GCSEs: Mum's plea for seriously ill students to get assessed grades

A mum whose daughter is sitting her GCSEs amid cancer treatment has called for students battling illness to be graded as they were during Covid.

Grace Sanderson, from Northallerton, was diagnosed with leukaemia in March but must sit exams to get a grade.

Her mum Emma said students should not be "penalised because they are poorly" and has launched a campaign for teacher assessments to be used instead.

The government said exams could be deferred or taken at home or hospital.

It added that examination boards also had a "special consideration process".

Grace, 16, has spent a handful of days at home since her diagnosis and is receiving chemotherapy at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary, which is 59 miles (95km) away.

Her mum has started a petition calling on the education system to be more "compassionate", which has been signed more than 5,000 times.

Grace has taken two sets of mocks under exam conditions and had 100% attendance prior to her diagnosis, her mum said.

"Grace's first concern when she found out that she was poorly was what will happen to her exams," Mrs Sanderson told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"I just reassured her everything would be fine - teacher-assessed grades were used throughout Covid so they obviously have procedures in place to deal with things like this.

"I didn't think for a minute that this would be what she would have to deal with. If she doesn't sit an exam, she doesn't get a grade and she has to then resit them in the future.

"It just seems a really harsh way to deal with a situation."

Her daughter sat an exam after leaving hospital on Saturday and has to return there on Thursday, with the potential for further chemotherapy.

She said Grace had been offered extra time and breaks although she did not use them.

"She is being held back by the system that should be supporting her," Mrs Sanderson added.

"Why wouldn't you just help a child who has got to the end of the course, who has done as much work as anyone did throughout Covid - why is this an acceptable response?

"It upsets Grace but then she's quite stoic about it and thinks I just have to get on with it and do the best I can - she's my absolute hero."

A Department for Education spokesperson said it understood any diagnoses of a serious illness close to exams will always be "incredibly challenging".

"As in any year, some students might need reasonable adjustments to help them access exams," they said.

"In these circumstances, for example, exam boards can permit students to take exams from home or hospital. The boards also run a special consideration process to award a grade where students are able to take at least one exam or formal assessment in a subject.

"Where none of these arrangements is appropriate in the student's individual circumstances, it may be more appropriate for their exams to be deferred until the next assessment round."

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