Extra Exam Arrangements (Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations) Policy 23/24
VERSION CONTROL
VERSION
AUTHOR
DATE
COMMENTS
1.0
Rachel Robertson Rachel Robertson
March 2022 March 2023
Annual update
2.0
Version control is to be employed for any amendments to the content which result in substantive changes to the meaning, intent or outcome of the policy or process described within and must be approved by the Executive Committee. Spelling mistakes or other typographical errors are not required to be subject to Version Control.
POLICY OWNER
POLICY OWNER
ACCOUNTABLE EXECUTIVE
Rachel Robertson
Kate Lou
APPROVAL CONTROL
Approval of this Policy and subsequent amendments is by the Board
DATE APPROVED
APPROVED REQUIRED BY
07.09.2023
Policy & Governance Committee
CONTENTS
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................ 3 Reasonable Adjustments ................................................................................................................................................... 3 Special Considerations…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………….…………4 Extra Exam Arrangements............................................................................................................................................... 4 Identification ............................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Implementation ...................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP)...............................................................................................................5 Types of Access Arrangements..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….…….6
Deadlines……………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………………….6
Responsibilities……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6
Contacts………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…6
Extra Access Arrangements Policy | 23-24
INTRODUCTION
SCL recognises that some learners will require alternative arrangements or considerations whilst on learning programmes or to complete assessments/examinations. These are referred to as Extra Access Arrangements. SCL will ensure that learning programmes and where applicable, assessment and/or examinations do not disadvantage learners with SEND. The Equality Act 2010 requires Awarding Organisations (AO) to make reasonable adjustments to ensure a learner, who is disabled as defined in the Act, is not placed at a substantial disadvantage in comparison to those who are not. Assessment should be a fair test of learners’ knowledge and what they’re able to do, however, for some learners the usual format of assessment may not be suitable. The provision for reasonable adjustments and special consideration arrangements is made to ensure that learners receive recognition of their achievement so long as the equity, validity and reliability of the assessments and/or examinations can be assured. Such arrangements are not concessions to make attainment easier, nor to advantage learners with SEND but to ensure this cohort of learners have a fair and equal opportunity to achieve. There are 2 ways in which access to fairness can be maintained, these are through: Reasonable adjustments – agreed before the assessment/examination takes place. Special considerations – applied post assessment/examination.
REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS
A reasonable adjustment is any action that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the learner at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment or examination. Reasonable adjustments must not affect the integrity of what is being assessed. Reasonable adjustments must be approved by the Awarding Organisation in advance of the assessment/examination taking place. Reasonable Adjustments are individualised to learner’s specific needs and are not dictated by the disability and/or difficulty itself but by the impact on learning and whether the learner would be disadvantaged in an assessment/examination without these in place.
Awarding Organisations and centres are only required by law to do what is ‘reasonable’. What is reasonable will depend on the individual circumstances, cost implications and the practicality and effectiveness of the adjustment. Other factors, such as the need to maintain competence standards and health and safety, will also be taken into consideration.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Special consideration is a post assessment/examination adjustment that is applied if there is a reason the learner may have been disadvantaged during the assessment/examination. Reasons for special consideration could be temporary illness, injury or adverse circumstances at the time of the assessment/examination. Learners cannot enter a plea for special considerations for assessment solely on the grounds of disability or learning difficulty. Learners must declare their needs prior to the assessment period and all necessary reasonable adjustments arrangements must have been implemented before the time of their assessment/examination. Special consideration should not give the learner an unfair advantage. The learner’s result must reflect his or her achievement in the assessment and not necessarily his or her potential ability. Special consideration may result in a small post-assessment/examination adjustment to the mark of the learner. The size of the adjustment will depend on the circumstances during the assessment/examination and will reflect the difficulty faced by the learner. Where an assessment requires a competence, criterion or standard to be met fully, or in the case of qualifications that confer a Licence to Practise, it may not be possible to apply special consideration. It may be more appropriate to offer the learner an opportunity to retake the assessment later or to extend the registration period so that the learner has more time to complete the assessment activity. All learners regardless of their special consideration must still meet the minimum requirement for the award of a certificate.
EXTRA EXAM ARRANGEMENTS
If a learner requires Reasonable Adjustments or Special Considerations, then the following must be adhered to when applying Extra Access Arrangements: not invalidate the assessment requirements of the qualification not give the learner an unfair advantage reflect the learner’s normal way of working. be based on the individual need of the learner.
IDENTIFICATION
The need for Extra Access Arrangements may be identified at the following stages of the learner journey:
On Application or Expression of Interest via o
Scouting or fishing for provision from the Local Authority o Online Application o Directly - Club/Venue/Employer
Pre-Enrolment/Interview/Transition
Enrolment/Onboarding
In-learning When information is identified, it must be escalated to the Learning Support and SEND team to begin the implementation process.
IMPLEMENTATION PUPILPUPILRESPONSIBILITIES
The process for gathering information to be submitted to the AO is as follows:
Learner discloses LDD/EHCP who are flagged to the LS & SEND team. Learning Support Manager allocates learners to LSCs LSCs gather information- Normal Way of Working (NWOW) and evidence of need along with a completed consent form. LS Admin creates tracker to record learners needing EEAs along with a folder with the learner name in the EAA channel where LSCs will store the information ready to be submitted to Exams Officer. LSCs populate folders with gathered information and advise LS Admin when this is complete. LS Admin liaises with Learning Support Manager to make aware of any information missing. o LS Manager liaises with LS Team Leads to ensure information is gathered from the delivery teams LS Admin liaises with Exams Officer to ensure timely submission of all completed folders. Exams Officer advises LS Admin of approved EEAs and tracker is populated. LS Admin shares tracker with delivery teams LS Admin sends email to parents to advise EEA for learner.
EDUCATION HEALTH AND CARE PLANS
The Learning Support and SEND team will check the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) of learners who have one, to ascertain if Extra Access Arrangements are required.
TYPES OF ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS
Please note not all Awarding Organisations offer the same access arrangements.
List of access arrangements – not exhaustive:
Supervised rest breaks
Extra Time
Reader/Computer reader
Read aloud and/or the use of an examination reading pen. Scribe/Speech recognition technology Word processor Prompter Oral Language Modifier Sign Language Interpreter Practical assistant Modified Papers/Enlarged/Coloured Separate room
DEADLINES
By the end of Term 1, evidence and information should have been presented to the Learner Support team to ensure timely submission to Awarding Organisation and external parties.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Learning Support and SEND team is responsible for information and evidence gathering to support the EAA request. The Learning Support and SEND team may require the Delivery Colleague to provide Normal Way of Working (NWOW) information and any further supplementary evidence. The Delivery team is responsible for checking that arrangements are confirmed prior to the assessment/examination. The Exams Officer is responsible for submitting the information to the Awarding organisation and external parties. Along with updating the EAA tracker and storing the confirmation notification. The Learning Support Administrator is responsible for input and updates to the EAA Tracker.
CONTACTS
Learning Support – learningsupport@wearescl.co.uk
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