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Secondary education

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Original poster

How do I address this ridiculous mock timetable?

94 replies

MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 20:35

Ds1 is doing GSCE mocks starting on the 7th Jan. He has 25% extra time due to processing difficulties and attention deficit. He works hard though and has been revising his socks off this holiday.

I've gone through the exam timetable properly today and I'm fuming! I've realised that on his first day of exams he has 3 exams roughly 2 hours in length with a 10 min break between the first 2 and then a 5 min break (which is also including lunch) for his third exam. I just don't know how he can perform to any standard under these conditions. I don't think I could concentrate for 6 hours with 15 minutes of break and little or no time to eat/ go toilet. The timetable has clearly not taken the children with special needs/ extra time into consideration. It seems mad to give them extra time and then punish them for it.

I know it will never be like this for the real exams as mocks are over 1 week and GSCEs are not, but I'm worried that he's going to perform very badly and that will undermine his self confidence and the hard work he's put in. I assume offers for 6th form will also go on predicted grades from the mocks?

What can I do? I'm so angry so I'm not going to do anything tonight, but please help... 🙏

OP posts:
ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 26/12/2021 21:09

If they get extra time they get it for everything including Maths and any NEA.

Why would they not need it?

cloudtree · 26/12/2021 21:11

With ds2 (extra time) he sometimes starts the final exam later than everyone else. That way he gets extra time but can’t cheat.

Other leaving the exam room is disruptive though

Hercisback · 26/12/2021 21:13

@EducatingArti
11 years as a maths teacher and seeing students in mock exams. They rarely use the extra time in maths.

Yes they are fully entitled to it in everything. Just in my experience it isn't used much in maths. If it is used its an extra 5-10 mins and not the full entitlement. I know this isn't the same as other subjects.

Original poster
MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 21:14

@cloudtree, should they not put extra time children in a different room? I'm also going to ask about that as it says he is in the gym so I'm wondering if he will be disrupted.

If the worst comes to the worst, I will directly contact the teachers to let him know the conditions he's taken their exam under. It's not fair on their effort to teach him either. It must be sad to see a student get a lower grade than you'd hoped for them.

OP posts:
Hercisback · 26/12/2021 21:17

@MerryMarigold Being in a different room is a separate exam consideration. If he has an EHCP he should qualify automatically (check with exams officer/senco for latest guidance). Extra time alone doesn't need a different room anymore.

Original poster
MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 21:18

[quote Hercisback]@EducatingArti
11 years as a maths teacher and seeing students in mock exams. They rarely use the extra time in maths.

Yes they are fully entitled to it in everything. Just in my experience it isn't used much in maths. If it is used its an extra 5-10 mins and not the full entitlement. I know this isn't the same as other subjects.[/quote]
That might be true. The issue is mostly between Physics and History though. He can take quite a while to process the physics questions and figure out what he actually needs to use to answer it.

OP posts:
Original poster
MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 21:20

No, he doesn't have an EHCP. I thought they were trying to narrow the gap on SEND!?

OP posts:
Hercisback · 26/12/2021 21:21

Get in touch with school when they go back and raise the issue of extra time and students breaks etc. They will have a solution somehow.

Original poster
MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 21:22

Thanks. I'll have 2 days to sort it! The bad day is on 7th Jan!

OP posts:
ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 26/12/2021 21:24

Actually the schools exam officer shoukd have picked this up first and seen your ds before the timetable came out.

cloudtree · 26/12/2021 21:24

You don’t get a separate room automatically just because you get extra time. It’s a completely different exemption.

What are his exemptions and his normal way of working?

Ds2 gets extra time, ds1 gets breaks and can use a laptop.

wonderstuff · 26/12/2021 21:24

We don’t put students with ET in a separate room automatically, we don’t have the space to.

If you had actual exams with those breaks a student could take one later in the day. Definitely speak with the school, presumably your son won’t be the only one affected around 15% of our kids get extra time.

Hercisback · 26/12/2021 21:26

2 days is ages in school time, just to reassure you. They will have a solution, come back to us if they don't!

EducatingArti · 26/12/2021 21:28

[quote Hercisback]@EducatingArti
11 years as a maths teacher and seeing students in mock exams. They rarely use the extra time in maths.

Yes they are fully entitled to it in everything. Just in my experience it isn't used much in maths. If it is used its an extra 5-10 mins and not the full entitlement. I know this isn't the same as other subjects.[/quote]
I tutor maths and have a high proportion of students with SEND issues. I spend a lot of time showing them where they are likely to make errors because of their additional needs and encouraging them/training them how to spend the extra time to mitigate against this. I'd be furious if someone suggested that they didn't need the extra time for maths.
I guess we are looking at it from different ends of the process though.

Hercisback · 26/12/2021 21:33

I would never say it to the students! It's just learned experience that students really don't seem to use the extra time in maths.

VikingNorthUtsire · 26/12/2021 21:34

Mocks are really, really hard to schedule. Getting the right kids into the right number of rooms with enough invigilators and without disrupting other year groups is a real logistics challenge. Much much harder than running real exams.

I suspect that they just haven't noticed how crazy your DS's timetable is. Phone on the first day back and speak to his HoY and/or the exams officer. I am sure they will do whatever they can to help find a solution.

Original poster
MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 21:36

@EducatingArti, that's very interesting. I think maybe we should find a tutor that could do this for Ds1.

OP posts:
Original poster
MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 21:39

Thanks so much everyone. I feel calmer and like this can be sorted! I appreciate your help.

OP posts:
Original poster
MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 21:43

@cloudtree, he usually sits exams in a different room. He did GCSE RE a year early last year but of course, it wasn't 'normal' so was timed assessments but they were all in normal classrooms (as opposed to the gym). These seem to be scheduled in the gym so that side of things is also a bit confusing along with the short breaks.

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WireyGirl · 26/12/2021 21:49

Just to say my DS has extra time too and I would be equally furious with this.
The timetable is causing indirect discrimination against your son who has a long term and enduring disability. This goes against the equality act and it needs to be taken seriously.

Mistressiggi · 26/12/2021 21:52

I would ask to have the middle of the three exams moved (for him) - does he have space the next day with only one or no exams?
Students I know with adhd can have extra time or movement breaks and usually separate accommodation (this may be with other students though, but in a classroom not a hall). You could offer solutions such as taking his phone/Xbox to remove methods of communication until he sits the exam. Ultimately it would be trust though.
I'm surprised no one in learning support noticed it.

Shadowboy · 26/12/2021 21:53

That’s unacceptable. Even in ‘real’ exams there is a set maximum examination time and breaks. Usually lunch for clashes is supervised so he should have a longer supervised lunch. What’s happened is the school don’t want to pay for invigilators beyond the standard school day. I would certainly complain.

I am a teacher and I would not expect my students to perform well on only 15 minutes.

frazzledfragglefromfragglerock · 26/12/2021 21:55

@user1471530109

They won't be expecting him to work through like that. On days like that, I would imagine extra time will be given at a different time (not ideal I know).
This won't happen. They'll add the extra time to the end if the exam. That's what they'll do in the real exams and if the leave the exam and then return to it they'll have had opportunity to talk to others about the paper.

It's all about timetabling and limiting disruption to the rest of the school plus paying for invigilators which are mostly used even in mocks now.

Don't be mad at the school, be mad at the ridiculous exam driven curriculum with greater content and longer exams than ever before where all students are treated as equal learners even though we all know that's bollocks.

MsJaneAusten · 26/12/2021 22:06

I’m a teacher and a parent of a child with ADHD. Ignore anyone saying nothing can be done, or advising he doesn’t use the extra time. The timetable as it stands could be seen as disability discrimination. Someone has made a mistake; they can’t really expect him to do that.

I’d email SENCO and head of year now. They might see it and respond over the holidays but if they don’t, at least it’ll be waiting for them when they’re back. Be polite, obviously, but ask what reasonable adjustments can be made to meet his needs (including his basic needs to rest and eat!) Good luck Flowers

Original poster
MerryMarigold · 26/12/2021 22:09

Thank you MsJaneAusten. I will do this.

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