Hi everyone, just needed to have a little rant about something which made me very angry and upset!

On Thursday afternoon I had my second Geography 2 hour exam. I did it at home, with a laptop because my hands are still quite bad.
So the invidulator called Julia came in, and usually she's very friendly but she seemed to be in a very weird mood. She literally sat down and told me to open the laptop and start, without going through any of the exam rules or what I had to do etc. Even though I know them, I thought it was something they had to do.
Completed the exam, had to use a bit of my extra time, but I felt so confident with it, it'd gone so well. I told Julia I'd finished, went to click save and the laptop shut down.. I turned around to see Julia had unplugged the laptop from the socket. Now firstly I thought why on earth didn't she check that i'd saved it first, and secondly, why isn't there a working battery in this laptop (provided by school).
So Julia rang school, and told them I'd "forgot to save it" which was a complete lie. I obviously got very upset, and Mum asked her what we should do. She said my options were to do the paper again straight away, or she'd take it to school to see if someone could retrieve it. I asked her if i'd be allowed the same amount of time again to do it, and she said no, maybe an hour or so. So i then got even more distressed as there was no way i could complete a 2 hour paper in 1 hour, there's just too much to do. So then she said that she thought i was in too much of a state to do it again, so i'd be best to just leave it. I got the impression she just wanted to leave and couldnt be bothered to sit here for another 2 hours, because towards the end of my exam she'd been pacing up and down my living room asif she was waiting for me to finish. Mum contacted school, and they'd said that the exam board had said i could've had the full time again, but because I'd then been unsupervised it was too late...
IT technician could not retrieve anything because school make us do it on stupid notepad that doesn't save automatically. Now they're applying for special considerations, where they'll look at my other paper, and look at what people working at the same level as me got.
I just feel so so angry, firstly because Julia didn't do her job properly because she was obviously having a bad day, if she wasn't in a state to do it why on earth didn't she send someone else instead of risking it and potentially messing up my whole Geography GCSE. And secondly, why did school give me a laptop that didn't have a battery! if we'd have had a powercut then the same would've happened... I'm so mortified that they let things like that slip just because I'm doing my exam's at home. I'm the ill person with other dimentions to life which make exams even harder, and then they let things like this happen.
I just wanted to feel as though that GCSE was all my work, 2 years worth of work, and now it's going to be some randomers estimated guess. brilliant.

Well Mum did e-mail the head, because Mum's a governer of the school and also quite good friends with the Head Mistress. She said she's very angry about it too but I do feel as though I'm not being told enough about what's going to happen, and that they're maybe not as bothered about it as they should be. I wouldn't want this to happen to anyone else, it's absolutely terrible.

Hi Hannah,

You are the same age as my daughter and if someone had done that to her heads would roll. I cant believe someone to be so stupid to do something as ridiculous as to pull a plug without checking with the participant. You should get you mum to put in a formal complaint against the invigilator, you obviously had difficulty as it was with your RA and for her to be so flippant with your hard work is appalling. I truly hope you get satisfaction with this you deserve it. Thinking about you Lorna xx

Hannah - this is appalling! As if you could be expected to type it all up again. Do they not understand what you suffer with RA? There is a catalogue of errors here, from the impatient inviilator, inadequate laptop, lack of understanding of the rules etc.

I'm a teacher. I would advise your mum to ring the exam board personally. You can find the number by going on the exam board website. Explain that your school has not made the process clear and you need to know what evidence they will use to give your final grade. It should be based on your teacher's estimated grade for you, your mock exam grade and any evidence school can provide of the grade you were working at prior to the exam.

It's great that your mum is a governor as she can instigate the investigation into administering exams at home. Clearly there are practices which need to be changed in the light of this.

On a personal note, can I say how sorry I am that all your efforts have ended in this way. I know how much work goes into getting to this stage of Y11 and to achieve all this whilst dealing with RA is something you should be really proud of. Have you finished all the exams now? Hope you can have a carefree summer, feeling well and getting ready for your next step. Thinking of you XX Ailsa

HI Hannah,

What a dreadful thing to happen to you! I know from going through it with my own daughter how much work goes into preparing for these exams and to lose 2 hours work like that must have been heartbreaking for you.
It's good that your Mum is going to ring the exam board, the school do not seem to be taking it seriously enough.
Good luck for Monday, and then you can have a well deserved rest!

Lots of love, Doreen xx

not good enviorment for you as u say should sent someone else whos keen to do job standing pacing floor very bad,that would put me off.
you did so well and its not your fault hun they messed up no battery,no patience. glad your mumsy emailing them speaking to school.

hugs to you. and no way you can do 2 hour paper in 1 hour,ive just done 15 min test took me 3 quarter of hour.be good to all be done enjoy summer.

enjoy weekend.
lv melly

ohh Hannah
I am an oldie i went to a village school with a coal fire and a cow and calf on the playing feild .
but i am only 57 but suffolk was slow a brainless place to live .I know nothing of exams cos we did not do them i was at work at 15 and my brother was a parter in my fathers busness at 15 .

Anyway i have a son who is a bit older then you and now at uni he is a brain box unlike Mum
i have seen the work he has put in before an exam .So i feel sorry for you .

I just hope someone puts it right and know what R.A feels like .And that Julia well i would have a good complain too make sure she got a right old telling off .

Hope every thing goes ok

Christine

Mum rang exam board this morning and they said that they will probably go on my predicted grade :) so that's good news!
Exam's are all over, it feels so good, but I keep feeling like i need to revise something and waiting for Mum to tell me to revise hahah.
Going on a big shopping spree with Mum and my friend tomorrow which will be fun ready for Belgium on Thursday!
Joints are feeling good today too, it couldn't get any better!
Hope you're all well
xxxxxxxxx

Great that the exams are finished and you are feeling good Hannah!

Enjoy the holidays now. hope you have a lovely time in Belgium.

Love, Doreen xx

Shipping trip Jean?