As examinations - frozen off?

[tatt]

Anyone know what hppens if the AS exams aren't held because students can't get there? At the moment the freeze looks set to continue into next week and the AS exams start Monday.

At our school we intend to run the exams if possible, but if too dangerous for students to come in then they will be re-entered at no cost to students/parents. Am wondering if exam boards will do anything further as this could affect most of the country.

On my DCs school website it says ALL external exams will take place (I think there are GCSE modules as well as AS exams starting on Monday) whether or not the school is open to other pupils. It is the students responsibility to get there in time so if they normally use school transport and it is cancelled they need to find another way of getting to the school.

I think students can be up to about half an hour late and still be allowed to take the exam - the exam board probably has the regulations on its website. If the absolute worst happens and a student can't get in for an exam then they'll just have to take the module in the summer instead.

DD2 is a bit stressed by the whole thing as she wanted to be in school today for her last maths lesson before monday's exam. Hopefully school will be open again tomorrow especially as we live within walking distance

problem is that in very low temperatures there could be a lot of black ice. It may not be safe for parents to try and drive their children to school. Even 4x4s are very good on ice (not that we have one, my children would have to walk).

I've offered our spare room to any of DD2s friends who live a distance away and I think that may be the only solution for anyone who has far to travel.

The rules on arriving late to an examination are always as follows. As long as you arrive at the examination even 1 minute before the examination ends, you will be allowed to take the examination and will have the full time allowance. So if the exam lasts for 1 hour and you arrive 59 minutes late, you will still be given the full hour from the time that you arrive. All examinations will run from next Monday. They will not be cancelled or re scheduled. The school will ensure that the exam hall is open even if the school is closed. Some staff who live within walking distance of the school will be there to run the exam even if they are usually office or admin staff. If you cannot get your child to school they will have to re sit in May. At the moment the exam board plans to charge for re sit exams.

dd1's school have advised pupils who live out of area to stay the night before exams with someone who lives close to the school. If that isn't possible to contact the school for advice. They can't re-schedule obviously.

there is a one hour rule for exams - after that time students can leave so for an exam lasting more than an hour (most AS?) they'd have to arrive within 59 minutes of the official start time to be able to go ahead. Police have closed some roads around here and with temperatures not going above zero much can't see the ice melting.

I'm willing to put pupils up if they can get here (might be easier midday than the morning). I know that will mean not much sleep for any of them, then a long walk to school.

If the school is closed, or the student can't make it to school, then they will have to take the exam in June.

Ooops - just started another thread, but this contains the info I was asking for.

So basically, if you can get there, you will be able to sit them.

Feel so sorry for those who have real problems, and pray that we're not amongst them come Monday.

if the pupils get there the invigilators may not do so, they aren't always local.

I think for DD2's school any local staff will invigilate if the normal ones can't get there. I would think that most invigilators are very local though as they are usually retired people doing it for a bit of extra cash.

I know some of ours aren't local and the local elderly may not be too keen on trudging through ice.

God I hope not - my students have been working sooo hard on their fieldwork for their AS exams and the A2 students have spent hours on their pre-release paper in preparation for the exams.

We will be fine though as we have cleared our school site and were open last week.

At my school they're making exams a priority - so if we're shut (which we haven't been so far) they can still get enough local staff in to run the exams, but only the exams. Students have been told to make every attempt to get in, or they will have to wait until June to sit them. I think it's fair - it's such a huge logistic task that the exam boards just can't postphone them.

I seem to recall reading something on the local news website here about the schools/LEA drafting in 4x4 "taxis" to get pupils to their exams.

Can't remember the exact details so don't quote me on it!

I've just found the article and it seems that schools with a rural catchment areas are, if necessary, going to go out to collect the young people (using teachers in their own 4x4s).

Those who don't sit them will have the chance to re-sit in the summer

have just heard from school that it will be open tomorrow but have to wait to see if any buses will run.

Regarding start times, morning examinations have to start by 9.30am.

Weason the news this morning that students would be allowed into exams up to an hour late