Southeastern trains sit in sidings in Ashford, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA)
(Picture: PA Wire)London schools were scrambling their minibuses to collect exam students from home on Tuesday as they battled to ensure A-levels and GCSEs are not disrupted by the strike.
School minibuses were on alert to take teenagers to exam halls if their trip to school was hit by problems and they could not make it in any other way.
It comes as headteachers across London urged students to focus on their exams despite the travel chaos they may face getting in.
A-level students will take German, religious studies and maths today, and GCSE students will sit their second history paper. This is the first year many teenagers have sat a high-stakes public exam, after they were cancelled for the past two years due to coronavirus.
Sir Dan Moynihan, chief executive of the Harris Federation, which runs 51 schools in and around London, said: “We are saying to students how proud we are of them to have come through the last two years and get to this point.
“They are well prepared and ready and must not let this distraction stop them. One more push, with extra planning and effort to get in on time, will give them the grades that they really deserve.”
He said teachers have spoken extensively to parents and students to ensure they factor in transport problems with their morning commute to school.
He added: “Our academy minibuses are on alert as a last resort and will be used to collect those students who we know will struggle to get in on time or for whom things go wrong on the day.”
Shaun Fenton, head of Reigate Grammar, said: “Students have prevailed in the toughest of times and it is a shame the end of the academic year brings yet more challenges. However, these young people are remarkable and have shown they can cope.” Students in non-exam years at some schools have been offered remote lessons if they cannot get in.
