Missed a 20 mark question

Discussion of all things non-11 Plus related

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Missed a 20 mark question

Post by Guest55 »

kenyancowgirl wrote:It isn't easier to invigilate!!
I disagree - fewer times to check and easier for the candidate - fewer disruptions and, as there is additional funding for SEN, surely it is one economy that is not sensible to make?

Schools I know prefer the separate room option ... One additional invigilator at £8/9 an hour is the cost of this vital support.
Daogroupie
Posts: 11100
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: Missed a 20 mark question

Post by Daogroupie »

With the boards that I am aware of, Geography, History, RS and English have pages of questions you have to choose between with some banned combinations so this should be a very critical part of preparation.

I know that Edexcel History is on Monday morning so I am assuming that some of the other boards are as well.

Is she doing History? If not when is her next exam? DG
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Missed a 20 mark question

Post by kenyancowgirl »

Guest, I think we will have to agree to disagree. Not everyone who gets extra time gets it for SEN though. Many are there because of broken limbs etc.

In an ideal world everything would be as in the school's you know (it really is lucky how every aspect of good practice is done in Bucks schools!) but the reality is that budgets are tight - our team has been pared to the minimum and that situation is replicated all over Warwickshire. Over the series of an exam all those £s an hour add up - where there are small venues running anyway, of course it makes sense to put extra timers in there as well - otherwise, a good team manages it very well. Mind you I am aware of school's that have pretty rubbish invigilator teams who barely meet exam board regulations!
Bumblebeez
Posts: 268
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2014 5:55 pm

Re: Missed a 20 mark question

Post by Bumblebeez »

Next exam is indeed history on Monday.

DD says the departure of others is very distracting - especially when she is tiring towards the end of her exam. Maybe it is a time to allow for a discretionary rest break?

I appreciate SEN adjustments and support are expensive, and providing an extra invigilator and venue must be complex to organise.
Daogroupie
Posts: 11100
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: Missed a 20 mark question

Post by Daogroupie »

Which board is she doing? DG
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Missed a 20 mark question

Post by Guest55 »

Of course it is not just in Bucks! It is the practice at unis too and I know a separate room is also used elsewhere in the country e.g where friends teach.
Bumblebeez
Posts: 268
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2014 5:55 pm

Re: Missed a 20 mark question

Post by Bumblebeez »

OCR for history
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Missed a 20 mark question

Post by kenyancowgirl »

Bumblebeez wrote:Next exam is indeed history on Monday.

DD says the departure of others is very distracting - especially when she is tiring towards the end of her exam. Maybe it is a time to allow for a discretionary rest break?

I appreciate SEN adjustments and support are expensive, and providing an extra invigilator and venue must be complex to organise.
Check with the exams officer if she is entitled to rest breaks - certainly in a recent Maths exam, in a large venue, where we had a few students with extra time, we also had a couple of students who were entitled to rest breaks if they wanted it (although no actual extra time, if you see what I mean). There was nothing to stop them using the rest breaks as others were leaving - or whenever they wanted - we just made a note of the time and ensured they got their full allowance - it's no biggie!

I wish her luck Bumblebeez! Assumedly OCR will have spent half term checking and double checking all their exams to ensure they don't make any more cock ups - emails have been flying between our school and them over half term - and hopefully your DD feels more confident - remember the instructions on the front of the paper are the only thing allowed to be read by the invigilator so she can ask them to read those to her if she needs clarification.
solimum
Posts: 1420
Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 3:09 pm
Location: Solihull, West Midlands

Re: Missed a 20 mark question

Post by solimum »

At my school for the English exam mentioned in the OP (which is of course taken by the entire year group, so no complicated different exams happening at the same time AFAIK) most pupils were in the main sports hall, which can include some with extra time. (I think for some exams it is possible to use a laptop but I'm not sure if this applied to anyone this time)

I was in one "reading room" with four pupils and an invigilator: another LSA had four more pupils in an adjacent room (the invigilator was able to support both in case of breaks/emergency). Most (but not all, interestingly) of those in the reading rooms had extra time though they generally didn't use it at all

Two other LSA colleagues were one-to-one with pupils who needed a scribe (or reader/scribe) due to injury/disability/SEN , also with extra time (it is pretty tiring let me tell you scribing for 2+hours - most of us have given up writing by hand for typing!)

Remaining LSA colleagues were supporting the most urgent cases of regular SEN support needed in the rest of the school (we check to make sure any vital lessons are covered). The school has hired an additional ad-hoc person to help scribe for several exams for a pupil with a new broken arm injury

Overall it's a massive effort, and it was alarming when the inspectors from the exam board were round the week before checking up on us! (An Inspector Calls indeed!). As LSAs who have known the pupils who struggle (often those on the autism spectrum) it can help them to have familiar faces/smaller rooms, but the guidelines about how much support can be given in the actual exam are extremely strict
MrsChubbs
Posts: 363
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:36 pm
Location: High Wycombe

Re: Missed a 20 mark question

Post by MrsChubbs »

I have just heard of a similar situation with a child who took the A2 geography paper on Monday and made the mistake of answering the big essay question on the same topic area as one of the 30 mark questions. On the advice of her teacher she did the big essay question first and when she went back to the shorter answers, she answered one on the same area and one on the other area. Easy mistake but very costly.
Post Reply
11 Plus Platform - Online Practice Makes Perfect - Try Now