A FURIOUS mum has slammed her vulnerable daughter’s school after she was kicked out of an exam for wearing a watch.
Zena Peterson said she was incensed after discovering exam invigilators had booted her daughter out of her GCSE Biology exam after spotting an Apple Watch on her wrist.
Zena’s daughter, 15-year-old Francesca, has been diagnosed with social communication difficulties, language disorder, and hearing loss in her left ear.
The mother-of-two told the Hampshire Chronicle that she and her husband bought her daughter the smart watch as a safeguarding measure, and “never dreamed” this would be allowed to happen.
After being removed from the exam hall at Henry Beaufort School, in Hampshire, Francesca had an agonising wait over half-term before eventually being told she had failed the exam.
Henry Beaufort School has said it doesn’t comment on individual cases, but insisted examination board regulations are closely adhered to and well communicated to students in advance of examinations taking place.
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Mrs Paterson said: “The reason I’m so incensed about it is because of the way in which they’ve handled the situation.
“Francesca has got some learning difficulties, she’s a lovely little girl that plays the violin. She’s never even had a detention in the five years she has been at school and is just a sweetheart.
“It’s this injustice which is infuriating me” added the mum.
“She’s been allowed into the exam and at no point have any of the invigilators noticed that she’s wearing a great big Apple Watch – that is literally part of their job.
“Because of Francesca’s social communication difficulties one of her fears throughout school was being told off or doing something wrong – hence why she’s never had a detention because she’s such a good girl.
“So, they’re expecting me to believe she sat there and defied all those warnings. I cannot and will not believe that.
“Something about this just doesn’t add up. Either they weren’t warned at the proper time or it wasn’t done clearly.”
The mum-of two, a diagnostic radiographer, said she has been particularly upset by her daughter’s treatment by the school, and failing the exam in this way “has really knocked her confidence.”
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“The school are perfectly aware of her diagnoses – it’s on their records – but they’ve never given her any support when it comes to subjects like maths, even though she suffers from dyscalculia.
“I’ve told them on numerous occasions she wouldn’t pass the GCSE unless she’s given the support she needs and the school have practically laughed at me.”
Brits are already facing huge struggles to get their kids to exams thanks to crippling train strikes across the nation.
Mrs Paterson also said that she feels ignored in her attempts to resolve the situation.
“I’ve phoned and emailed the head teacher numerous times but she won’t phone me back,” she said.
“It pretty much felt as if we were told ‘that’s that’ and just had to accept it.
“I had so much trouble trying to get Francesca to revise for this exam because of her learning difficulties and she really did try and made some really good progress, but it’s all been for nothing.”
Sue Hearle, headteacher of The Henry Beaufort School, said: “It would not be appropriate to comment on an individual student.
“It should be noted however, that examination board regulations are closely adhered to in school and well communicated to students in advance of examinations taking place.
“Where appeals are requested by the school, these are managed on the student’s behalf and paid for by the school.”
