Mum’s anger at treatment after A-level paper is lost in the post

A NORTHERN Ireland mother has expressed her frustration after finding out her daughter’s A-level Media Studies exam paper was lost in the post.

Lesley McCartney’s daughter Holly was one of 22 pupils at Coleraine Grammar School whose papers were lost.

Instead Welsh examination board WJEC awarded pupils a final grade based on their coursework mark.

Coleraine Grammar principal David Carruthers said the school has evidence which shows they fully followed postage protocols and that no explanation has been provided by WJEC as to how the scripts went missing.

Mr Carruthers confirmed that he became aware the scripts were missing on August 15 and procedures were put in place to inform pupils about what had happened when they came in on results day last Thursday.

He confirmed the school will be making a formal appeal against the marks which have been awarded to pupils by WJEC.

In a statement, WJEC said the missing scripts “did not negatively impact” the overall grades.

“Our experienced team used all the evidence available to them to apply approved statistical methods to ensure that students’ overall results were not negatively impacted by this incident,” the statement said.

WJEC said: “It is the school’s responsibility to ensure the exam scripts are sent securely and we advise centres to send them via secure means.

“We are in contact with the company that the school used to do all we can to trace the missing scripts.”

Mrs McCartney told BBC Radio Ulster’s Nolan Show that the response from the school on results day was not good enough.

“Holly was nervous enough and was told by another pupil that her paper had been lost along with the other students,” she said.

“We went up to the school to collect the results. Fortunately Holly has been successful in her place for university.

“However the grade that she was expecting was an A and she only got a B, and that was given out based on the coursework she did earlier in the year — the course was supposed to be 50% coursework 50% exam.

“We were absolutely horrified and there was no letter of explanationfromtheschooltousthat morning, not even to say what they were going to do.”

She said that she had been unsuccessful in her attempts to get an explanation from WJEC.

“Itwasleftuptousasparents to try to find out exactly what was going on and what we could do to try and get some help,” Mrs McCartney said.

“I found out that morning she had sat that examination under the Welsh board and I contacted them and only got voicemails and I never got speaking to anybody.

“We got a letter from school on Saturday morning, a little too late. It should have been sent out when they were aware the exam papers had gone missing on.”

Mrs McCartney said although her daughter was lucky others may have missed out on university places due to the mix-up.

“It has been a reasonable enough outcome but I am sure there are other kids in her class who may have been turned down by their first choice,” she said.

“A teacher told us the papers were sent off by first class post.

“This was to specifications set out by the examination board. There was no tracking for this so the Welsh board have told them they have never received these which I just think is outrageous.”

Mr Carruthers said that the school was doing everything they could to resolve the matter.

“The school regrets that this has happened at what is a stressful time for pupils and parents. We will work with pupils, parents, universities and the examination board to resolve matters as soon as possible,” he said.