[log in to unmask]">

Hello Anna

Yes I agree. Often it's the really sick students (and parents of) who don't demand things but are so grateful for any help we can provide. And because they are not demanding, and are the very people special cons is set up for, it is a pleasure to help them.

A few people saying 'thankyou' makes it all worthwhile.

We're all going to really appreciate the end of this exam season and some well deserved time off!

Nearly there :-)

Claire

Exams Manager

Peter Symonds College

Owens Road, Winchester, SO22 6RX

01962 857500

[log in to unmask]">>>>

From:	GranthamA - Exams Officer <[log in to unmask]>
To:	<[log in to unmask]>
Date:	20/06/2018 08:18
Subject:	Re: This horrible awful exam series!!!!

Hi Steve

Yes we have had that this year with GCSE science. We do triple science and combined and when I seated them originally I had triple in our Gym and combined in our Sports Hall which separated the different durations and means less different papers in the one room. A parent approached one of our VPs in the car park to say how son had been so disturbed with the shorter exam leaving I had to arrange a completely different exit. It messed everything up completely for us – snaking of papers was just non existent so took us approximately an hour longer to pack but because that meant parent was happy we had to do it. Invigilators then had to deal with 5 different papers along with the ‘strange’ individual exit of 150 students. The VP thinks its great – we hated it, as do science and the Invigilators and the rumour round the school is that I insisted on them being in the same venue – they seem to forget I was made to change venues because it didn’t suit others in the school.

All this horrid – has anyone had anything nice happen? I had a student who has been away for 2 years for ill health and she sat English and maths this year. I had a really lovely letter from her thanking me for all my help. I didn’t really do anything but her card really cheered me up and made me think its not all bad.

I hope others have had something like that too this year so it isn’t all horrid

Anna

Mrs Anna Grantham

Examinations Officer

Hinchingbrooke School

Brampton Road

Huntingdon

Cambs PE29 3BN

[log in to unmask]

Tel: 01480 375700 Ext 5706

Part of the ACES Academies Trust

From: The FE Exams Network mailing list <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Steve Bustard
Sent: 20 June 2018 07:56
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: This horrible awful exam series!!!!

Hello Paul

Just to pick up on one point in your e-mail, I have had some grumbles from students about having 3 or 4 exams in the same exam room – they don’t realise that we have a limited amount of rooms available.

This is now being picked up by some tutors as an issue…

Has anyone else had complaints about having different exams taking place in the same room?

Thanks and regards

Steve Bustard

Exams Manager

Tel: 01604 734092

From: The FE Exams Network mailing list <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Paul King
Sent: 19 June 2018 17:30
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: This horrible awful exam series!!!!

Jayne, we’ve had a similar problem. One complaining mother on the phone to me followed by a written complaint. Then another candidate pops up and states she was also disturbed (although not claiming spec cons!). However, although the first one was at the front, and there is no argument that a ‘one question, one answer’ conversation took place between two invigilators, the second candidate was half way down the hall! It appears she was a friend of the first one…. We think the claim is vexatious, as the first candidate is a Cambridge applicant, and perhaps struggled with the paper.

This has gone to our VP to investigate, as we’ve had talking invigilator disturbances before although I’ve asked them since to be more discreet, etc. The VP has talked to nearly all the invigilators now, and is in the process of talking to other students in the exam session – there were three or four exams taking place. Needless to say, this has caused a lot of angst amongst our team, and although I will apply for spec cons as requested for the first candidate, I will await the outcome before I word the application, so that if the invigilators are exonerated there is no blame attached to them in the spec cons claim.

Regards

Paul King

Exams Officer

Leyton Sixth Form College

Tel: 020 8928 9135

Fax: 020 8928 9200

Email: [log in to unmask]

From: The FE Exams Network mailing list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jayne Harris
Sent: 19 June 2018 16:06
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: This horrible awful exam series!!!!

Lots of clashes here too, lots of spec con apps, lots of ‘anxiety’ and ‘I need a separate room!’ last minute requests – too many need to get a grip and live in the real world who need to realise they won’t be provided with everything they want when they start work in the big bad world.

Can I ask your opinions of what you would do if you had received a written complaint about 2 invigilators talking throughout the exam and disturbing the exam? As it is a formal written complaint from a parent, I can’t exactly say that her daughter is ‘exaggerating’ but not sure how to proceed with this. Mum wants me to apply for spec con!

Jayne

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jayne Harris
NCLT Trust Examinations Manager

T: 01977 802821
W: www.nclt.ac.uk
A: Park Lane, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF8 4QR

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From: The FE Exams Network mailing list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Katie Hill
Sent: 18 June 2018 17:42
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: This horrible awful exam series!!!!

Thank you all so much for replying and making us feel less like we're going mad!

In answer to Claire, yes we've had loads of clashes Over-lunchers most days with hardly anywhere to put them, especially when our usual little rooms are being used by students with access arrangements for morning exams that don't finish until the PM exams start due to extra time.

We run two lots of formal mocks each year to prepare the students but it hasn't seemed to help this time round.

I don't know if it's because both students and parents are much more aware of the support (access arrangements) and possible help (special consideration) available, but they are definitely keen to push for any little thing that might help their grade - and I have to say that teachers are no different in that regard.

Just like all of you, there have been all the early starts, 12 hour days, packs of crisps passing as a lunch at 3pm and much swearing. We've clocked up loads of lieu time that we'll probably never get back, but it's ok because we can colour up exam papers in every shade of unicorn poo!!

I agree with those of you that mention the issue early opening of exam papers. It's a nightmare. Coloured exam papers are our most hated arrangement. Every time the coloured papers are delivered to the exam room a student who doesn't have a coloured paper decides that they want their paper on a colour because they've suddenly decided it's necessary. Every. Single. Time. You can imagine our response.

And don't even get me started on how out of touch with the reality of the work the JCQ are. They haven't got a clue. The inspector we had this year didn't look at our key safe, she looked at only 3 of our policies but only looked at a single point on a single page of each. She reminded me of Columbo in her slightly bumbling, ditsy, 'oh and just one last thing' routine as she was absolutely desperate to find us doing something wrong, and she insisted on entering a small exam room that had one anxious student working 1-2-1 with a reader because she wanted "to just be certain" that the students finish time was visible to the student on her desk. It was, just as I had explained to her. Student gave up on the exam about 20 minutes later.

For the first time I actually feel some sympathy for the exam boards as they are going to be receiving more special consideration requests than ever before!!

For those of you that mentioned having a drink when I get home, unfortunately (and perhaps foolishly!) I don't drink, but I do keep a well stocked drawer of chocolate bars at work . Needless to say I'm having to re-stock regularly at the moment!!

Thanks again

Katie.

Katie Hill

Examinations & Assessments Manager

Portsmouth College

Tel: 023 92667521 ext 307

On 18 June 2018 at 11:11, Katie Hill <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Hi everyone

I'm wondering how you have found this exam series?

Between myself and my colleagues in my office we have a ridiculous number of years experience but we have truly found this year to be the most horrendous to date!

I think there are numerous reasons for this ranging from (but not limited to)....

longer papers with ever increasing numbers of students with extra time including 50%
we have high numbers of students with complex access arrangements - as I expect most colleges do
shortage of appropriate rooming
students feeling increasingly 'entitled' and also likely to complain (we've had a student who was typing complain that they were distracted by the noise of another student typing!!!!!)

Obviously these are issues that we all face each year, but for some reason this year it's gone mad. There seems to have been a real shift this year in the complexity and intensity. We've also noticed a change in attitude from the students (and subsequently the parents). They seem very keen to question/complain about every little thing - which obviously they should if something is wrong - but complaining because someone over the other side of the hall blew their nose or because a student left the room at the end of their exam (it distracted them apparently!) is driving us mad - and don't even get me started on the requests to be seated separately due to anxiety!

I'd be keen to hear your experiences of this series, if nothing else it would be nice to know that we aren't alone in thinking that this year has been awful.

Kind regards

Katie.

Katie Hill

Examinations & Assessments Manager

Portsmouth College

Tel: 023 92667521 ext 307

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