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

[moctodtensmum]

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.

[moctodtensmum]

Just to update that my child sat the exam feeling utterly rubbish. The school have agreed to an automatic interview given they have a sibling at the school and were so ill. Not sure how much weight they will give to the interview if the exam results are awful but at least it is something.

[Devereux1]

Just to update that my child sat the exam feeling utterly rubbish.

But good that he picked himself up and got on with it. Life is like that, we have to face tests and exams when we feel rubbish, but the world doesn't always change to suit us. This lesson will serve him well in the future. Good for him for not bailing.

[TheWitchCirce]

Rubbish attitude from the school, and terrible attitude of others saying 'send them in anyway'. What about all the other children with a plethora of exams still to sit, being shut up in a room with your poorly child for several hours? I guess it's just every (wo) man for himself.

[memberofseven]

@TheWitchCirce op had no choice but to send her child in for the exam given the attitude of the school. The blame for this sits wholly at the school's door.

OP I think a surprising amount of decision making is on the interview and school reference. How did your dc find the paper? Did they finish? Hope they are feeling better soon.

[IrrationalAnthem]

There’s always a choice and the choice might be, I cannot morally justify sending in an unwell child for their own well being and that of those around them. I agree the school’s attitude sucks, but obviously not enough for the op to reconsider their decision to send their child there.

[Justgivemesomepeace]

Its good that they have offered an automatic interview. She might have done better than you think.
My dd had a vomiting bug for 2 days when she did her GCSEs in the summer. She spent her chemisty and geography exams running back and to to the loo to be sick. We thought it would be a write off but she managed to pull off good grades in both.
Dont lose hope. Fingers crossed for her.

[HelloDulling]

That’s great, OP! At my school. If they were bordering on the basis of the exam, we would use the interview to ask the usual questions, but also ask the head of maths to go through some of the exam questions to see if they can see how they have slipped up. Fingers crossed!

[memberofseven]

Have you heard anything yet op?