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Original poster

Daughter given wrong time for GCSE resit, subsequently missed exam - what to do?

27 replies

KingsArmy · 18/01/2022 17:35

This is slightly long so thanks to those who read it!
Daughter got a 3 in GCSE maths last year. Had obtained a few 4's but wasn't consistent enough to be awarded by her teachers in June. However my point is more that she is very near the grade boundary for a pass.
She has gone to college where she is in a maths revision class with only 1 other student who was resitting in November (last year). The rest of the class consists of students who failed entirely, or haven't taken maths at GCSE at all. They are all being taught the same content, so she is spending her maths lessons being taught how to add 3 digit numbers and her times tables. She has still attended these lessons as it will impact her attendance if she doesn't, but she has spent many an additional hour refreshing herself on content in anticipation of the resit which was taken last November.
The day before the exam she could not access her exam portal which told her the time of her exam, location, seat number etc. She showed her teacher on her phone who then proceeded to tell her the information, which she wrote down. The other girl who was resitting also wrote down the info too. The two do not know each other.

The subsequent exam day she arrives at 10.05 in anticipation of the exam starting at 10.30. The other girl also arrives shortly after her. They are then told that the exam started at 9am and she has missed it. They are both escorted to a side room (with said child in floods of tears), sit the exam as they are told there maybe a chance that it will still be marked.

Fast forward to December and we received confirmation that the exam board will not mark the paper as she arrived after 10am. I should also add that the college told me on the day when I called to find out what had happened that their supporting statement would state she arrived before 10am.

I have followed the complaints process with the college but today received an email from the principal saying they are sympathetic but there is nothing they can do. Unsuprisingly, the teacher is denying he told the students the incorrect time and has said that my daughter misheard him.

So my question really is what else can I do? I've called the exam board who said the complaint needs to really come via the college. I've followed the colleges complaints protocol and been told tough luck!
I really feel for my daughter who was so down about it she didn't leave the house for nearly a week. She has not attended any maths lessons since and is likely to now fail this year if she resits again.

OP posts:
Kjr33 · 18/01/2022 17:40

That is awful, I’m so sorry for your daughter. I don’t have advice as it sounds like you have done everything possible. Could you (if you haven’t already) speak directly to the teacher involved this seems like a problem that would be solved if a mistake was admitted.

NickiMinajerie · 18/01/2022 17:47

Tell the college that without their support with appealing to the exam board, you will have no choice but to make a formal complaint to OFSTED about their negligence.
Highly unlikely both girls misheard the starting time (although am amazed staff got it wrong) - I assume the Exams Officer has been investigating this?

Original poster
KingsArmy · 18/01/2022 17:49

Hi thanks for reading! I have unfortunately already done that - first course of action in the college complaints protocol.
He said that he told her the correct time and she must of misheard him, then went on about how great it will be for her to resit this summer, how she gets another opportunity etc Confused
Masks were not even in place then so it wasn't a case of muffled speech, she was also standing right next to his desk!

OP posts:
Original poster
KingsArmy · 18/01/2022 17:50

Should of put indoor mask wearing was not required when he told her the info.

OP posts:
TheChemicalMother · 18/01/2022 17:52

Your poor Dd.

Are the other family also complaining? Can you make contact with them and co ordinate your complaints?

It is of course highly unlikely that both girls misheard.

Original poster
KingsArmy · 18/01/2022 17:53

Hi Nicki. The email today - the first from the principal - has not denied that they told her the wrong time. He has worded it as follows

"the college has also investigated the issue regarding A's access to the portal and the alleged incorrect information being given by the tutor. Although the college is very sympathetic to the events that took place leading to A missing her exam, we are governed by JCQ regulations which are very specific and unfortunately there is no ability to positively impact the outcome".

OP posts:
NickiMinajerie · 18/01/2022 17:53

Aside from a potential legal action, with the other pupil as witness, and which will cost time and money, I don't know what other leverage you have.

Clymene · 18/01/2022 17:54

That's so awful, your poor DD. I would definitely try and contact the other girl. Together, you can prove he's lying. There's no way they both misheard him.

Original poster
KingsArmy · 18/01/2022 17:56

Hi Chemical. I have tried to get my daughter to talk to the other girl, however she is not in any of her lessons now (now that she is refusing to attend maths), she has also been off for the last 3 weeks with glandular fever. I think also because she does not know her she feels a little awkward.... I may have to loiter outside the college with a photo and see if I can find her myself !

OP posts:
Original poster
KingsArmy · 18/01/2022 17:58

To add salt to the wound she felt she did really well in the exam, answered all the questions and felt optimistic when she left - due to the college telling her there was a chance it would still be marked. It is all so frustrating!

OP posts:
Clymene · 18/01/2022 17:59

I would contact Ofqual if you've exhausted the school complaints procedure.

NickiMinajerie · 18/01/2022 18:01

Having read the above, if the published starting time was 9am

  1. For examinations of less than one hour, a candidate will be considered very late if they arrive after the awarding body’s published finishing time for the examination. 10.05
  2. In such circumstances centres should submit this form online using the Centre Admin Portal (CAP) to the appropriate awarding body within seven working days of the date of the paper concerned. CAP can be accessed via any of the awarding bodies’ secure extranet sites.

I would be asking for a copy of the form they filled in, on behalf of your daughter, including the reason they gave for her late arrival and what assurances they gave that in a 5 minute window, she did not speak to other candidates (highly unlikely in any case tbh).

MissingJigsawPiece · 18/01/2022 18:02

I cannot believe that the school does not hand out the guidance that they are issued. Ds1 definitely had a list of rules from I believe JCQ as to conduct but also start times so they knew if they were late they would be refused entry to the exam hall.

From AQA

"Each exam must be taken on the day and at the time shown on the timetable. The published starting time of all exams is either 9.00am or 1.30pm. Students taking more than one exam in a session should take these consecutively. A supervised break may be given between the exams taken consecutively at the discretion of the school or college.

  1. Schools/colleges may start an exam up to 30 minutes before the published starting time without notifying AQA.
  1. Schools/colleges may delay the starting time of an exam within the scheduled session without notifying AQA but students must be supervised from 9.30am for morning exams or 2.00pm for afternoon exams"

For summer GCSEs a few years ago all children had to be in school an hour before the exams started to attend a booster session and to ensure they were all in in case of any bus delays etc. I am so sorry your DD has gone through this. I am not sure what else she can do except to resit in the summer.

Original poster
KingsArmy · 18/01/2022 18:04

Thanks for the link, I wonder whether I will be able to see a copy of the college's submission to the JCQ?
The exam board's letter confirming they were not going to mark it stated that she had arrived too late, nothing about the incorrect information so I doubt that was ever included.

OP posts:
NickiMinajerie · 18/01/2022 18:09

Was the paper an hour?
Did they send the form within seven days?
Did they blame poor timekeeping or admit an error by staff member?
Who paid for the re-sit?
When did she start the paper?
Did she see any other pupils on their way out?

I would want access to all the above info, including copy of the form filled out by the exams officer, under subject access request/freedom of info.
Mention in your request for this info that you are disappointed in the college, you want a copy of their investigative findings as it points towards negligence on their behalf and their failure to appeal and act is now threatening your daughter's mental health so safeguarding fail...you would like a full explanation and copies of their liaising with JCQ - if they haven't appealed why not - or you will have to report them to OFSTED and potentially take legal action (leave the legal action out if you cannot afford to follow through or think they will stop communications straight away)

Soontobe60 · 18/01/2022 18:14

Could it have been that the teacher said the exam was 9 - 10.30am?
Do students only find out the time of the exam the day before now? I’m sure my children got a printed timetable of their exams back when they took them.
With regard to how she actually did in the exam, who’s got her paper? I’d ask for it to be marked in college so she can get an idea of how well she actually did, as a way of encouraging her to resit again in November if you have no joy in getting the original paper marked.

NickiMinajerie · 18/01/2022 18:15

You really need the other mother's details to make a firm case.

NickiMinajerie · 18/01/2022 18:17

OFQUAL and OFSTED - hit them with both.

TowandaForever · 18/01/2022 18:19

I don't know why people suggest Ofsted. They won't be interested.

NickiMinajerie · 18/01/2022 18:20

Sitting in the Summer is no compensation for the stress caused and a potentially negative outcome if no longer attending classes. Kids are primed and pumped for the exam in question, retaking it twice is not helpful unless she had ballsed it up November. Good luck OP Shamrock

Original poster
KingsArmy · 18/01/2022 18:29

Was the paper an hour? From memory the paper was 1.5 hours however I believe students could leave after the first hour.

Did they send the form within seven days? I believe so but I will check this

Did they blame poor timekeeping or admit an error by staff member? No admission of error from the staff member, they said she misheard the information however the principal's email has not argued that this was what happened.

Who paid for the re-sit? The college

When did she start the paper? It must of been 10.15 after she had called me in a crying state

Did she see any other pupils on their way out? No one, her friends either failed miserably or passed well so were not resitting.

If this was my son I would be erring on the side of doubt as he is wonderful however generally disorganised and doesn't always listen to the finer details. However, she is not like this, punctual for work, conscientious, although not a high flier tries her best, puts in work outside of school, revises etc. I have no doubt she heard correctly. It also sounds dramatic but she took to her bed for a week after receiving the letter saying they were not going to mark it - this is not normal behaviour for her.

I have asked for the principal to call me to discuss. I have repeatedly expressed my disappointment with how they have handled this. They also lost my original complaint so I was waiting for well over a month for the reply!

I appreciate all the responses.

OP posts:
Original poster
KingsArmy · 18/01/2022 18:31

She got a print out for actual GCSE's but not for this resit, no one in her class did (2 of them).

OP posts:
NickiMinajerie · 18/01/2022 18:44

Re OFSTED they might not be that interested but the college won't want a complaint making - if OP says in their actions (or lack thereof) they are failing to safeguard her daughter's mental health, particularly after the impacts of COVID-19 - they might end up with an inspection.
Further Ed is in their remit. With complaints, they are meant to review the info and ask providers to take action or liaise. The college do not appear to be taking action if they have not appealed JCQ to mark the paper as it was their own mistake.
As to OFQUAL their complaints procedure is if you want to complain about JCQ rather than the actual test centre?www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofqual/about/complaints-procedure
Your only complaint with JCQ is if they have ignored the appeal, despite being given all the info i.e. student was given the incorrect starting time.

NickiMinajerie · 18/01/2022 18:46

Also Ofqual do not investigate complaints if legal action involved