Access Arrangements in Assessment and Examinations for Dyslexics

Being Dyslexic - dyslexia line of people

Friday, August 08, 2008 01:36

Access Arrangements in Assessment
and Examinations for Dyslexics

1. The National Curriculum.

Assessments (known informally as SATs) are administered at the end of Key Stage 1 at 7 years, KS2 at 11 years, and KS3 at 14 years.

Notification is required for extra time and other arrangements.

Local Education Authority (LEA) schools wanting to make special arrangements for pupils must notify an LEA representative who monitors the situation. Non-LEA schools should contact QCA. An Educational Psychologist assessment is not needed for special arrangements for the tests.

Copies of the booklets:
'Key stage 1 Assessment and reporting arrangements'
'Key stage 2 Assessment and reporting arrangements'
'Key stage 3 Assessment and reporting arrangements'
are available free of charge from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)
Tel: 01787 884 444 Fax: 01787 312 950
Email: info@qca.org.uk Web: www.qca.org.uk

2. Common Entrance Examinations.

Special arrangements are a matter for negotiation with the destination school.

3. GCSE, GCE 'A' levels and GNVQ Examinations.

The Boards will require a current assessment report from an Educational Psychologist or from a teacher with specialist qualifications for identifying assessing and teaching pupils with dyslexia. Schools may be required to pay LEAs for such assessments. The report may not have to be submitted, but must be available if required.

Word-processed coursework is acceptable from all candidates, though some coursework and papers for some examination boards must be hand-written. Examination Boards are unlikely to consider applications from candidates who have not used WP in Mock exams.

Booklet:

GCE, VCE, GCSE & GNVQ. Regulations and Guidance relating to Candidates with Particular Requirements. Issued by the Joint Council for Qualifications. Available from the awarding bodies including:

Assessment & Qualification Alliance. (AQA) Manchester
Tel: 0161 953 1180

Assessment & Qualification Alliance. (AQA) Guildford
Tel: 01483 506 506

Edexcel
Tel: 0870 240 9800
Web: http://www.edexcel.org.uk

OCR (Oxford, Cambridge & RSA)
Tel: 024 7647 0033
Web: www.ocr.org.uk

Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ)
Web: www.jcq.org.uk

Parents may obtain the booklets but should discuss individual cases with schools and colleges.

In Scotland, at 16+, computers may be used by any candidate providing spell-checking and data storage are not available, and other candidates are not disturbed. This is not an access arrangement.

Applications to the Examination Board, with the required evidence, must be made by the school in good time.

The school must be able and willing to implement the special arrangements, e.g. supervise extra time and a separate room for those using computers, and disable the spellchecker.

4. Further and Higher Education.

Application for access arrangements can be made to City & Guilds, BTEC, RSA and Universities.

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