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GCSE exams

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L

Lisa2804

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Parent of person with diabetes
Hi Zach will be sitting his exams from next week I wondered if anyone has any advise on how to basically get through them.

All the relevant people have been informed about his diabetes so there shouldn’t be a problem there.

I’ve just read somewhere that all his hypo stuff needs to be put in a clear plastic bag same with his water it has to be in a clear bottle is this right ?

Lisa
 
I did my last O Level on the thurs afternoon & passed, then started work on the Fri morning. Good luck & hope he gets through ok.😉
 
HOBIE said:
I did my last O Level on the thurs afternoon & passed, then started work on the Fri morning. Good luck & hope he gets through ok.😉
Click to expand...
Thank you think I’m stressing more than him !!
 
Hi Lisa. You may find this thread useful.

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/exams.75796/

Additionally, I have posted below the text of an e-mail I sent to my daughter’s school about her GCSEs.


I am writing with reference to the upcoming GCSEs and Francesca’s requirements in relation to dealing with her type 1 diabetes during exam season.

We have spoken to her about seating arrangements and she has decided that she has no special requests in this regard and is happy to sit at any desk allocated to her. It is essential that she is allowed to bring her testing kit into the exam room with her. This kit includes the finger pricker and needles, test strips and a small, electronic meter which calculates and shows the blood glucose reading. She must also be allowed to have glucose with her in case she suffers a low blood glucose episode, and water to help combat a high blood glucose episode. I’m sure you are already aware of the legal requirement to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils under the Equality Act 2010. Type 1 diabetes is classified as a disability under this act. One of the adjustments required is for the clock to be stopped to treat low or high blood glucose levels, and that the time taken for treatment should be added on to the end so that Francesca has the same amount of time to complete the exam as her peers. She must also be allowed to go to the toilet if necessary. This may have a knock-on effect if she has an exam later in the day. One of the ways in which the body tries to get rid of excess glucose is through urine and it can be dangerous if this remains in the body.

Will the invigilators be informed of her condition and potential issues that arise?

Please find attached an exam toolkit published by Diabetes UK. On page 22 is a ‘student record card’, which can be used to record relevant information, such as blood glucose levels. This may prove useful if we need to go through the ‘special consideration’ process once the results of the exams are known. We will give Francesca one of these for each exam and ask her to check her blood glucose levels before each exam.

Please confirm the school is agreeable to the above. If you have any questions, please contact me. If you think a meeting would be useful, I am very happy to come to the school.



Shortly after I sent this, I had a lovely telephone conversation with the SEND co-ordinator. She agreed to all of my suggestions and even made a couple of her own that I hadn’t thought of. The invigilators will know who she is as they will be informed beforehand A copy of the sheet with information about my daughter that is in the staff room will be put in the exam hall. The exam toolkit referred to in the email can be found at https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-t...iabetes/schools/diabetes-in-schools-resources If you want to know more about the special consideration process, just ask

I’m not aware that his diabetes equipment needs to be in a clear bag and, to my knowledge, it isn’t something my daughter’s school want her to do. I suppose it doesn’t really matter as long as it is with him.

I wish you son the best of luck.
 
I wrote a similar email to my daughter's school recently. She is only in year 8, but was anxious about the recent exams, because apparently in the year 7 exams there was a fuss made about all the stuff she was taking in with her (something which I hadn't thought about at the time, I was going to ask about it for GCSEs but not before!). I had been in touch with my daughter's form tutor about something else and he gave me the contact details for the lady who organises all exams at the school. She was lovely, I didn't need to point out about the Equality Act, I just stated that for medical reasons my daughter must have all this equipment and food with her, neither of the devices that she carries can connect to the Internet or have calculator functions or any other form of cheating. I also pointed out that the same arrangements will be necessary for all future exams at the school and asked if she could be in a different room so that she would not disturb anyone else if she did have a hypo or alarms on her pump or anything. I got a great reply saying that this would be no problem, invigilators would be informed and without me even asking she said that the clock would be stopped if my daughter had to attend to anything to do with her diabetes. For her actual GCSEs she will get a room all to herself, for exams prior to that she can be put in a room with just a few others instead of in the main hall, my daughter likes this arrangement, she says it's scary in the main hall doing exams and she was with only about 10 others in what they call the "spesh room" (for "special" people I guess!). There is no need for her stuff to be in a plastic bag, all the invigilators were aware of why she had extra things with her and there were no questions or arguments and the school now have her on some sort of special list so that she will hopefully get the same arrangements in future without me having to ask again.

Good luck to your son in his exams 🙂
 
Bronco Billy said:
Hi Lisa. You may find this thread useful.

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/exams.75796/

Additionally, I have posted below the text of an e-mail I sent to my daughter’s school about her GCSEs.


I am writing with reference to the upcoming GCSEs and Francesca’s requirements in relation to dealing with her type 1 diabetes during exam season.

We have spoken to her about seating arrangements and she has decided that she has no special requests in this regard and is happy to sit at any desk allocated to her. It is essential that she is allowed to bring her testing kit into the exam room with her. This kit includes the finger pricker and needles, test strips and a small, electronic meter which calculates and shows the blood glucose reading. She must also be allowed to have glucose with her in case she suffers a low blood glucose episode, and water to help combat a high blood glucose episode. I’m sure you are already aware of the legal requirement to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils under the Equality Act 2010. Type 1 diabetes is classified as a disability under this act. One of the adjustments required is for the clock to be stopped to treat low or high blood glucose levels, and that the time taken for treatment should be added on to the end so that Francesca has the same amount of time to complete the exam as her peers. She must also be allowed to go to the toilet if necessary. This may have a knock-on effect if she has an exam later in the day. One of the ways in which the body tries to get rid of excess glucose is through urine and it can be dangerous if this remains in the body.

Will the invigilators be informed of her condition and potential issues that arise?

Please find attached an exam toolkit published by Diabetes UK. On page 22 is a ‘student record card’, which can be used to record relevant information, such as blood glucose levels. This may prove useful if we need to go through the ‘special consideration’ process once the results of the exams are known. We will give Francesca one of these for each exam and ask her to check her blood glucose levels before each exam.

Please confirm the school is agreeable to the above. If you have any questions, please contact me. If you think a meeting would be useful, I am very happy to come to the school.



Shortly after I sent this, I had a lovely telephone conversation with the SEND co-ordinator. She agreed to all of my suggestions and even made a couple of her own that I hadn’t thought of. The invigilators will know who she is as they will be informed beforehand A copy of the sheet with information about my daughter that is in the staff room will be put in the exam hall. The exam toolkit referred to in the email can be found at https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-t...iabetes/schools/diabetes-in-schools-resources If you want to know more about the special consideration process, just ask

I’m not aware that his diabetes equipment needs to be in a clear bag and, to my knowledge, it isn’t something my daughter’s school want her to do. I suppose it doesn’t really matter as long as it is with him.

I wish you son the best of luck.
Click to expand...
Thank you this is really useful
 
Sally71 said:
I wrote a similar email to my daughter's school recently. She is only in year 8, but was anxious about the recent exams, because apparently in the year 7 exams there was a fuss made about all the stuff she was taking in with her (something which I hadn't thought about at the time, I was going to ask about it for GCSEs but not before!). I had been in touch with my daughter's form tutor about something else and he gave me the contact details for the lady who organises all exams at the school. She was lovely, I didn't need to point out about the Equality Act, I just stated that for medical reasons my daughter must have all this equipment and food with her, neither of the devices that she carries can connect to the Internet or have calculator functions or any other form of cheating. I also pointed out that the same arrangements will be necessary for all future exams at the school and asked if she could be in a different room so that she would not disturb anyone else if she did have a hypo or alarms on her pump or anything. I got a great reply saying that this would be no problem, invigilators would be informed and without me even asking she said that the clock would be stopped if my daughter had to attend to anything to do with her diabetes. For her actual GCSEs she will get a room all to herself, for exams prior to that she can be put in a room with just a few others instead of in the main hall, my daughter likes this arrangement, she says it's scary in the main hall doing exams and she was with only about 10 others in what they call the "spesh room" (for "special" people I guess!). There is no need for her stuff to be in a plastic bag, all the invigilators were aware of why she had extra things with her and there were no questions or arguments and the school now have her on some sort of special list so that she will hopefully get the same arrangements in future without me having to ask again.

Good luck to your son in his exams 🙂
Click to expand...
Thank you I’ve been informed that his care plan has been sent to the exam board and all the invigilators are aware of his needs.
 
@Lisa2804 How is it going so far? We're nearly half way through!
 
Lisa2804 said:
Really well thanks he’s managing really well super proud of him to be honest just gets on with it. Am I right is your daughter sitting her exams if so how is she doing ?
Click to expand...
Glad to hear that the school worked so well with you and that Zach is doing well.
 
Lisa2804 said:
Really well thanks he’s managing really well super proud of him to be honest just gets on with it. Am I right is your daughter sitting her exams if so how is she doing ?
Click to expand...


That’s great news! Yes, my daughter is sitting her exams too. She seems to be coping well, I think she’s got into a routine with them now. Each exam is one nearer the end. 🙂
 
Bronco Billy said:
That’s great news! Yes, my daughter is sitting her exams too. She seems to be coping well, I think she’s got into a routine with them now. Each exam is one nearer the end. 🙂
Click to expand...


Great to hear this, I wish her all the best 🙂
 
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