So how are your yr11s coping with the exam hall?

[Midgecrow]

Because ours are not.

I've been teaching an eternity and have never known so many kids need:
Separate rooms
Special seats (by the door/not by the door/ at the front/ not at the front/ with a space around them etc, etc)
The toilet in an exam lasting an hour or 2.
So much coaxing to actually sit the exam.

Is it because covid hit them in yr 7? Or is this the new world?

Ok. there were tears today after a relatively calm time Monday and yesterday. There’s a fair few access arrangements but that’s just the way of the world now. Doesn’t feel that different to last year so far.

They have been working so hard. It’s the first exam for my subject in the morning and I am really hoping they will start with a good paper that will help them to build some confidence for the others.

Ok I think. They've already sat paper 1 for my subject and it was the hardest paper by far since about 2018 but they came out saying they'd tried their best, fingers crossed and going to revise twice as hard for paper 2 just in case. Way more resilient than last year's cohort . We've got a few with access arrangements etc and one doing her exams at home but it seems to follow the national picture of there being more knowledge on SEND and the ongoing impact of the pandemic. I wouldn't say they are less able to cope with the exams.

Special rooms for us are better than a few years ago because we're sticking rigidly to the JCQ guidance about needing evidence of need. Special seats we have also had to start asking for evidence for, because otherwise we would have everyone wanting to sit in certain places.

We've let students and parents know this well in advance, and obviously there's still one or two parents who think making a huge fuss after the first exam will get them what they want. I actually think these parents don't help at all.

TBF, I think students have always wanted the toilet in exams- part of it is dealing with the boredom if you finish early.

We've had a few tears as well, but actually these have been overcome and the students have gone in and tried their best.

I think the vast majority are coping well, considering!

We had a lot of what you describe last year. This year’s cohort have been much less needy so far.

The biggest panic last year was the realisation that half the year group couldn’t read the giant analogue clocks and we had to buy digital ones.

Some need the toilet because they're addicted to nicotine due to vaping.

Same situation at my school though, most absolute fine but huge rise in specific seating/spare rooms etc. So much so that they're spread all over the place and we are being told off for making any sort of noise in PE lessons. When all the PE indoor facilities are used for exams 👌.

Of course, the vaping! How could I forget that? This group have always been a little rule resistant. We're having to be particularly vigilant about phones in pockets, as they seem incapable of reading the giant signs warning them that a found device could result in disqualification. Reading instructions on exam papers is also proving problematic.

Last year's were fairly relaxed about it all.