URGENT PLEASE HELP: Anyone know about A Level exams/marking/parent passing

[EllenLRipley]

My sister has been unwell for years and has now reached the very end.
DNiece, 18, has A Levels and is not fit to take them. She is predicted AAA
Her mother will die in the next 2 weeks. The school have said nothing can be done to cancel the exams or give assessed grades, she will score 0. I cannot get thru to the exam boards and cannot get any sense from anyone.

Please help me, her dad is in no fit state to be doing anything.

I cannot believe the cruelty of this system

If she has a uni offer I'd also be trying to speak to admissions, ideally the admission tutor for her specific course to ask if they'd be lenient under the circumstances, might take the pressure off her a bit.

No, maths, English Lit, Psychology
A*AA mocks

No Uni offer as she thought DM had 18 months at Xmas so the plan was to be together until the end and then go to Uni 2-4 years later

Thank you all so much

Oh, the poor darling

November resits do not exist in all subjects, and cannot be a first sitting. That's important to be aware of.

Everyone's hands are tied.
The school can only apply for spec con if she sits.
The awarding bodies can't do anything unless she sits.

The best idea might be to withdraw and sit next summer. Ideally someone should speak to her head of year and get their advice.

I'm not unsympathetic - I'm trying to be honest about the situation. It's awful.

No coursework in English Lit? Are you sure? It would be called NEA.

And since Eng Lit NEA is worth 30%, that deals with the 25% rule.

Sorry , 20% for Eng Lit NEA

I read on here last year that a 16yo with cancer was too unwell to sit a biology paper. The exam board was not interested

My children have been in this situation, one chose to sit, one chose to drop out and redo another year. I would encourage her to withdraw right now, she cannot reflect her ability and stay calm enough to take them and I think she needs to have only her mum to look after and to worry about right now.

If she does not have a uni place anyway she is not losing a uni place by not sitting this year. It is annoying to have to resit in another year, but she may also take that year to grieve, take things slowly, see friends, work a little and resit in good time.

One thing I've learned from early bereavement is that it's unfair but you have to accept that and then do what's best for you. Exams and work and anything else can wait.

It's not down to the exam board. It's a JCQ regulation. And they're essentially told what is allowed by the government.

It's shit and unfair but it's not down to schools or boards to decide.

I'm pretty sure the school can withdraw her though, I suspect that's not true. I am not an A-level teacher though, uni students can put in for delay/mitigation and resit in the summer.

School can't withdraw without permission.

And I suspect that they'd need written permission from her and someone with parental responsibility. I know we would even though it seems like another hurdle.

There is only one exam series for A level, and it's in the summer.

I'm so sorry about your sister as well, that's so tough for all of you.

Universities can help with a contextual offer or do a foundation year. She is unfortunately far from alone in this happening.

I’m so sorry. If she were mine, I’d be advising her to withdraw and resit them, deferring any uni place. There’s no way on earth she can perform to anything like her potential, and she’ll be stuck with the grades forever. No future employer will care about the reasons. She needs to be with her mum as much as she wants without worrying about exams and then grieve properly. Poor love. Very sorry for your situation.

Sorry to hear what you are going through. I’m an A Level teacher. I would advise that she withdraws from her exams and gets a guarantee from her school / college that they will let her retake her 2nd year. I have had a number of students do this in similar circumstances and it work out ok. If she is at a school who can’t facilitate it, a local college may be able to help. She will be repeating content but that will give her some time and space to come to terms with what she has gone through. Exams can wait - many students take gap years so she can still go to uni when she is ready. Being with her mum is most important right now.

There are no A-level resits in November, though. That was a special exception due to TAGs/CAGs- the only November exams are GCSE Maths and English.

Sadly apart from withdraw there is very little that can be done - and that will be a head of centre/head decision.

it is sadly all too common I work in exams and we have a student who lost a father, one who lost their step mum and one sadly whose mother is on end of life care.

Can she miss psych today and decide after if she wanna to take the two other exams? Or get x and do again next year?

Poor girl. This happened to my brother when my mum died for his then O levels he did sit them but it was very tough. I would withdraw she can repeat upper sixth at her school, you can get an extra year of funding. They can’t use her mocks I’m afraid. School should be supporting her. No way can she do them especially as they thought they had longer with your sister. Worth speaking to university admissions but I’m sure they can’t admit her with no A levels at all. Foundation year I think still needs some a levels.

I'm afraid it is really tough, although at least now they'll score you on the exams you do if you do some.
When my friend died, her ds had to go in the same day to sit his exam or he'd have scored 0. As it was they gave him the insulting amount of 5% more marks.

This sounds sensible to me.

Your poor poor family.

@EllenLRipley I should also add my best friend died the year I was meant to sit my A levels, and my brother died the year I was meant to sit my finals. Both times I bailed out and retook.