SEND

Exam Access Arrangements

Common Exam Access Arrangements advice for teachers

Access Arrangements are made for students who have significant difficulty accessing an exam paper due to long-term (more than 12 months) learning difficulties or disabilities. Although students need to be formally assessed for any arrangements it is essential that the SENCO works with teachers to establish evidence of needs and normal ways of working. The following arrangements are the most common used for students and need to be understood and considered by all teaching staff. For GCSEs/A2 official testing can take place after the start of year 9.

Reader (someone who can read questions in exams that do not test reading)

The first piece of advice if you are considering this arrangement for a student, is to listen to a student read out loud a short passage (in private). If you notice any difficulties with word recognition, fluency or general speed then it would be a good idea to pass this information on to the SENCO. It is also important to ask students if they have understood what they have just read to establish if there are any comprehension difficulties..

Typing/ Scribe (someone who can write down students verbal responses)

If you can not/ or finding it difficult to read a students written response then in the first instance offer them the use of a word processor for class assessments to see if this makes a difference. If a student can not finish the exam with this method or is a poor typist pass the information on to the SENCO.

Extra Time (is normally awarded at 25% of the exam time)

In order to establish extra time we must be able to establish 1 or more of the following:

• That the candidate processes information at a much slower rate than other students.
• That the candidate writes at a much slower rate than other students.
• That the candidate reads at a much slower rate than other students.

Teachers usually spot this when students are slow at finishing work in class or consistently fail to reach the end of an examination or assessment. If you notice this then try giving the students 25 % extra time to see if this makes a difference, the evidence of with and without is needed to support any arrangements that the SENCO can make.

Prompter (someone who can remind the student that they need to get on with work)

If a student drifts off in class and when doing tasks or is easily distracted, or has a mental health difficulty which may mean they are struggling with internal issues and they require a lot of prompting in the class, it may be worth passing this information on to the SENCO to establish whether a prompter could be useful in exams or assessments.

Rest Breaks

Rest breaks are given to students who have medical issues or may struggle with information overload and need a break, sometimes students who struggle with concentration issues may also benefit from a rest break. Students are usually known by pastoral staff and information regarding any struggles they have accessing an exam should be passed on to the SENCO.

Recording Access Arrangements

All Access Arrangements are usually recorded as either provisional or official (when they have been applied for). Teachers should have access to these at all times in order to establish arrangements as a normal way of working for candidates.

Joint Curriculum Authority (JCQ) Link to website

Regulates all arrangements for exams - there are strict guidelines that need to be adhered to, to ensure that no student has unfair advantages over another. Arrangements for a Reader, Scribe or extra time must be formally applied for.

The advice above is based on my opinion to support with identifying needs and working with teaching staff, for any formal arrangements use the link to look up current JCQ guidance or speak to the school SENCO.