My daughter has fallen sick during A level exams

[WishIwas21]

All,

Hope you're well.

My daughter has fallen sick during her A level exams and is unable to focus or revise. She sat 3/9 exams but I don't think she'll manage any of the others.

I don't believe she's fit to continue. Is anyone familiar with the rules around funding if a year 13 were to redo the year. She wouldn't be resitting the exam per se as she will only have managed 1 of 3 papers from each subject.

I'm in the midst of collating medical evidence for the school.

I'd be grateful for any guidance.

Kind regards,
Sidra

My son came down with sickness before his first gcse 10 days ago, we were advised by the exam officer to get him in if humanly possible (we did & he did the paper isolated from everyone else & they will advise exam board of his sickness). But told if he couldn’t be in they would take the result of his other paper and then use the results from across the country over both papers to work out a grade.
so if he got a 7 in paper 2 and on average people getting that grade in paper 2 were getting a 6 in paper one, then he would get marked at a 6. (Prob a but more complicated that this but general gist!)

Depending on what is wrong with her and what % of the subject has already been taken, she could still be awarded a grade if you have the right paperwork
In place. Look into special consideration and discuss it with the head of centre and the GP urgently.

@WishIwas21 I don’t think you have understood. She can’t sit the missed papers. She has to resit all the papers for the subject (including the one she already did, but obviously next years version) if she doesn’t qualify for a calculated grade.

Sorry OP your DD is wrong. It isn't up to the school. You can't mix and match papers.

That student probably re-sat a whole subject a year later but not a single paper.

No point in asking - you've listened to none of the advice given here.

I had a student last year who developed migraines over exam season. Her parents asked for TAG grades (Covid only I'm afraid) and for statements from teachers saying she'd have got XYZ grades.

The student was a poor attender, we anticipated her missing some / all exams. She got U grades across the board and we didn't take her back.

No, this will either be a) a subject which only has one exam paper, b) an unusual international specification of some kind where the exams are modular not linear or c) the most likely case, the student resat all the papers for a subject.

I think your dd has misunderstood. You have to sit the whole subject again not just an individual exam. Any assessments or coursework will need to be taken again. When AS was linked to A level you could resit a paper on year 13 but not now.

The papers for each subject are v carefully put together and come as set, you can’t mix and match exams from different sets

I see
if she recovers and manages to sit the exams after half term then she’ll have missed 30 percent of two exams.

ill be speaking with the sixth form on Friday and also the admissions departments of the universities shes considering applying to.

Why are you waiting til Friday?

I’d be onto them first thing tomorrow morning. Our exams officer was emailing me at 9.30 at night to sort my son when we thought there was tue possible of him missing an exam due to illness

She might have resat all papers for the subject.

ill know more once I’ve spoken to the sixth form. I’m also going to read around the legislation and guidelines.

You really need to have that conversation with school tomorrow and submit supporting evidence asap. Papers do not necessarily carry even weight so the cut off may not be as simple as taking a single paper.

It isn't what the school allows, it is what the government will fund.

possibly - im not sure how this stuff works.

You need much greater urgency in resolving and documenting and evidencing this. You need to get on the phone 9am tomorrow to the head of centre/exams officer and establish where you stand with regard to the absence and how it will be treated.
In SOME cases grades can be estimated for missed units and you need to establish if this will apply without delay

https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Guidetoospecconnprocess2023324FINAL.pdf

What is it that you're objecting to? Sometimes we're unlucky and important things happen when we are ill. When they do its important to make the best of things. Exceptions can't always be made. It's not that sad.

The papers have been and gone. She can’t do them at a later date, there is a chance another pupil will tell her what’s in it and they can’t risk that. In the same way the teachers can’t look at a paper pre the exam.
they may work out a grade from what she does sit.

I’ve submitted medical evidence to the school today.
I’m seeing the relevant teacher on Friday and will know more after that.

It's absolutely nothing to do with any teacher and everything to do with the jcq regs.

https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Guide_to_spec_con_process_2023_24_FINAL.pdf

OP I appreciate this is stressful and you are probably trying to help your DD to find the solution that has the best possible outcome for her. It does appear however that you are both thinking that if she sits these papers she won't do as well as she would if shed been in fine health and therefore you're hoping to play the system a bit.

Please don't. This happens every year. It's been seen time and time again. If she has already missed exams you ought to have been onto the school already. It's so so important that you do this. Please, please don't wait until Friday.

If nothing else it is also fairly common for kids who resit to not so as well if they have to self teach since a key part of A Level is exam technique (obviously you'd hope she can retake the year but that varies from school to school).

We don't know whether the OP's DD is at an independent or a state school.

Or whether the sixth form is still running the course next year..

Various reasons why it might not be possible

what days are the exams this week? If she’s started antibiotics today, then she should be feeling better in a day or so. Unless she physically cannot get out of bed, I’d be doing my hardest to get her to school. The school should let the exam boards know the situation

She can physically not leave the bed. The GP has prescribed strong anti biotics and said if she doesnt improve, she'll end up with Pneumonia. As a diligent lawyer, I was considering all eventualities ie worse case ect hence my questions