Shit and show comes to mind.

As for the COVID tests, we haven't received anything yet and I don't know a school with them. We are using many, many rooms for the exams as each desk has to be at least 2 metres from every other desk and apparently also from the wall and we are bringing in extra invigilators for that; we can't use teaching staff obviously.

I have officially not slept for 2 days now, neither have my Head of Science or Social Sciences, nor most of SLT and the Headteacher himself.We all look rough as hell right now.

WankPuffins · 05/01/2021 14:53

I emailed ds Tutor this morning and she's got back to me saying they were just as in the dark, but as of this afternoon, his btec exam on Friday is cancelled.

She said she's got no idea at the moment what will happen going forward.

slidingdrawers · 05/01/2021 15:24

@Whyarewehardofthinking this is their update:

"January Assessments
The Government are currently reviewing whether or not they will cancel these assessments that affect over 130,000 students nationally. It is highly likely that these will be postponed. However, we have taken the decision to cancel all assessments that were due to take place in January from today to protect our students at this time. This decision will be formally notified to all affected students over the next few days but the advice is for students to remain at home as per the lockdown instructions. We will work with awarding bodies to ensure that students are in no way disadvantaged by this decision."

CompleteBarstool · 05/01/2021 16:42

DS's college has just confirmed that the January exams will no longer go ahead and that students will be able to take them later in the year.

Whyarewehardofthinking · 05/01/2021 18:12

I'm shocked. Pearson told us this morning that if students choose not to take them then it would count as an attempt, which will in particularly impact year 12 students, and some of our 'year 14' students. This means they can't do the exam they miss in June in some cases; this is their final attempt. For those isolating they need confirmation of a positive test or instruction to isolate. I've just been on the phone to our exams officer and we are quite sure we can do this 'safely' as we are effectively using half of the school and 5-10 students in a room, but I can see why schools would want to cancel, especially with a much larger cohort than us.

WankPuffins · 05/01/2021 18:18

Why is the there no blanket policy on the btec exams?

Whyarewehardofthinking · 05/01/2021 19:28

Well, we have just had a meeting on Teams and will cancel if we get the go-ahead. Students are refusing to come in due to health and safety worries.

Thunderblunder · 05/01/2021 19:31

As far as DS (yr13) is concerned he’s still in for his BTEC exam in the morning.

Northernsoulgirl45 · 05/01/2021 23:16

Piss poor Govt done it again. Dumped the decision on schools and colleges at the last minute so they can take the flack as whatever they do will upset some.

Northernsoulgirl45 · 05/01/2021 23:17

Shows how little Govt values vocational qualifications aswell.

AldiAisleofCrap · 07/01/2021 16:02

My daughters school have just emailed to say all current BTECS cancelled in the school and summer btecs wont go ahead for anyone in England.

Covidiotmil · 07/01/2021 16:16

My mil was one of the elderly invigilators- 82! She messaged me this morning to say today’s session was cancelled but I don’t know more and haven’t asked as I’m so cross she’s been in twice this week and she thinks I’m a silly fusspot
Flowers for all those affected by the uncertainty.

WankPuffins · 07/01/2021 16:25

@AldiAisleofCrap

My daughters school have just emailed to say all current BTECS cancelled in the school and summer btecs wont go ahead for anyone in England.
Jesus.

What. Shitshow all round.

Northernsoulgirl45 · 07/01/2021 16:37

We have been told dd can take her exam in January or the summer yeymt GCSES and,A levels are cancelled

Original poster
SoscaredforJan · 07/01/2021 16:42

My husband’s stupid college won’t cancel them so he’s stuck mixing with 100s of students for 3 weeks Angry I’m so angry about this as we are both vulnerable and he works in Birmingham which has very high cases. If anything happens to him because of the government’s incompetence..... I will take them to the highest court in the land as a starter

OP posts:
Elizabeth110100 · 07/01/2021 16:43

My daughter's exam has been cancelled. No idea if they are doing them in the summer or what the hell is going on.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 07/01/2021 16:59

@SoscaredforJan

My husband’s stupid college won’t cancel them so he’s stuck mixing with 100s of students for 3 weeks Angry I’m so angry about this as we are both vulnerable and he works in Birmingham which has very high cases. If anything happens to him because of the government’s incompetence..... I will take them to the highest court in the land as a starter
Presumably you don’t have children you’ve sent to school since March then as it’s the same risk for the teachers.

The exam mess is a shambles given summer ones are cancelled, you have to feel for the students.

AldiAisleofCrap · 07/01/2021 17:55

@Elizabeth110100 the summer BTECS are cancelled.