My DD goes to a tiny school - only 8 of them in her year group. It's a lovely school, and I'm not blaming them as such for this situation.
DD struggles at the best of times as she has combined ADHD, but she's really been putting in a huge effort preparing for her exams. She's currently mid-exams and a few days ago the whole of the small road in front of her school, and the room designated as the exam room, has been taken up by roadworks; lots of loud banter, occasionally music (assuming they're playing it whilst working) and, amongst various mechanical noises, a bloody pneumatic drill!
They've given the kids ear defenders, but in the hot weather we've had this week it's uncomfortable to wear them, and DD finds these a distraction as well.
She sat one exam in these conditions yesterday and it really didn't help, but it was a subject she felt quite confident in, so she thinks she did reasonably OK, but it was still a distraction. She had her first maths exam today - her hardest subject, and one she's been working particularly hard on (including extra tuition). When I picked her up afterwards, she just got in the car and started sobbing, saying she missed questions that she actually knew because she just couldn't concentrate due to all of the noise.
The school have emailed all the Y11 parents to say that the invigilator took a recording of the noise and they have emailed the exam board for special consideration for yesterday and today's exams. But realistically, what do the exam markers do in these circumstances to acknowledge the disruption? Add a couple of marks? It's not like they can all do the exams again.
She's got 6 more exams to go, including another maths, over the next few weeks. I just hope that they either move the exam room (can they do that mid-exams?) or the bloody roadworks stop.
I'm so upset for DD.