illness on test day.

[bexamy]

A friend of mine who has a girl in the same class as my daughter was ill at school today vomiting. If she is unable to attend the test tomorrow at the grammar school do they offer a.alternative dates like the children who were off I'll with this bug on Kent test days were allowed to sit it today. I am also interested incase my daughter gets it overnight.

[Amber]

I can't speak for your area but would advise you to get a doctor's note ASAP and withdraw the child from the test if illness continues or occurs. They must offer alternative tests in such cases.

Please do not do what someone did in our area a couple of years ago. They took the vomming child to sit the test - it had been ill during the night and again on the way to the test but the parent inexplicably attributed this to nerves. It vomited during the test, loudly and generously, into a waste bin in the classroom. The parent appealed on the grounds of illness when the child was unsuccessful in the test, but I don't know the outcome. What I do know is that the other children in the room, who had to witness the sights, sounds and odours of the scenario, did not get any special consideration.

Hope all is well and your child stays bug-free though.

[bexamy]

I can't speak for your area but would advise you to get a doctor's note ASAP and withdraw the child from the test if illness continues or occurs. They must offer alternative tests in such cases.

Please do not do what someone did in our area a couple of years ago. They took the vomming child to sit the test - it had been ill during the night and again on the way to the test but the parent inexplicably attributed this to nerves. It vomited during the test, loudly and generously, into a waste bin in the classroom. The parent appealed on the grounds of illness when the child was unsuccessful in the test, but I don't know the outcome. What I do know is that the other children in the room, who had to witness the sights, sounds and odours of the scenario, did not get any special consideration.

Hope all is well and your child stays bug-free though.

Yes my friend is contemplating sending her child in ill too. I don't agree with doing this as it's not fair on the child grammar school place at risk or not. I wouldn't want to sit a test vomiting so wont be expecting my child to. I am surprised they allowed her to sit it like that. It would distress my daughter as shes a bit funny like that,and definately have an impact on her performance.

[CarpeDiem]

I would never send a child that is below par for their test. There will always be an alternative date available. Make sure you get a doctors note though. My DD was sent home from school the day before her test. We got a doctors note and she was allowed to sit a week later. Unfotunately we felt we could not defer again as though she was still not 100% she was no longer contagious. She performed at far below her best and failed to qualify and I still regret that we did not press for another date when we could say she was fully recovered from the virus. At appeal the circs were supposedly taken into account but as the school is notorously difficult to win on non qual grounds we really really wish we had not put ourselves in that position.

[kumarsAt42]

I would never send a child that is below par for their test. There will always be an alternative date available. Make sure you get a doctors note though. My DD was sent home from school the day before her test. We got a doctors note and she was allowed to sit a week later. Unfotunately we felt we could not defer again as though she was still not 100% she was no longer contagious. She performed at far below her best and failed to qualify and I still regret that we did not press for another date when we could say she was fully recovered from the virus. At appeal the circs were supposedly taken into account but as the school is notorously difficult to win on non qual grounds we really really wish we had not put ourselves in that position.

Just checking, whether your DD got the same test paper for the re-test?

[CarpeDiem]

I do not know as the school would not say. I was told the test would be the same standard as the original test but they would not confirm if it was the same test or a new one.

[Middlesexmum]

Will GPs issue a note without seeing the child? I wouldn't want to take my vomiting child to the surgery!

[CarpeDiem]

Unlikely but you would need to askthe doctor they may do home visit. You could complete circs form without a doctors note to re arrange test date but I would check that this is OK with the school. Also if it happens that you need to appeal having a docs note confirming child was unwell would help if you had to argue that they did not perform at their best because of recent illness otherwise they only have your word.

[Minesatea]

Will GPs issue a note without seeing the child? I wouldn't want to take my vomiting child to the surgery!

I dont know about vomiting children but when I had to take ds for a letter with chicken pox once, they asked us to stay in the car park until the gp was ready and then took him in via the back door so we didn't go anywhere near the waiting room.

[countrymum]

Definitely concur with CarpeDiem's comments. My DD just missed out on qualifying for her 1st preference GS. I knew she was under par on the day, and had I been more 11+ savvy I would definitely have postponed the exam and got a gp note. I strongly believe she would have passed on another day when 100% fit and well, especially passing a good handful of other 11+ exams. I should have been more opinionated about her doing a re-take - but there we are

Even though a special circumstances form was completed - there was no review option, so would only be applicable in an appeal I guess. As it turned out DD very happy at 2nd preference GS and in truth have a 'it was meant to be' feeling about it all. She in reality is more suited to the one she's at so has all turned out well