DD not 100% and test tomorrow

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Cass1
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 12:55 pm

DD not 100% and test tomorrow

Post by Cass1 »

Just posted this in the wrong place!

My daughter has her test tomorrow and she is sat beside me sniffing and snotting and blowing her nose! She says she feels fine but she’s got red eyes, woke with a sore throat and slept for ages.
We are a house where you go to school/ work unless your almost dying! Obviously, we want this out the way! Guess I’m checking our plan to just send her is what others would do? Can we fill in the Yellow form?
SofiaCerano
Posts: 108
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:57 pm

Re: DD not 100% and test tomorrow

Post by SofiaCerano »

I really hope she’s feeling better in the morning. My DD sat a school entrance test last week and in the letter it said not to bring them if they’re unwell, but ring the school and they’ll be allowed to resit at a later date with a doctor’s note.
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: DD not 100% and test tomorrow

Post by kenyancowgirl »

If you take her in, you will be asked to sign the fit and well sheet. This means you cannot then appeal saying she was unwell.

If you feel she is not well enough to take the test tomorrow then you need to let them know first thing and hopefully they will let you sit it on the back up date.
SofiaCerano...please note, this is not a resit - it is just a different sitting.
Cass1
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 12:55 pm

Re: DD not 100% and test tomorrow

Post by Cass1 »

It does say on the letter that if they are unwell to let them know by Thursday with a Drs note. My worry would be that she might not get a Drs note with the cold and might not be able to resit. Hopefully she'll get a good nights sleep and wake up feeling a lot better!

Just to add when my son did the test 2 years ago we did not have to sign anything to say he was fit and well when we dropped him off but I guess it could have changed.
PettswoodFiona
Posts: 2134
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:24 pm
Location: Petts Wood, Bromley, Kent

Re: DD not 100% and test tomorrow

Post by PettswoodFiona »

It’s a hard call. DD had a stinking cold for two of her four tests (3 x grammar, one indie) a few years ago but the thought of holding it over and not knowing the result pre-CAF submission were enough to tide her over. It was a family decision and it can only ever be what is right for that particular child. On the morning of the tests her temp was high but not horribly so and she wasn’t unused to just pushing on under similar circumstances. I know the cold slowed her down but she’d worked hard and built in some wriggle room to her performance anyway, and that was including aiming for a superselective. She sat the test, first one disgusted at having to use her sleeve to wipe her nose as she wasn’t allowed in tissues but we’d talked about it, avoiding infecting others as far as possible and the particular item of clothing went straight in the wash after the exam!

If DD has been any worse, vomiting or higher temp we would have sought a doctors note but we’d also seen notes from rather fed up GPs in our area saying they wouldn’t issue notes except in ‘extreme’ circumstances. I gather one particular GP got more than ten calls on one test day and it was impossible to see all of them at short notice.

Cass I hope your DD wakes up well and refreshed, horrible decision to make but go with what you think is right for your child and situation. I don’t know your area either so that could have a bearing on alternative dates etc.,
loobylou
Posts: 2032
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 5:04 pm

Re: DD not 100% and test tomorrow

Post by loobylou »

The difficulty is that schools ask for a "doctor's note" but this is not something doctors should provide. It's not in their contract and is specifically on the DoH or DoE website (I forget which as I have it saved on my desktop) that it's not provided.
So it can be given for a fee (and doctors are free to set their own fee) but it wastes time and an appointment - and frankly the most one can normally write is "they say they're not feeling well and they appeared to have a cold" unless they actually have a fever etc when they're seen.
I don't blame parents for seeking the notes because it's what they're told they need but I do think schools need to come up with a different solution.
hermanmunster
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Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: DD not 100% and test tomorrow

Post by hermanmunster »

As most people with colds don't need F2F appointment it comes down to perhaps a phone consultation with whoever is doing triage at the surgery and then asking for an extract of the notes to be printed off. Some places will be more amenable than others to doing this quickly / without charge etc etc
Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: DD not 100% and test tomorrow

Post by Amber »

When DD sat her A levels, she had a massive adverse reaction to a medication recently prescribed by her doctor, which undoubtedly affected two papers. We had to pay for a note confirming this - the doctor himself was mortified at what had happened to her and was happy to write this in a note, but it did cost money. You never know if it has been taken into account as I think it adds x number of marks (there is a scale from 'slight sniffle' to 'death of close family member' for exam boards, obviously different for 11+). I agree that the need to consult a doctor to comply with 11+ regulations is a very poor use of NHS time. It is hard for parents though, when faced with a cutthroat exam system for little children.

I hope your daughter is better today OP. My own view on a cold is that probably 25% of children taking the test will either be brewing one, have one or just be getting over one, and adrenaline will probably carry them through.
SofiaCerano
Posts: 108
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:57 pm

Re: DD not 100% and test tomorrow

Post by SofiaCerano »

How is your DD today OP?
Cass1
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 12:55 pm

Re: DD not 100% and test tomorrow

Post by Cass1 »

Well she has woken up still full of cold but minus the sore throat. She is actually excited to be getting it out of the way so I’d hate to go down the delaying it route. She is on her way.
We have friends who are Drs who would gladly write a note for free but then it might turn out that it needed to be a GP. It’s not worth the stress. A friend of hers also has a cold as I’m sure a lot of others will.
Can’t believe someone’s child wasn’t allowed tissues. I have told her to be prepared to use her sleeve. She thought was hilarious as it’s just the kind of thing she would do and get told off for.
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