Exam Access Arrangements: What Schools and Parents need to know
3 May 2022
What are exam access arrangements?
With exam season fast approaching, schools and parents need to be aware of exam access arrangements. Pupils who have learning difficulties and disabilities may qualify for help in the form of reasonable adjustments in exams.
The most common reasonable adjustments offered in exams are;
Extra time
The use of a computer to complete the examination,
A reader to read the exam questions out loud
The use of a teaching assistant as a scribe so that the pupil can dictate their answers instead of writing them. (This should be a teaching assistant who is experienced at scribing and is used to working with the pupil who will be dictating to them)
This list is not exhaustive. There are a range of other possible exam access arrangements for pupils with visual or hearing impairments. Those with physical disabilities often can be given rest breaks within the examination to combat fatigue whilst some students might be given permission to use assistive technology such as a voice-activated laptop.
The legal duty on schools to provide exam support for Disabled pupils
There is a legal requirement to make such reasonable adjustments for exams under the Equality Act 2010 (EQA) for pupils who are disabled. The EQA says that a person is disabled if they have an impairment which has a substantial and long-term effect on their ability to carry out daily tasks. Generally speaking, if a child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) it is likely that they will be disabled under the EQA. Schools have a legal duty to make sure that disabled children are included which means that they are not discriminated against and their needs are properly taking into account.
Section 96 of the EQA makes specific provision in respect of the examination board’s duty to make reasonable adjustments for pupils who have a disability.
The Joint Council for Qualifications
The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) sets out rules on behalf of the exam boards which are overseen by Ofqual to help schools decide when and which type of exam access requirements may be appropriate for a pupil. The JCQ sets evidence standards for each type of exam support available which must be met in order for a pupil to qualify for such adjustments. The JCQ rules are updated yearly and are accessible on their website. Inspections of schools are conducted by the JCQ to ensure that all exam access provisions are supported by the appropriate evidence requirement.
What type evidence does the school need to obtain?
When a school has been made aware that a pupil might need exam access arrangements or the school itself has identified that a pupil may benefit from exam support, the school should gather the evidence of this need from class teachers, other staff members, parents, the pupil and any other relevant external professionals (such as an Occupational Therapist), who work with the pupil. As part of the evidence collecting process, it may be necessary to conduct assessments of the pupil in question such as comprehension, reading, spelling and writing tests as well as assessing their ability to type and the speed at which they do so. If a pupil has an EHCP or has been assessed by and has reports from professionals such as an Educational Psychologist, these must be read and may be supportive of the pupil’s need for reasonable adjustments in exams, but such documents do not automatically entitle a pupil to access arrangements.
If the school has collected evidence which meets the criteria for exam arrangements set forth by the JCQ, the school needs to apply for permission to put the reasonable adjustments in place for all assessed parts of the course including assignments conducted outside of exam conditions. Ideally a school should apply for these arrangements before the pupil begins the exam course, however they can be applied for at any point in time.
If you are a parent reading this and believe your child may need exam access arrangements, here is some advice on what you can do.
Speak to your child’s class teacher and the school’s Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO). If you have already done this but an agreement has not been reached, talk to the head teacher or another member of the senior management team and ask for a meeting to discuss the type and amount of support you believe may be necessary for your child as an exam access arrangement.
You will need to be able to show evidence of why you believe such exam adjustments are required. This evidence can take the form of the fact that your child has needed and received some exam help in the past in school led internal exams. Indeed, evidence of previous exam support could simply be that your child received extra time because they are slower at reading exam papers than other pupils. Any reports or documents that identify your child’s special educational needs and suggest that they require special education provision (for example, support from a teaching assistant to read texts in class) are also crucial forms of supporting evidence.
Where you do not have enough evidence to demonstrate that your child requires reasonable adjustments in exams, perhaps because your child has only been at the school for a short period of time, and you still believe that your child needs exam access arrangements, you should ask the school to carry out the relevant assessment tests so that they can make an application for your child to have exam access arrangements if necessary.
PHP provides advice on all aspects of special educational needs and disability law.