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Secondary education

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Original poster

What happens if your child is ill on entrance exam day?

33 replies

moctodtensmum · 05/01/2020 15:33

My 11 year old is due to sit 11+ entrance exam for a London day school on Tuesday. Today they seem to have come down with flu: temp of 40 and everything.

This is their first choice school, and the school their sibling attends. It is hugely competitive and I know they won’t change exam dates even if a child is sitting two exams on the same day.

Any ideas what the school will do if I tell them my child is ill.

OP posts:
Straysocks · 05/01/2020 15:40

My eldest was ill on the day of his entrance exam but sat it at the school a week later - with a small group of children. I took him to GP and got a letter explaining he was too ill to attend and this was sufficient. It was a virus and I would not have taken him to GP otherwise but felt it was important that a hcp confirmed my opinion that he was unfit to do exam that day. Can you email admissions officer today to explain?

LeekMunchingSheepShagger · 05/01/2020 15:42

Surely the best thing to do would be to ask the school? Confused

ripple11 · 05/01/2020 15:48

That's awful , I feel for them and you.
Some schools have a reserve "sick" day if you call them on the day.
Next Tuesday is particularly hectic....KGS ,Latymers, St.Pauls, Kew House etc
We have 45 mins to get from one to another with lunch in the car!
All you can do is call them tomorrow and see want can be done.
Hope he/she feels better by Tuesday.

Original poster
moctodtensmum · 05/01/2020 16:03

@LeekMunchingSheepShagger obviously. But it’s Sunday night so I can’t contact the school and thought I’d check if anyone has had a similar experience and could advise.

@ripple11 it’s one of those schools. This is all so stressful.

OP posts:
Original poster
moctodtensmum · 05/01/2020 16:04

@Straysocks that’s a good idea to get a letter first thing.

OP posts:
newtothis15 · 05/01/2020 19:37

I thought SPJ has only 1 exam - and it would disregard even illness? When I phoned them about clash of exams, they said they only do 1 exam, no alternative dates...?

Original poster
moctodtensmum · 06/01/2020 16:48

In case this helps anyone to know - there is no alternative exam, your child can sit the exam and the school will note they were sick and take this into account but that’s it. Even though my child has a sibling at the school and we had always hoped all our kids would go to the same school. That’s a year of tutoring down the drain and the loss of our most hoped for schooling option.

OP posts:
LochJessMonster · 06/01/2020 16:50

Give them a hearty breakfast in the morning, lots of fluids and tissues for the exam, tell them to just read through slowly and do their best.
heart breaking Flowers

HelloDulling · 06/01/2020 16:53

Oh, OP. Masses of Calpol and fingers crossed?

memberofseven · 06/01/2020 16:59

Good luck to your child for tomorrow. That's a terrible attitude on the part of the school in my opinion. Lots of fluids tonight and dose them up on the highest lot of medication (paracetamol and ibuprofen) you can. The doctor will be able to calculate dose age based on weight - it will be higher than is listed on the bottle. Get some of those dextrose sweets too. You must get a letter from doctor and submit (ideally detailing their temperature) and make sure the current school updates their reference to refer to this illness. It's really bad of the school concerned that during exam season they are asking your child to attend and potentially infect others.

I sat my law finals dosed up beyond belief and unable to speak and did fine so all is not lost. Packet of strepsils and tissues too.

I do understand how stressful it is though as the competitiveness of these schools means every mark counts. I went through this last year so have my fingers crossed for you as it was bad enough with a well child.

ripple11 · 06/01/2020 17:17

I noticed in the KGS info they sent it says to provide a doctors note ...so I guess that is one school who will reschedule. On the day, surely its only going to ba a handful at most, of sick children who need a later date?

Best of luck.

Autumnnightsaredrawingin · 06/01/2020 19:34

I have to say I think that is terrible behaviour on behalf of the school. 😢 They will also potentially infect other children who may still have exams to take. What about if it was noro virus or similar?! Would they really expect a child who was being physically sick to turn up?

OP, make sure you get that drs note and best of luck to your child, it’s a horrible, horrible situation.

HelloDulling · 06/01/2020 22:56

OP, I would ask your current head to ring their head, or the person there that they have the relationship with, tomorrow and speak up for you. Getting your DS into the right SS is a big part of the head’s job.

Original poster
moctodtensmum · 07/01/2020 05:18

@HelloDulling thank you but my child is currently at a state primary so the Head s doesn’t see their role that way :-(. Fever still high, no food for over 24 hours. Calpol isn’t going to get us through this.

OP posts:
Autumnnightsaredrawingin · 07/01/2020 08:09

@moctodtensmum just to wish you and your child all the best for today. Do you have other options if he/she doesn’t sit this exam/get a place? If he/she hasn’t eaten for 24 hours that’s going to be incredibly tough. 😢 I’m so sorry. All the best. Xx

ColaPip · 07/01/2020 10:03

@moctodtensmum oh no, I am so sorry to hear this. The school's attittude is dreadful and I really feel for you. Sending you all the very best and hope your child feels much better very soon.

Devereux1 · 07/01/2020 10:09

Many children take exams whilst under par, facing serious illness, suffering extreme stresses and bereavements. They get on with it. This is life.

I agree with a previous poster - load your child up on medication, eat well, drink lots of water, and do their best.

PatienceVirtue · 07/01/2020 11:34

I'm with the sympathising posters on this - they're 10/11 year-olds (i.e. bug magnets) and it's virus season. Poor thing. I wonder how much allowance the school will make? You do wonder how hard it would be to have a second sitting.

I'm also amazed that Latymer and St Pauls should be on the same day. They're a mile or so apart. They're must be so much overlap. Sometimes these schools should recognise who's paying.

BTW OP is it L? Last year the way they treated my friend whose son was applying with an older sibling was in marked contrast to the way my dd's school treated us in the same situation.

memberofseven · 07/01/2020 13:05

Did your child sit today op?

HomeMadeMadness · 07/01/2020 13:43

Bloody hell that's rubbish of the school. Of course a 10/11 year old shouldn't be sent to sit an exam with a fever/D&V (a cold or sore throat fair enough). It's horrible that the school are giving up potential students because they can't be bothered to reschedule. I do think it might be indicative of how they'll deal with any problems down the line. They might just have the attitude "oh well there are hundreds of kids on the waiting list who don't have these issues so why bother resolving them?".

minesadecaf · 07/01/2020 13:47

That attitude would make me not want to send my kid there. What does that say about their pastoral care?

OrangeSlice · 07/01/2020 13:59

Wow. Dd didn't do 11+ but her dad died suddenly just before the SATS and she was in deep shock so didn't take them. If it had been 11+ I'd have had a pretty low opinion of a school that was too lazy/heartless to arrange another sitting

cricketballs3 · 07/01/2020 18:45

Whilst it may seem unfair that's the reality for public exams - sat that day with no 2nd chance

OrangeSlice · 08/01/2020 10:20

Hope it went better than expected and your dd gets in. Also hope the school haven't caused other kids to catch it by not rearranging for sick kids.

minipie · 08/01/2020 10:35

Really tricky. No second sitting is very unfair on the sick kids and also encouraging spread of infection.

On the other hand, doing a second sitting is not that easy. If they use the same exam for both, how do they ensure the first round of kids don’t discuss the questions and give the second round an unfair chance to prepare. If they use a different exam, how do they compare children from the two rounds against each other, as one may have been harder than the other.

Plus how do they decide when to do the second sitting - a few days later and some kids will still be sick, but if it’s a week or more later then it messes up the whole offers process.