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Original poster

Fuming...a case for special consideration?

12 replies

olivevoir58 · 17/05/2013 22:29

My Dd sat her RE gcse today. She has an EBD statement (long story, she's adopted from the care system). Last year in Y10 she was due to sit the entire paper. She sat the first paper and achieved 68 UMS on it (C+) but due to her extreme anxiety, walked out of the second paper after 10 minutes. School applied for special consideration but it wasn't granted. As she started the paper, she was awarded 6 UMS for that paper and was awarded an overall F.

So today she resat that paper. She worked hard for it and is in a much better place this year. However this week she has developed a chest infection. She has been coughing so much she has made herself sick but was determined to go to school to do this exam. School put her in a seperate room so that she would not disturb others with her coughing. Anyway she was coughing so badly that she was taken to the medical room. School then decided that she was too ill to carry on with the exam even though she wanted to. We were expecting an overall B but now it looks like she will get another F. I am so cross with the school for not allowing her to continue as this gcse was pretty much in the bag and she needs 6 to stay on at school.

From looking at the criteria for special consideration, it would seem that by starting the exam, the maximum that they can award her is 5% of the total paper ( as she only did 1/4 of the paper this will not be enough for a C) whereas if she had not started it they might have given her a discretionary C.

I am so cross. What would you do?

OP posts:
Horopu · 18/05/2013 06:30

I have no idea, so am no help, but this sounds really tough for all of your. Good Luck. Hope someone else comes along with good advice.

NotTreadingGrapes · 18/05/2013 06:45

I have no idea either, but logic and common sense tells me they should do something for her.

Good luck!

Original poster
olivevoir58 · 18/05/2013 10:01

Does anyone know whether I have my facts right in that if a student withdraws before an exam due to illness, a predicted grade can be used but if an exam is started but not completed, only 5% of the total for the paper can be added to the score achieved?

OP posts:
PhyllisDoris · 18/05/2013 10:05

Sounds odd. Is this a rumour from the kids, or is this what the school say?

PhyllisDoris · 18/05/2013 10:07

Oops, posted in wrong thread. Ignore above remarkHmm

Original poster
olivevoir58 · 18/05/2013 10:09

No it's what I've gleaned from reading the special consideration arrangements guide from Ofqual but it doesn't actually mention this scenario, it assumes that if you are ill you just wouldn't turn up for the exam in the first place.

OP posts:
Original poster
olivevoir58 · 18/05/2013 10:10

Oops well it was read well in this thread too!

OP posts:
bulby · 18/05/2013 10:14

If a pupil misses a whole paper they are absent and not given a grade. If the paper makes a small part of the final grade they'll be given a grade based on the other papers they've done. Predicted grades aren't used to give pupils grades if they're ill- think about it, we'd just give all kids massively inflated predictions on the off chance they will be ill. As teachers the vast majority of us aren't really sure why we supply predicted grades but suspect its to do with helping the exam boards set grade boundaries.
It's really not nice that your daughter was ill and I really feel for students in this situation but I think you need to see that people will have been doing what they feel was best for your daughter, ultimately it would reflect better on the schools grades if they'd made her finish because she'd have come away with a higher grade IYSWIM.
Practice during exams is dictated by exam boards/ government and not schools.

I hope things work out well for your daughter.

Smartiepants79 · 18/05/2013 10:26

I can't see anything about using predicted grades on the ofqual website. Just that special consideration can add only about 5 % of the total marks.
In fact this www.tring.herts.sch.uk/Exams/Notices/Absence%20&%20Illness%20in%20Public%20Exams.pdf
States quite clearly that potential grades are irrelevant.
It is a bad situation but I'm not sure what can be done except another resit!

Original poster
olivevoir58 · 18/05/2013 10:27

Bulby - please can you clarify what you mean? She will just get the marks for the bits she's done and that grade will probably stand. Yes I know the school were doing their best for dd in the short term but possibly the worst they could have possibly done in the long term. As she is a C grade student this could prove a MASSIVE problem for September.

OP posts:
bulby · 18/05/2013 19:26

Sorry I've been out for the day. As far as I'm aware she'll be given a grade on the marks she has picked up out of the total. If she picked up a couple of marks on the paper it could work out better if special consideration is given than if she didn't do the paper at all and got special consideration. I'm happy to be told I'm wrong but this is what I've seen over the years.
All the best

adoptmama · 19/05/2013 07:20

each exam board have their own arrangements for special consideration. She began the exam and had to stop due to a health problem so the school need to contact the exam board on her behalf. I would say urgently find out the exam board and their conditions for special arrangments.

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