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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

DS - school & exam foul play investigation

21 replies

Fiona24 · 15/05/2013 22:12

DS doing AS exams. Overhead by a teacher today joking with a friend that he'd put a couple of numbers on a calculator to jog his memory when revising. Teacher goes to management who interview DS.

DS had had calculator in his see through pencil case - on the table - in a non maths/science exam and so hadn't taken it out - no need to and certainly no intention of looking up these numbers which, at that point, would have been pretty meaningless to him.

DS worried and upset - had to write a statement - it's going to the Head.
Along with the offending calculator.

No invigilator saw his calculator on the exam desk - he didn't have it out - wasn't an issue. He is now embarrassed (kids saw him going in and out of class) and worried about disqualification. Doesn't want us to contact school at this point.

How can I allay his fears? I told him the school was simply covering its back - but I do think it was a possible overreaction - very clearly nothing went on - the invigilators are eagle eyed.

Do we get in touch nevertheless or wait for school to contact us, if they do? School is generally very, very unresponsive when we've gone to them with concerns about progress/happy at school etc.

Oh help - I feel wretched for DS who was silly to banter like this and, I guess, to keep the calculator there in his case (needs it for all other exams) but nothing happened - I really do believe that - and I wish this would all go away .... Any thoughts/any similar experience - many thanks!

OP posts:

cricketballs · 15/05/2013 22:20

what subject was it? the problem these days is that calculators are not just for adding number up and they can be a PDA therefore the school is correct in holding an investigation, which they need to submit to the exam board. If he didn't need a calculator for that exam, then he shouldn't have had it with him and the invigilators are correct in taking action

mindgone · 15/05/2013 22:22

Oh dear, that sounds horrendous! Sorry, I have no experience to offer, but I would ring the school tomorrow to get a better idea of what's going on, and how they're thinking of proceeding, or not! Best of luck.

longingforsomesleep · 15/05/2013 22:24

If it was me I'd contact the school as I'd want to know exactly what was going on and what, if anything, they plan to do so I could allay ds's fears. If he's worrying about this he's not going to be able to focus on the rest of his exams. I'd be on the phone to his head of year first thing in the morning - in a totally non-confrontational way of course!

luxemburgerli · 16/05/2013 10:20

Mostly your post sounded very reasonable, but I wanted to point out that the school aren't overreacting. It may be that nothing happened, but they don't know that. By clamping down on any possibility of cheating they are ensuring everyone's results (including your DS's) are taken seriously by outsiders.

Hope it gets sorted, sounds like a horrible experience for your DS. You could use it to impress on him that 'joking' is relative and can be dangerous in some situations - exams, airport security, text messages with no tone, etc.

monikar · 16/05/2013 10:42

DD is doing AS exams at the moment and it is a very worrying and stressful time. If it were me, I would be concerned that the worry about this incident would overshadow all of his other exams and revision.

I would phone the head of year and explain the situation. I think this is a better course of action rather than waiting for them to contact you as it indicates you have nothing to hide. Also, the head of year, however fierce he/she may seem to your DS, does understand that this is a stressful time for all concerned. At the very least, you can then report back to your DS and smooth it over to some extent which might calm him down a little.

DD had the situation on Monday where she needed to take her calculator to school for one exam but not the other. At her school, they put the calculator on the floor under their table, in full view of the invigilators, if it is not allowed for an exam.

Good luck, hope you get it sorted out.

adoptmama · 16/05/2013 11:06

You can reassure him that he is unlikely to have his papers withdrawn or anything like that. For that to happen he would have had to have really been caught cheating, or for there to be strong evidence he did. The school are not over reacting but following normal procedures for something like this. people do cheat, hence the need to investigate and also to send a strong message that the school will not tolerate it. he will,most likely ultimately be told not to make silly comments like that again; heaven knows they all get enough warnings about how they are supposed to conduct themselves. I am sure the school know your son well and will make a good decision and just warn him to be more careful in the future about the topics of his jokes :). I would call the school and ask them to update you on where they are in the investigation so it is not hanging over him during the rest of his exams.

CouthyMow · 16/05/2013 11:39

At my DD's school, if it is not an exam that you are allowed to use a calculator in, then the pupils are expected to leave it in their bags, in their lockers or form room.

If they entered the exam room with a calculator, they would be disqualified, and possibly not just from that exam.

Nobody dares to forget!!

Original poster

Fiona24 · 17/05/2013 20:05

Many thanks all. Grateful for the thoughts and support.

School has told us that it has to report the incident to the board - DS telling a child, in an unguarded moment, about storing a couple of numbers on calculator - as it was overheard.

School believes DS - no way was the machine on the table and all suspect he simply forgot to put it in his bag.

School thinks, nevertheless, that board may invalidate exam which, I guess, means he'll effectively fail it all (this was for the first of two modules - second to be sat soon). Will this be entered on his certificate - how would it look - does it have to be recorded on a UCAS application?

At that point, we would appeal but hopefully board will agree with school and take no action and mark in the usual way.

DS having a tricky time at school - lowish morale - this was a sort of final straw but at least the school supports. Thanks again but if anyone knows anything about the 'status' of invalid results or can advise about an appeal (overkill to write now?), be pleased to hear!

OP posts:

luxemburgerli · 18/05/2013 07:10

Sorry to hear that it is so stressful Fiona24. What a horrible, hard way to learn a lesson!!

I have no experience sorry... could you phone and ask the board (or search on the net) for their policy guidelines? It might give some idea of how long the process will take, and what sort of outcomes are likely.

I would get DS to write everything down, with as many factual details as possible (names, times, places, exam names, etc). He/you can add to the account as it unfolds. That way if it does drag on for a few weeks, you will still have an accurate record of all events.

luxemburgerli · 18/05/2013 07:16

I meant to add that it is great that he has the backing of the school, that can only be positive. Goes to show that general good conduct can pay off... could you use this to boost his confidence?

I'm sure you've already done this, but say that YOU (and the school) know it was just a silly mistake, whatever the outcome.

WastedTomatoGuts · 25/05/2013 22:22

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adoptmama · 26/05/2013 07:21

Appeals procedure will depend on the exam board, but there is nothing to be gained at the moment from contacting them as you need to wait for their decision. As far as I know there is nothing additional entered on an exam certificate - just the indication of a fail, rather than anything else. As far as UCAS it can have an impact depending on the subject and universities he intends to apply to. Some universities expect certain subjects - such as Maths - on the first try and do not accept resits. Others couldn't care less. Some unis - some of Russell Group, Oxbridge accept no resits at all, regardless of subject. Hopefully the board will see this for what it was - a daft comment which in no ways shows your boy cheated or gained any kind of unfair advantage. So, even though strictly speaking he broke the rules by taking 'unauthorised equipment' into the exam room he did not gain anything by it, did not cheat, so should not have his result set aside. Good luck.

xylem8 · 27/05/2013 17:00

'' Oxbridge accept no resits at all, regardless of subject''
Rubbish!

adoptmama · 27/05/2013 20:58

Rubbish? I was our uni adviser for 6 years and hosted staff from both oxford and cambridge admissions at school events. I have been told this directly by them and witnessed them telling applicants too, and also told the same by individual colleges. Why would they tell me this if it was rubbish - they want the results on the first sitting, including at GCSE level.

Milliways · 27/05/2013 21:06

My DD was at Cambridge, and she re-sat her language oral modules twice to get a higher mark. They questioned her about this in the interview, but she still got her place.

junebeetle · 27/05/2013 22:35

Even maths resits are not unheard of for maths offers at Cambridge. Not common I shouldn't think, but I know someone who had to resit C3&4 in year 13 to get an A* after completing the full maths A level in yr 12 and 'only' getting an A, he still got an offer (they knew he was resitting and all the UMS grades of all the modules). I'm sure they don't really like resits and look at them carefully, but it's certainly not an automatic rejection to have done/be doing any.

gillviola · 31/05/2013 19:20

As there are no January resits for AS levels anymore, then there seems little point in worrying about them. Regarding having to prove cheating to lose your exams- we had a pupil whose mobile phone fell out of his pocket (it was not on) onto the floor during his exam. It was reported to the board as we are required to do and the pupil received a U grade.

IKnowWhat · 31/05/2013 23:24

HERE are Cambridge Uni's guidelines for GCSE AND AS/A levels.

cut and pasted
GCSE and AS/A Level requirements ?
The facts at a glance

Cambridge does not require a minimum number of A* grades at GCSE
Cambridge does not require 90 per cent in every AS/A2 unit
Cambridge does not require an average of 90 per cent in every AS/A2 subject
Cambridge does not require an average of 90 per cent across their three best or three most relevant A Level subjects
Cambridge is comfortable with applicants retaking a few AS/A2 units

End Quote.

Generally universities don't care about a few unit retakes even for prestigious courses. Including Medicine. (Within reason obviously )

IKnowWhat · 31/05/2013 23:30

adoptmama. I think other posters are thinking of unit resits whist you may be thinking of resitting the whole A Level exam. I know some Uni's do not like students who have taken three years to complete their A levels.

HERE is an article about resits

adoptmama · 01/06/2013 13:32

could be yes - i am not talking about units, but the whole thing

samonly · 02/06/2013 11:56

How do they view candidates who 'start again' after wrong choice of a levels? not sure I can convince my son to do this, but it would be good.

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