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Original poster

Feeling furious - what would you do? Timed Assessment poorly managed.

20 replies

loveyouradvice · 16/12/2017 19:55

Hi... whenever I think about this I actually get crosser- but I need to be calm for DD who is studying for Jan Mocks.

What do I do about a poorly managed Drama Timed assessment last Friday, which is worth - I think - 15/20% of the GCSE marks?

She was diagnosed with ADHD at the beginning of term

  • we are still adjusting medicaition levels so they tend to run out before the end of the day
  • she has extra time
  • she is meant to have both the ability to use a computer (very slow writing speeds) and to request a break if needed so she can walk around for 5 mins or so to settle her body and calm her brain

We were not told the assessment was taking place - and were so focussed on coursework deadlines for 3 subjects somehow it didnt come up.

Which meant:

  • Her drugs would have run out by the time the paper was written at end of day (if we had known we would have encouraged her to take them at 11 am so they would still be working)
  • Was given extra time but not offered computer
  • She had a brain freeze but didnt know she was allowed to request a break (she thought this was just GCSEs) - so sat there twitching and miserable and unable to concentrate

Any ideas? Especially from teachers?

I am so angry - not only did it mean her first written GCSE paper was a very negative experience, she then had a weekend of coursework to complete - with usual ADHD procrastination/inability to concentrate (which we havent yet learnt how to fully support) ... when she should have been feeling calm as she was well prepared technically for the written assessment (i.e. had been doing excellent work in class)

Help!!!!!! Part of me says just put it down to experience - part of me thinks this is incredibly unfair on a child who is busting a gut to fit in and cope with ADHD

OP posts:
Pengggwn · 17/12/2017 11:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Anasnake · 17/12/2017 11:21

Mock or real ? As all exams are now linear and it's only December then I'm thinking this was only the mock ??

LIZS · 17/12/2017 11:33

If she is y11 it seems very late for this to be her first experience of a timed assessment. Was it a mock or part of her actual gcse? It seems strange if this was not known to be taking place in advance as prep may be required. The senco or exams officer need to be reminded of her access arrangements and to ensure you are aware so that you can support her.

AlexanderHamilton · 17/12/2017 11:37

I can't find any drama gcse spec with timed assessments still, even IGCSE. There uscthe portfolio of which a proportion has to be supervised to make sure it's the students own work. The only thing I can think of is it something like a btec or Vcert?

Anasnake · 17/12/2017 11:51

They won't have sprung a real assessment on them with no notice, that simply doesn't happen. Mocks are there for practice and to highlight any possible issues that may come in the summer. Now you know the issues speak to the senco about how you can prepare your dd before the real exams.

Original poster
loveyouradvice · 17/12/2017 12:03

It was the actual GCSE which is why I am so cross... and she knew it was happening but didnt mention to us - and the school just send out deadlines for coursework (she's doing 3 coursework subjects)....and didnt mention this.

So yes she knew, but she hasn't worked out how to take her drugs effectively yet - nor did she know how to ask for 5 min break.

She has an SEN who she works with weekly - surely they should have prepped her well for her first exam, rather than leaving it so woolley she didnt know she could ask for 5 mins timeout to settle her body/brain.

OP posts:
Anasnake · 17/12/2017 12:07

Which exam board op ?

Greenshoots1 · 17/12/2017 12:08

I don't teach this subject, but in my subject a certain number of timed assessments are submitted, and if the first one doesn't work out well, then there are other chances.

Also it is very unusual for a child to get BOTH extre time AND a computer, they normally have one or the other, a choice if it is possible, but schools don't have unlimited working computers to set up in exam rooms - in fact on Friday all computers on our system crashed - Its a national system and might have included the computers in your child's school too.

Rufus27 · 17/12/2017 12:15

Are you sure it's the real thing, OP? In all the schools I have taught in, you would have had plenty of notice including mentions in the school newsletter, an exam timetable and statement of entry from the examinations officer and probably a lot of nagging and reminding from tutors, teachers and heads of year.

If it was a mock, I would have a quiet word with the Senco or person in charge of access arrangements for students with additional needs. It's crucial this mistake isnt made again in the actual exams. Put it down to experience and move on.

However, if it was the real thing, and you were genuinely not informed of it beforehand, then I think you have a right to feel frustrated and should contact the school ASAP. The key people you would need to contact are the Senco and the examinations officer. They can then contact the board and apply for special consideration.

Rufus27 · 17/12/2017 12:16

Sorry, OP. Hadnt seen your update. Get hold of the Senco and Examinations Officer as soon as you can. Even if you have broken up, EO might still be in school.

Original poster
loveyouradvice · 17/12/2017 12:18

Thanks.... will do.... O

OP posts:
Rufus27 · 17/12/2017 12:19

Greenshoots We have a number every year who qualify for both a computer (or scribe) and extra time. They are allowed for different reasons, so it if not that unusual to be permitted both (as long as a computer is the child's usual method of working).

Thinking of this year's intake, they tend to be students with poor hand writing/poor fine motor skills (hence laptop) and slow processing (hence extra time).

AlexanderHamilton · 17/12/2017 13:01

Yes Ds gets both. Extra time for slow speed of information processing & laptop for disfluent writing caused by poor motor skills/hypermobility.

OP which exam board is it as something doesn't seem right. I'm on a drama teachers forum so though I don't know the exact ins & outs of all the specs I have seen lots of discussions recently.

Greenshoots1 · 17/12/2017 14:25

yes it does happen, but it is far more likely that it is one or the other

TeenTimesTwo · 17/12/2017 14:48

DD1 extra time & computer.

DD2 extra time & computer.

TeenTimesTwo · 17/12/2017 14:49

Oh, and DD1 got 'stand and stretch' too, (but no extra time for doing it).

Original poster
loveyouradvice · 19/12/2017 00:43

Yup DD same as Alexander Hamilton

The Board is WJEC.... any knowledge???

Huge thanks

OP posts:
CauliflowerSqueeze · 31/12/2017 01:18

I’ve looked up the board and spec.

What she has done is the evaluation of unit 1. It is worth 10% of the exam. The only other written part takes place at the end of Year 11.

She was able to take in 2 sides of notes and had 1 hour 30 minutes to evaluate the piece of drama she did with her group.

My thoughts are that she should have told you that she was doing this assessment. This will definitely not have been a surprise for her. They will have had to miss another lesson probably. It’s good she got the extra time.
She should have been offered a computer if that’s what it says on her adjustments. However, unless she has regularly been using a computer for her notes and her revision in advance of this assessment then using a computer may well be a hindrance. Your brain is very linked with how you write.

Getting up to wander around and collect her thoughts, if in her plan, should have been in place but obviously she would not be able to do this with any other candidates in the room as it would be so disruptive to them.

I think I would meet with the senco to clarify the details of her adjustments, because she is going to have to organise for 2 invigilators to be in a separate room with her for every exam in the summer if she is entitled to walk around. The noise of tapping at a computer can also put off others.

For this exam, I think it would have to be enough for them to put a note into her exam that she was not offered all the adjustments she should have been. It’s a shame that with 2 pages of notes she still had brain freeze. At least it’s only 10% though.

Original poster
loveyouradvice · 07/02/2018 09:21

Cauliflower - Im shocked I didnt say thank you for such great advice .... really really appreciated... school being a bit obdurate so don't know Ill win... but this really helped

OP posts:
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