Options if fail GCSE's

[vbnm89]

Does anyone know what the options are if my DD fails her GCSES due to severe exam anxiety??? She is capable of 7's and 8's but unfortunately she is predicted 1's and 2's because she cannot write more than about a line that is if the teachers even manage to get her into the exam room.

She is on beta blockers and having counselling but nothing is working.

We are on 4 th round of mocks and everytime school says she will get better but actually she gets worse and the anxiety gets more intense each round of exams.

She doesn't eat drink or sleep in exam periods and is sometimes physically sick but because she doesn't eat it is usually just retching. It is getting pretty serious now but I don't actually know what we can do.

She has a place offered for a BTEC if she gets 4's but won't get a place if gets below that.

Oh gosh, I have nothing helpful to add but this sounds so hard for you and your lovely girl. I think that school need to guide you, and not just say ‘it will be ok’, what do they say happens to kids who don’t pass, she can’t be the first. Sorry, my daughter is younger so I haven’t experience of this but I hope someone can help.

There are other alternative qualifications that she might be able to do. I would have a chat with the school senco to find out what alternatives are out there. She might be able to do those next year and then after that do the Btec she wants to do.

There are Btec/NVQs but there still may be the odd test to do. They can be done at FE college.

DD failed all of hers having missed all of y11. However she was only ever on for 4/5s so not such a gap. She is on a Level 1 course which is below her theoretical ability but all she can cope with (germ/people/covid related anxiety).

BTECs.

BTECs are at level 1, level 2 (GCSE equivalent) and level 3 (A level equivalent).

If she doesn't get her 4s she can start at L2 or even L1. She will still have to resit Maths & English. With a reference on ability from school they may let her on to the L2 even if she doesn't officially meet the requirements.
You can normally progress up the levels provided you do well enough on the previous one.

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Is she now worrying about the exams, or worrying about the worrying?
Is it counselling, or something specific like CBT?
Are they letting her be in a small room?
Can she manage tests in class?
Can they practice by giving her a 'mock' every day?
Can she try a mock by not attempting to answer the questions but just stay in the exam room?

Best wishes.

Has she been taught self calming techniques?
The 54321 technique which grounds you in the room?
The other one which helps DD is alphabet listing, eg Aardvark, Beetle, Coypu, Dog, ...

Have you spoken to the school about adjustments eg a separate room, extra time?

Would it be an option for her not to sit this year and use the time to work on her anxiety instead?

Can't you ask her doctor to change her prescription if beta blockers are not working. At her age fluoxetine might work better.
As for her anxiety during exams sometimes the problem is not the subject content, if she is capable of 7s or 8s then her problem is not about understanding the content but rather executing it. You can download some old papers online and work with her. If she practices with you at her side then looking at exam papers would not be a new feeling. May be start with her least favourite subject. Go through the mark scheme, If she gains confidence in that then it will be easier for her to work on other subjects.
Secondary schools are so big that even the teachers with best intentions can't concentrate on one pupil so best to help at home and encourage her.

My daughter started a B tec course on level 2 despite not sitting any GCSEs due to bereavement and declining mental health. We had a reference and school report of her character and ability and an interview with the course lecturer. She then sat her English and Maths on the course and now has a level 3 diploma.
It is worth talking to the college rather than enduring the stress of exams. This would give her more time to develop coping strategies to manage her anxiety when she is stressed.

Sorry it has taken me so long to reply back been a very busy week trying to get my DD through these *** mocks!!!!

She is so not coping and isn't writing much at all when in the exam hall. They are sitting her at the back of the hall and although better than when she was more in the middle it doesn't seem to make a massive difference.

She hasn't eaten since Monday and this is the main problem. she has no energy so she actually can't focus. She has no idea really what she wants to do post 16 and never really has so I think because she has no set idea she doesn't really have anything to work towards. She is determined she wants to do well but her head will not let her. She knows that we don't care what grades she gets. It will be heartbraking if she only gets 2's because she is capable of so much more - the system just doesn't suit her. Why did they have to take the course work element away? Under that system she would have been fine as her classwork and assignments are always outstanding!!

We have upped her beta blockers to one twice a day instead of half so am hoping that tomorrow this may help. School have always been adamant that the more practice she has at exams the better the anxiety will get but actually the more practice the worse it gets.

I spoke to the school about adjustments and they will guarantee her a place at the back of the hall but she cannot sit the exam in a small room without a significant diagnosis or EHCP and the anxiety is only present really at exam times so apparently not bad enough to warrant a small room!!! They did agree to apply for rest breaks as part of her normal way of working but if she has them she has to use them and we decided that actually she is probably better without them because otherwise it makes the exams much longer - unfortunately it isn't something she can just use as and when.

So i think she will have to end up doing a level 1 course at the local tech college and re take maths and english - which she is already worrying about - because she has this exam phobia she says she will never ever be able to pass them - . It is so sad because she just sees herself now doing a level 1 course in anything and then she will work in a shop or cafe. She has lost all enthusiasm for any type of education - i hope that maybe if she does this a few years down the line she will maybe feel confident enough to go back to college.

Beta blockers are not actually that great for anxiety. They lower heart rate, but that doesnt have significant effect on anxiety.
They need to allow her to do her exam in a room by herself. What is causing the anxiety. Could you get her some private therapy

In yr 10 she had a huge panic attack in the hall when she opened her exam paper for geography (her weakest subject!!) she had revised so much and - her words- all the info flew out of her head. She nearly collapsed and was sick outside the hall because she could remember nothing. Since then whenever she enters the big hall - whether exam based or not she thinks she is going to be sick again and whenever she turns the exam paper over she gets the same feeling. She is having private counselling which she says is good because she can offload all her worries but it doesn't actually stop her feeling sick and not eating. I have looked at NLP and hypotherapy but it is so expensive.

I think you need to push for a small room, we have a couple of vulnerable students in a room with just an examiner, others in small rooms with 6 - 12 students - there's no 'rule' about who can or can't go in a small room as far as I'm aware, it's down to the school discretion and the people who make a fuss are more likely to be listened to IME. Keep telling them how she is going to fail unless they put this in place for her and that the school will have failed her. They may say she is not showing it in her normal school day but tell them she is repeatedly showing it in exams - and how can she show she needs to be in a small room in her lessons? They are likely to be in classroom already.

There is also no rule that rest breaks have to be used or are definitely lost, they might take them away if not working or not needed but a lot of children benefit from just knowing they could have a break if they do need to. We have a few with this and it is not taken away because they don't use it. Again you need to kick up a fuss with the school IMO.

If the Head won't listen then you need to go to the governors. Go through each stage of the complaints procedure. I'd also get in contact with the SENCO. She is being failed by the school IMO and they shouldn't be reliant on a diagnosis. I would however also go to the doctors and speak to them about it as well and see what they suggest. It sounds like exam phobia and they might be able to help in some way.

Don't just accept that she is going to do badly, make a nuisance of yourself, speak to her head of year, speak to the SENCO, speak to the Head, go to the governors. I've heard about it at the school I work at - X has so and so access arrangements because her parents made a big fuss about it. The issue I don't know about is how long before exams AA's have to be applied for - however to go in a small room she wouldn't need an official AA to be applied for as I believe that can be down to school discretion.

She needs to be in small room and you need to politely keep on until they give her what she needs IMO.

The other thing I'd suggest is for you to print off past papers for her and for her to get used to opening them and answering some of the questions each day. Just to get her brain used to that opening of the paper. Get her to read the answers for past papers as well so she can see what the examiners are looking for.