son had his mobile phone in GCSE biology

[Applecheeks]

Three minutes before the end of my sons Biology paper today his mobile phone rang. It was in his pocket. He forgot he had it despite usual prompt at the beginning to hand any mobiles in. He didn't answer it, Invigilator took it off him. He was then interviewed after asked had he intended to cheat etc. My son is chaotic and disorganised. The school rang me to inform and explain that they would submit an incident report. My son is in pieces , angry at himself. I am hoping someone may have had experience. I have read the guidelines on the website of the exam board. This suggests he will receive a penalty of either a warning, lose of points on a unit or the paper, disqualification of this GCSE or ultimately of all he has taken under this board. That would be five GCSEs. I'm so angry with him but that's not helping so trying to stay calm. Clearly it's a breach of the rules but the website doesn't help me work out which penalty is likely as it is judged case by case

[TeenAndTween]

OP - I feel for you and your son. I can see how it might have happened.

I seriously considered sewing up my DD's blazer pockets for GCSEs to stop her accidentally taking a phone in (which is usually off and in her school bag anyway). She is a disorganised dyspraxic, and whilst she can cope day to day, the non-routine GCSE weeks would be completely throwing her if I wasn't around to organise her. Phone is at home on exam days regardless.

[Womaninsack]

I keep repeating myself but here we go again!

On entering the exam hall two teachers/invigilators stand at the door and ask for all phones.

It is NOT POSSIBLE to forget to hand one in!!!!

[Bunbaker]

I kind of agree with Womaninasack. How can someone not realise they have a phone in their blazer pocket? They must feel the weight of it for a start.

At DD's school you aren't even allowed to have your mobile with the sound switched on. If someone's phone goes off in class it gets confiscated.

Those of us with disorganised children jolly well make sure that the phone is off and not in blazer pockets. If they can't even be trusted to stick to the rules the phone stays at home.

[TheFirstOfHerName]

Exam invigilators follow the rules to the point of autism.

Not the best description you could have chosen.

[ClashCityRocker]

Yes, it is very possible.

If you don't usually have your phone on you, you've forgotten you had it in your pocket, you're tired, stressed and your mind is on the upcoming exam, you've seen the signs so often now that you don't actually notice them anymore and have heard the pre-exam briefing so often that you switch off, I can see how it's very possible.

Also, there wasn't neccessarily someone asking the students in the manner you describe - I know for DNS exams, they just asked everyone with a mobile phone on them to hand it in at the front. If you've forgotten you had your mobile on, or wasn't paying attention, it could be easily missed. In fact dn said after the exam that one of her friends still had her mobile in her pocket - fortunately for her it was on silent. Apparently it isn't uncommon.

[Littleham]

It all sounds really stressful for you Applecheeks. There is a lovely ongoing Year 11 support thread for parents with children doing GCSE's. Please feel free to post there if it all gets a bit much for you.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/2395585-Year-11-GCSE-support-thread-5-finishing-off-the-exams

[LineRunner]

Wonmaninsack What you describe sound like what absolutely should be happening for all exams in all schools. But my DS hasn't experienced that - more like the situation thattClashCityRocker describes. I would definitely prefer your method.

[Floggingmolly]

you've seen the signs so often now that you don't actually notice them anymore, and have heard the pre-exam briefing so often that you switch off
Seriously? That is no defence whatsoever. If you have really absorbed a piece of information so completely that you don't notice it anymore, it should actually work the other way and become something something you do automatically, rather than forget to do at all.
What bollocks.

[CorBlimeyTrousers]

I have read this thread with interest. My son is 4yo so we don't have to worry about this yet. And I am ancient so my school and undergraduate exams were pre-mobile phones and although I had one when I did my masters I have no recollection what I did with it or what the rules were in 2003.

I think it's possible to simultaneously believe: the boy was an idiot and broke the rules yet to also feel sorry for him, his mum and the other children taking the exam. None of those thoughts are incompatible. The OP has said she understands he deserves to be punished for what happened but if course she will be hoping the impact on him isn't too severe. I would feel the same.

The repeated references to the awfulness of London schools are a bit grating. I'm sure all areas of the country have good and bad schools, good and bad teachers. I also think it's laughable one could/should judge which child would be likely to cheat vs make a genuine mistake. The criminal court system doesn't tell the jury about someone's previous convictions specifically to avoid that kind of prejudice. The circumstances should be judged on the evidence.

OP - I hope in time your son can learn from this and if scattiness is a problem for him that he finds strategies to help so he doesn't suffer serious consequences again.

[clam]

I think that part of this is as a result of the increasing culture these days of excusing and minimising poor behaviour. So many parents (and teachers, if truth be told) don't actually carry out sanctions that have been threatened, that students (and adults) don't really believe that there will be a consequence for anything they do.

Public examinations are a non-negotiable, however, and Beaufort's experiences are, as she has acknowledged, 12 years out of date. It therefore comes as a huge shock to some people that their "moment of chaos" will have serious repercussions. It's the previous 16 years of excuses for that "scattiness" that has partly led to this, though - and I say that as the parent of a scatty one, but even she has told me that there is no way anyone can seriously claim an accident on the 'mobile phone in an exam' scenario.

[rabbitstew]

I don't know - if you don't normally have your phone with you for exams, I can quite easily imagine having it in your blazer pocket without remembering you ever put it there (and because it's not normally there, not bothering to pat your own pockets to check). The fact it rang in the exam room indicates to me he'd probably forgotten about it, as opposed to having taken it in deliberately - why on earth would anyone deliberately take a mobile phone into an exam room with them that wasn't on in silent mode? You'd have to be mad, not bad... However, you still deserve to be punished for breaking the rules, taking in something with which you could potentially cheat (regardless of whether or not you did), and disrupting the exam.

[MajorasMask]

Currently invigilating - unfortunately I can't predict what JCQ will do, but I would make an incident report and as PP said, usually a member of SLT would get a call. The deputy head at my school is hardcore, he would be very angry.

Unfortunately you have to take into account the disturbance to other students. He may have shared a room with students who need extra time or assistance who really were thrown off. Still invigilators are human and working with teachers who care so much about the students, possible disqualification is not something I would take pleasure in at all. I enforce the rules as required, but I don't write incident reports for kicks.

Public shaming is actually more disruptive in an exam and whilst it says "I am enforcing the phone rule" it also says that you use the power trip to disrupt much more with shouting and drama. I would never do this and your son seems like a nice kid who zoned out, like many of them do during a full month of exams.

[98percentchocolate]

To those of you asking how disruptive this would be; very. Op says it happened 3 minutes before the end of the exam. They'll have already had their 5 minute warning and those who haven't finished will be desperately trying to get it all down. A lot of people would probably be panicking. Throw in the distraction of a phone going off and the subsequent chaos, if it were me it would have thrown me right off and probably would have resisted in my not finishing that question properly.
I'm sorry op, I'm sure it's not what you want to hear. I hope it gets resolved to a positive outcome for everyone.

[mumsneedwine]

They're not allowed a five minute warning anymore. No time checks allowed at all. The students have to keep time - and don't always, which leads to lots of tears. And this year a lot of papers have questions on the back page. Please, please, please tell your kids to not stop until they get to the words 'End of questions '.
I I've been marking most of weekend but just wanted to add that OP should hear tomorrow. I hope you've had a good(ish) weekend and your son is ready for this weeks exams.
Let us know how it goes.

[AndNowItsSeven]

My friends dd remembered she had her phone in her pocket and put her hand up two minutes into the exam , there was no consequence.

[partialderivative]

Who on earth was ringing him during an exam?

[emmelinelucas]

Disorganised or not, nevertheless a phone was taken into the exam room which is not allowed.

[partialderivative]

I do not get the impression that the OP is denying the responsibillity that her DS should have taken on.

It's just a 'what next'?

[MrsUltracrepidarian]

Shocking that a person on here claiming to be an invigilator thinks it s okay to break the rules.
The correct thing to do is simply make a report of the incident ( or any other infringement ) to the exam board and THEY make the decision, not an invigilator who thinks they are above their pay grade.
IME exam boards take rational and proportionate decisions in these cases. so likely worst scenario is loss of the marks on that one paper.
There really is no excuse for a ringing phone - however 'disorganised', a person can switch off their phone when instructed.

[Sandpipernest]

My friends dd remembered she had her phone in her pocket and put her hand up two minutes into the exam , there was no consequence.

That should have been reported to the board , though regardless.

[LineRunner]

The OP started the thread asking for information and maybe a bit of support.

It's Secondary Education not AIBU.

And the OP is now not here any more it seems. I think she probably feels pretty bloody stressed. I hope she is ok.

[AndNowItsSeven]

Not sure that it should, she didn't touch her phone until the teacher walked over to her. There were no signs as she was in a room with one other pupil.

[Applecheeks]

Still here I ve been working today. Stress levels have reduced a bit. Everyday life and the needs of my other three children mean you just have to get on with it. Just want to know which penalty he will incur. He has three exams left all with this same board. We re assuming for now that he'll be doing them. Interestingly I have read that this board had 850 incidents of mobile phones in exams last year. Seems I'm not the only parent with an idiotic teenager!

[LineRunner]

Hi Applecheeks glad you seem OK.