Exams and assessments

 

Tests, assessments and exams are a part of school life that can create additional worry and stress for students and parents/carers too.

Getting the right support:

When a child with SEN prepares for and sits exams this can be a particularly challenging time.  It is therefore important that discussions with the school happen as soon as a need is identified so that the right support is put in place.  

The right support includes:

• identifying the student's specific needs well in advance of assessment
• providing access arrangements
• creating a supportive environment at home and school. 

 

Top tips for parents:

1. Create a calm and focused study space at home for your child.  Consider noise levels, lighting and clutter-free space  to help support focus and keep stress levels low.  Your child may have sensory needs that need to be considered for example smells from cooking may be a distraction so think about where and how your child will focus best.     
2.  Agreeing a work/revision plan with your child makes it easier to stay organised and focused. But it’s also important to leave some room for flexibility as your child's needs, energy levels or mood may affect their ability to focus on a particular day.                          
3. Research shows that short, focused study times of about 20 minutes with regular 5 minute breaks may help avoid tiredness and keep concentration levels high, however you know your child best and you may find that this pattern of study and rest does not work for your child - try different timings until you find what works best.
    
4. During rest breaks encourage your child to have movement breaks, go outside to get some fresh air or take part in an activity that helps relax them.                                                                             
5. Set goals and rewards for your child.  You could set a series of short term goals with small rewards and a longer term goal with a bigger reward so that your child stays motivated and associates study with a positive gain.                                                                 
6. Create a calendar for your child to show when each exam will take place.  For formal exams such as GCSEs it will be important to know well in advance what time the exam starts and the seating number/ room where each exam will take place.   
                                                                                                                                                             * To access this exam guide for students on managing stress from the Charlie Waller Trust please click on the following link: 

 

Access arrangements

What are access arrangements?

Exam access arrangements are the reasonable adjustments that can be made for students with special educational needs and disabilities to make exams more accessible and to ensure that they are not put at a substantial disadvantage compared to others.  They allow the student to demonstrate what they know and can do in a way that does not compromise the integrity of the assessment.

Access arrangements are the way in which awarding bodies comply with their duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make 'reasonable adjustments'.

 

Am I eligible for access arrangements and what kinds of reasonable adjustments do they include?

They can only be put in place if it is the student's 'normal way of working' during everyday lessons as these reasonable adjustments must reflect the support a student has received over the last few years.

Reasonable adjustments may include extra time to complete an exam, the use of assistive technology or breaks during an exam.

They must be agreed well before the assessment takes place.

An adjustment will not be approved if it is not 'reasonable' for example if it: 

• involves unreasonable costs to the awarding body
• involves unreasonable timeframes

OR

• affects the security and integrity of the assessment

 

How are access arrangements agreed?

It is the role of the SENCo to identify students who many need access arrangements in external exams and to liaise with teaching staff regarding this.  Reasonable adjustments are considered on an individual basis depending on the need of the student.  Some access arrangements can be agreed by the school through existing evidence such as the student's normal way of working, however other access arrangements will need to be applied for and agreed by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).

To access information and the regulations on access arrangements from the JCQ please clickon the following link: 

JCQ: Joint Council for Qualifications : Regulations and guidance

 

The SENCO is ultimately responsible for deciding upon the access arrangements to be applied for, based upon the evidence available and in some cases testing of students in regards to reading and writing speed, cognitive processing/fluency. Some SENCOs, if suitable qualified, are able to carry out this testing themselves. Alternatively, as appointed assessor will work with the SENCo to discuss individual candidate cases before making a final decision.

The SENCO should have an understanding of how to make an application for access arrangements for a student and they must keep records of the following:

• which arrangements have been applied for

• evidence of need from past exams and provision mapping

• evidence of use of access arrangements in past exams

• evidence of normal way of working from teachers

• evidence from student of which arrangements they have found that are most effective at meeting their needs

• the expiry date of the application

 

What can I do if I disagree with a decision made about access arrangements?

If an educational setting has not made/ does not intend to put access arrangements in place for a student and you as parent/carer disagree with this decision, then you may wish to request a meeting with the SENCo to discuss the reasons why access arrangements may be necessary. At the meeting you should provide evidence such as professional reports outlining the needs of the student and/or recommendations regarding provision that is required. It may also be helpful to provide reports from previous educational settings on the matter.

If a young person previously had access arrangements in place at GCSE, then it is likely that access arrangements may also be needed for Post-16 assessments such as A levels too, unless the young person’s needs have changed significantly and there is no longer a need for them. It may therefore be helpful to provide the Post-16 placement with a copy of the access arrangements put in place for GCSEs and any evidence from the previous school that supports the continued need.

If following a meeting with the SENCo you are unhappy with the outcome in terms of the access arrangements, you may wish to make a complaint to the school by following their complaint’s procedure which is available on the school website.