Exam cock up again!!!

[frazzledbutcalm]

Update from previous thread. - Dd had her first exam with her 25% extra time .... ONLY THEY DIDN'T GIVE HER THE EXTRA TIME!!!

It was Biology .. dd was still busy writing when the invigilator took her paper away. She'd left out at least one question and put 'silly' answers in a few others. She finished the paper and had gone back to answer the one she left out. She was then going to re-do her silly answer questions.

I've spoken to her head of year and the school's exams officer (seo) - seo said to dd "you're 15, you must speak up if things aren't right"
I said don't dare try to make this dd fault, she in sn group for a reason, it was all VERY formal, strange external man taking her paper, quiet room etc etc. Dd wasn't comfortable enough to 'speak up'! So all school can do is get in touch with exam board and let them know school messed up and didn't allow dd her extra time. He thinks they'll mark her paper then allow an average grade. BUT, my thinking is, they'll see a paper with all questions answered and not know which answers dd was going to change. Whereas if she'd left out the silly answers and left the questions completely blank then they'd be able to get a better picture of what extra to award.

I'm furious and don't really know what to do. School have assured me this WILL NOT happen again ... but they messed up her mock exam papers .. and I was assure then that this WILL NOT/CANNOT happen in real GCSE's

Oh gee frazzled I have no words other than utter incompetence!

Our pupils have their access arrangements written on their name card which is kept on the exam desk so everybody is aware of their needs. Perhaps you can make her a card (or get school to make one) which says her name and '25% extra time' to ensure no one forgets. So unfair and frustrating for her!

That is so incompetent. No wonder you are furious. Luv's suggestion seems a good one as you obviously can't rely on the school to get it right.

Both my dcs get extra time and they and others with additional requirements are in a separate room. I would have thought that would make it easier for school and student.

Thanks all. Dd sits her exams in a separate room, there were only 8 students in there. Exams officer told me yesterday it was her fault, their policy is to have 25% extra time written on the front cover of the appropriate exam papers (but she didn't get dd done in time as access arrangements for her were made late) - can't see how that will help as the front cover is immediately turned over when the exam starts!
A card is a great (and obvious) idea luv ...
I assumed (obviously wrongly) that the official external invigilator would be told which students had extra time .. but no this doesn't happen.

frazzled I saw this on one of the more general GCSE threads, but didn't realise it was you. I would be livid . All that effort and then she didn't get the time. Hopefully they will be very on the ball for all the rest.

Thanks teen ... Livid is an understatement. After the cock up with her mocks being wrong twice (or was it 3 times?) and having to sit 4 papers instead of 2 as a result, being ASSURED nothing can go wrong in the real GCSE

Then add on the fight that we had to get dd her special consideration rights anyway ....

And then after school immediately saying it was their fault ... but still tried to put some blame on dd!!??!!