DD poorly for GCSE - what can I do?

[phoebemcpeepee]

DD started feeling I'll last Thursday (sore throat, chesty cough, extreme fatigue NOT covid) she just about managed to get through maths on Friday but came home at lunchtime and slept right through until Saturday. Unfortunately a weekend of rest didn't help and she seems worse not better. She didn't finish her geography paper Monday and couldn't even remember French today and she's falling asleep by 4/5pm and looks dreadful with a really sore throat.

I couldn't get a doctor's appointment today but will try again in the morning but feel really bad for her as I think she's got tonsillitis and it's clearly impacting her work. There's no way I'd send her in for a normal school day but it's her GCSE's so she can't just not go. What, if anything can I do?

[JaffavsCookie]

You must get a doctors note, with one then she should get grades equalised out over other papers completed for the same subject, without (sorry) nothing.

[theemmadilemma]

Drs note. I missed a gcse many moons ago due to illness and was graded from coursework.

[Justdancinginthedark]

Check in case she has glandular fever.

[phoebemcpeepee]

I agree a doctors note now needed but I think she also needs antibiotics. I was on hold for nearly an hour and finally got through and told no appointments in person or telephone go to a & e if it's an emergency. Clearly not an emergency but I do need to at least speak to a doctor. I honestly nearly wept having to drop her off this morning she looked so awful.

[phoebemcpeepee]

@Justdancinginthedark not even considered this. How would I know ? Off to Google.....

[noblegiraffe]

She is better off missing a paper than sitting it and doing really badly.

If she is ill but sits at least 25% of the papers, her grades will be calculated from the ones she sits.

If she’s ill and sits them, the bad papers from being ill will drag down her overall grade.

[Fuckitydoodah]

Sounds like glandular fever. Speak to the doctors and the school first thing in the morning. Like a pp said, better to miss an exam than attend and muddle through it. If it is glandular fever it could be a while before she feels 100%.

[MindPalace]

Could you afford a private GP? Poor DD. What bad timing

[OutDamnedSpot]

Is there an out of hours doctor in your area? Here, we can book an appt by calling 111. I’d call and try to get her seen tonight, then you’ll have a note to cover tomorrow. It’s literature tomorrow isn’t it? I’d agree with PP, arguably better not to sit it than to sit and do badly.

[CraftyGin]

She needs a doctor's note.

Special consideration is worth maximum 5% (eg if her arm had been cut off).

Multi paper exams can be graded on just the papers she sits.

[phoebemcpeepee]

Oh jeez it sounds exactly like glandular fever. I feel awful I didn't find a doctor sooner. She doesn't want to miss any exams (her mocks weren't great ) but I also think she isn't going to do herself any favours trying to focus on an exam when she can't even get through her evening meal without nodding off or tears over sore throat.

Shit, English tomorrow one of her better subjects but if she's still the same do I just call school and say she's not coming in hope to god I can see a doctor that day? What if they say it's just a virus and send her off without a doctors note?! I mean there's no doubt she's ill but I bet quite a few people try this on and they are tougher about giving out sick notes.

[LittleOwl153]

Ring 111. They will get you either an appointment somewhere tonight or a GP appointment first thing tomorrow probably.

Hope she recovers from whatever it is. Must be devastating for her as she has likely worked so hard for these few weeks.

[noblegiraffe]

She doesn't want to miss any exams (her mocks weren't great)

Her mock marks are totally irrelevant to exam grades this year, they won't be used if she misses exams.

If she sits 25% of papers for a subject, that's what will be used. If she misses English lit paper 1 tomorrow, she should hopefully be well by paper 2 on 8th June.

[noblegiraffe]

Also, a doctor's note is not necessarily needed to prove illness. The school can just confirm she is ill when they apply for special consideration without a doctor's note.

Ask them whether she will need one.

[phoebemcpeepee]

Thanks all. Spoke to 111 and awaiting call from out of hours doctor. I would hope school will be supportive - nurse sent her home
Friday saying she did sound really poorly but since then she's just gone in for exams dosed up, kept her head down and come home to bed so they may not even be aware she's still ill. I had to wake her to speak to 111 and she's really hoarse and got a bit of a temperature again (raised Friday/Saturday but then settled) so definitely not wanting to send her in the morning. Wish me luck with school - they're very strict and she isn't the most conscientious pupil (hence brushing it off as exam stress for the first day or so!) so not expecting them to bend over backwards for her!

[lanthanum]

The school will want her to do as well as possible, and it sounds as if she's sufficiently ill that she will do better to miss the papers and be graded on the ones after half-term, than to just get special consideration. Let's hope she shakes off whatever it is over half-term.

[OutDamnedSpot]

How is she?

[pigwood]

Hope she's starting to feel better . What a difficult time for her to be poorly