SATS and glandular fever

[cory]

Ok, bit of a convoluted subject here. Dd is very off colour this weekend and we suspect that it may be glandular fever (which her best friend already has). Had her seen by a nurse at the local walk-in centre and she agreed that she seemed to have all the symptoms and that there is a lot of it about atm. However, this needs to be diagnosed by her GP. Which means waiting until tomorrow morning. And tomorrow morning, folks, is the start of the Year 6 SATS.

The whole thing is further complicated by the fact that when her best friend realised, at the end of last week, that she (bf) might not be able to come in for the SATS, she got so terribly upset that the school rang the exam board to see if she could be examined at home, and possibly by a scribe.

Which puts us in a very awkward position if we do not also insist on dd sitting the SATS with glandular fever- particularly as dd already has a high absence rate with her chronic joint problems, so our credibility is quite low.

The only problem is that I happen to think this is complete bollocks! As I understand it, neglected glandular fever can lead to longterm health problems, dd already has a permanent medical condition and has still not fully recovered from her operation, and tbh it would stretch all our acting powers to have to pretend that she is devastated not to be sitting this pointless exam. She has worked hard and ungrudgingly to prepare for it, and would have been happy to have done her best (knowing perfectly well that it is for the benefit of the school and not for her- dd is no idiot). But with glandular fever...

So what do I do tomorrow morning? Advise me, oh wise ones!

If I keep her at home, it will seem very bad. And there is noone medical I can speak to now.

Keep her home - school will be upset (because it reflects on THEIR league tables) but presumably she's leaving in Sept anyway? So sod the school, focus on your dd getting better.

Hope she recovers quickly - glandular fever can be nasty

My brother had undiagnosed glanduar fever as a toddler. He took years to get over it fully and it was only when a different doctor recognised what was the problem that it was sorted. He basically wasn;t being given chance to recover so kept getting re0-occurences. he had a re-occurence in his early 20's so I would say it is absolute madness to worry about such a pointless exam as the SATS. Studd what dd's friend does, go with your instincts which I think are spot on.

Tomorrow morning first thing phone the school and say that dd is quite ill with suspected glandular fever so will not be going into school - end of. No need for any further explanations.

It's the thing with the best friend that really bugs me iyswim. I've already had it suggested to me so many times that I am too soft with dd (because I won't send her to school with a subluxated back). And now there's another family that they're going to compare us with.

Then again, how comfortable should I feel about sending dd into school with an infectious (and potentially nasty) disease?

Sod the SATs.

(I do say that on all SATs threads though )

I'm with Flame, sod the SATS. Your dd is ill and that's that. If other girl and other girl's parents want to do the exam despite glandular fever, that's their look-out. Your duty is to dd, not to the spectacularly unsupportive school

At any rate, your dd will only be in the damn place for another couple of months, so sod 'em.

agree with everyone else - sod the sats and sod what the school thinks . I think bf and family are quite barking to want her to do the SATs in this situation.

What will happen to your DD it she does not take the SATs?

Nothing... I assume she already has a senior school to go to and S. Schools hold v little in SATs results and re-assess each child when they arrive in Sept. The school will provide teacher assessments to DD'd senior school if they really want them.

What will happen to your DD it she does take the SATs and has Glandular Fever...

Dont take the risk.

Hope she feels better soon

To be fair, I don't think it's the school's fault this time (though has been in the past).

I think it's more that best friend (who tbh doesn't always have a very clear understanding of how the world around her works) has got her knickers in a twist and thinks she is missing out on something really important, her Mum is quite ill and probably doesn't feel up to putting her foot down, and the school may just be going with the flow.

I just don't want to be part of that flow. Problem is, I can't getting a diagnosis without ditching the SATS first iyswim.

Anyway, does me good to hear you all say sod the SATS. I need a bit of propping up tonight- thank you ladies.

I think you know better as parents when your DD is not well enough to go into school exams or no exams. No experience of GF but if my DD had been poorly last week I would have kept her at home (yr 9).

Cory, dont worry about that,

School can get a child to take a SATs test later on during the same day if the child has not seen or spoken to anyone else who has had contact with the test. (sounds ridiculous... they are 11 fgs!)

If you are that worried, ring school at 8am, explain the situation (even if it is just to an answerphone) and gat her to emergency docs asap.

Then if she is given the all clear, she should be able to take the test later on in the day.

No problem, cory, hope she has one of the milder/quicker forms of GF. She needs a diagnosis a hell of a lot more than she needs to help the school out with their SATS results!