advice please, ds didn't finish the exam due to illness

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regretmum
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Sep 19, 2009 4:21 pm

advice please, ds didn't finish the exam due to illness

Post by regretmum »

We made the wrong decision this morning to have sent him to the exam. he was coughing a lot during the night. This morning he was ok except the cough. We thought he could do it. he managed to do the math and vr. when he started on nvr he got worse, teacher took him out of the exam room and he started vormitting. By the time he felt ok to go back, the nvr test has finished. he then did a bit writing and teacher took him to us before the exam was finished.

Teacher said he was obviously sick and they will send a report to the council but he was not allowed to go back to finish the exam today. We were very upset and I wish I had never made the worst decision in my life.

I know this situation is rare, what can we do? they said we need to call council to discuss this. Is there any chance at least let him finish the nvr or take another test? Can anyone give some advice please?
medwaymum
Posts: 827
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2007 6:45 pm
Location: Medway & Kent

Post by medwaymum »

I'm so sorry to hear of your bad experience. I'm really not sure what the next step forward it, you will have to discuss with the admissions department on Monday.
However, the fact that he was clearly ill will be reported and surely taken into account if you need to go to appeal.
How well do you think he did the math and the vr?
regretmum
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Sep 19, 2009 4:21 pm

Post by regretmum »

thanks Medwaymum, We didn't ask him too much about the maths and vr. We assume he was doing ok obviously not his best. He is very good at math. if he can finish it in time he should be ok becasue he got less than 3 questions wrong in each of the 4 practice paper. Now it is impossible to get the pass mark on nvr ( he only did the first section ), what can we do even if he get high mark on the other two?
Twinkle
Posts: 580
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 10:26 pm

Post by Twinkle »

Sorry to hear this regretmum. It maybe a good idea to post on the appeal section as I'm sure that Etienne or Alex will be able to advise you
Tracy
Posts: 1123
Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:28 am
Location: Bexley

Post by Tracy »

Oh dear, Regretmum, this is bad news but don't beat yourself up about it. What is done is done.

Right, everything is in your favour as the staff could clearly see that your son was well for the morning sesssions but it all went wrong in the afternoon.

With the 11+ test once a child has had the opportunity to view it, that is it. There is not the opportunity to go back to it, or even take another version of it, until the 12+.
With nvr - the whole point of this test is that each section is timed and the test must be completed section by section within the allocated time for each section.

Ok, the staff will have completed all the necessary paperwork to confirm that your son was ill. Your case will be reviewed and your son's primary will be contacted to provide evidence of his schoolwork. That evidence will be in all subject areas as they will be trying to establish a rounded picture of your son's suitabilty for a grammar education.

Try to remain calm, these things do happen from time to time and the authorities will be doing what they can to put it right. In the meantime, speak to your Head and tell him/her what has happened. Hang in there.
Bexley Mum 2
Posts: 851
Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
Location: Bexley

Post by Bexley Mum 2 »

regretmum - you weren't to know how the day would develop for your DS and I would undoubtedly have done the same in your shoes. If it's any consolation, I knew someone who failed the 11+ because his nerves got the better of him at the start of one paper and he was too upset to even attempt it. He won his appeal, I believe, because he had done well in the other papers. This was in Bexley where it is notoriously difficult to win an appeal.

The good thing is that his illness is on record and if the record states that he was actually vomiting, there can't be any question mark over the severity of his illness.

Fingers crossed for him.
regretmum
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Sep 19, 2009 4:21 pm

Post by regretmum »

thanks a lot for all the reply. I feel a little bit better now. my son has just back from the doctors and the doctor said he had chest infections.

as you all know the nvr is done section by section. he certainly didn't have any chance to view the other section except the first one he has done. why can't let him do the rest at another time? or if like Tracy says, he won't allow to take another different test, what's the reason?

some of you mentioned appeal, does this apply to Judd or Skinner the two superselective school?
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Post by yoyo123 »

e-mail or ring KCC , they are very helpful and will be able to answer your questions . Don;t worry too much I am sure he is not teh only one that this has happened to.


Hope he is feeling a little better now
Tracy
Posts: 1123
Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:28 am
Location: Bexley

Post by Tracy »

Regretmum, if a test is paced in front of a candidate, it doesn't matter that the test hasn't reached certain pages yet, the candidate could have viewed the contents so the integrity of the test would be compromised.

I think that somewhere in the changing schools book, the authority states that you have one opportunity per year to sit the test so to sit another nvr test, even in illness, would go against that.

Don't worry, if you son has a good work record at school etc all will be fine.
magwich2
Posts: 866
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 5:33 pm

Post by magwich2 »

I'm really sorry to hear of your problems - I hope it all works out in the end.
So what happens when a child in Kent is too ill to take the test at all??
Do they get to do the same paper as all the others did several weeks before?
That seems very unfair - it would only need a few chidren who had no hope of passing to be entered so that they could tell those who were "ill" about the content of the test. Not so unlikely if people have cousins of a similar age .
I do hope you can sort it out and I would definitely at least get advice from a specialist lawyer (just g--gle "education lawyers" and several of them come up)
Kent's arrangements do not seem very secure though.
All the best
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