I attended some training on the updates to the JCQ regulations last week and the main change is that AAs must be applied for, by the centre, a whole month earlier than in previous years. This means that home educators need to contact a potential centre even earlier in the exam cycle that they have done in the past.

Last year, some home educating candidates were left having to struggle through their exams without appropriate Access Arrangements in place, because they had been assured by their centre that they could be arranged at the last minute. This is not actually possible, except in the case of a true emergency, and only then if the AAs are available to be used. A centre which has no more space, for example, can’t magic up another room, the day before the exam. So, if your child needs AAs, you need, as always, to plan well in advance.

This year, the JCQ representative emphasised the importance of the 'Five Conditions' being confirmed and signed by the centre SENCO, in addition to there being adequate primary evidence (report from qualified professional etc.). These are that the SENCO must:

1.     confirm that the candidate has persistent and significant difficulties when accessing and processing information and is disabled within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010;
 
2.     include evidence of the candidate’s current difficulties and how they substantially impact on teaching and learning in the classroom;
 
3.     show the involvement of teaching staff in determining the need for 25% extra time;
 
4.     confirm that without the application of 25% extra time the candidate would be at a substantial disadvantage; (The candidate would be at a substantial disadvantage when compared with other, non-disabled candidates undertaking the assessment.)
 
5.     confirm that 25% extra time is the candidate’s normal way of working within the centre as a direct consequence of their disability.

Obviously, none of this was written with home educators in mind and those parents seeking AAs will need to contact the centre now (for next summer) and discuss with them how these conditions may be met in the home education context.

Because the SENCO is now the lead professional (as opposed to the Exams Officer, in the past) and s/he has to sign a statement confirming these conditions being met, some centres may run a mile from private (external) candidates requiring AAs. If you find a gem of a centre willing to work with your child's needs, do remember that they are under no obligation to do so and they are doing you a favour. Please treat them well, so that they will be happy to help other home educators in the future.

​The HE-Exams Yahoo Group is the best place to ask questions about exam-taking as a home educator:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/HE-Exams-GCSE-A_AS_Levels-OU-Others/info​

This is the second in a series of posts about applying for Access Arrangements in exams as a home educated candidate.

The process for applying for Access Arrangements can be thought of as in this timeline. It is possible that this entire process could take about a year:
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1. Teachers (parents, in this case, and any other tutors etc that the child comes into contact with during the course of their home education experience) find that they have to regularly adapt the way the child learns. For example, they allow more time than the task could normally be expected to take. The child may need someone to write his ideas for him because he is, despite appropriate instruction, unable to write legibly. The parent may suspect a significant learning difficulty or medical condition of some kind.
2. This ‘history of need’ prompts the parents to seek an assessment for exam access arrangements. If there is no ‘history of need’, the exam centre is unlikely to be able to justify the application for AAs and so may decide not even to assess. Evidence of this ‘history of need’ needs to be supplied to the exam centre. Evidence of a medical diagnosis, if there is one, preferably at consultant level, will be helpful at this point.
3. The Assessment for AAs must be conducted by a Specialist Assessor who is appointed by the exam centre, who works with them regularly and is known by them. The centre is not obliged to accept any assessment conducted by anyone with whom they do not work. The assessment must not be conducted before the child is in Year 9, or it will not be accepted.
4. If the assessment finds that the child has a long term disability with a ‘substantial adverse effect’, the Specialist Assessor may recommend specific AAs such as 25% extra time or a reader. If the centre is able to provide the candidate with these, they will then be applied for by the centre’s SENCO.
5. The application for the recommended AAs is made to the awarding body (exam board).
6. If these are approved, the exam centre informs the candidate.
7. Evidence of the history of need (including observations from any tutors), the report on the assessment by the Specialist Assessor, the approved application for AAs, a candidate’s signed Data Protection Notice are all kept on file at the centre for inspection by JCQ.

If your child has a disability such as Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) or a Specific Learning Difficulty(SLD) such as Dyslexia, they may be entitled to what is known as Access Arrangements(AAs) during the exam.

The Equality Act 2010 requires exam boards to make reasonable adjustments where a candidate, who is disabled within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010, would be at a substantial disadvantage in comparison to someone who is not disabled.

The idea is to level the playing field for the child with the disability.

Read all about what kinds of adjustments may be made, and in what circumstances, in the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) regulations here:

How has it worked for home educated students in the past?

Up to quite recently, when a home educated student required AAs, they would approach a centre and ask if it accepted Private Candidates (PCs). If it did, the parent would inform the Examinations Officer (EO) at the centre of the need for AASs, and the EO would deal with the application process. Usually, the EO would ask for evidence of the need for the AA being asked for. If, for example, the parent was asking for a Reader for a child with Dyslexia, there would need to be a report from someone qualified to diagnose that condition. Sometimes, the school SENCO was happy to interview the child and conducted a reading test or something like that. Usually, that was all the EO needed and the candidate would be awarded the Reader on the strength of that report.

Recent changes

In the last couple of years, the JCQ regulations have been tightening up. Firstly, a requirement was introduced so that all such reports and assessments needed to have been conducted by someone who is either a currently registered Educational Pyschologist or a Specialist Assessor with a particular set of approved qualifications. Many schools, whose SENCOs had been doing all the assessing, found that they were no longer qualified to do so and schools found themselves needing to buy in such services until one of their own staff could become qualified in the Level 7 (Masters standard) qualification. Evidence of a ‘history of need’ for the AA was also required. This might have meant the parent submitting a piece of written work for the file which included the assessment report.

The Latest Changes

This academic year, further changes were brought in.

History of Need is the Primary Requirement

The exam centre is now required to start collecting evidence of the ‘history of need’ for the AA being applied for from very early on, from around year 9. If the student’s normal way of working, for example, is to be allowed extra time, consistently, to complete written assignments, this would obviously constitute proof of the need for the AA of extra time in the exam. The subject teacher would write a report to the SENCO to explain this. The ‘history of need within the centre’ is what will trigger a full assessment to be carried out by the Specialist Assessor and the report from that will contribute to (but is not guaranteed to unlock) the application for AAs.

SENCO is the Lead Professional

The other significant shift is the change from the Exams Officer taking the lead in application for AAs to it being the SENCOs responsibility, although the ultimate responsibility is with the Head of Centre (usually the head teacher).

Relationship with Specialist Assessor

Additionally, the centre now needs to have an ongoing professional relationship with the Specialist Assessor who does the assessment. If you have a report from an assessor who has recommended a particular AA, the centre may not accept it, because they do not know, and do not regularly work with, that assessor.

What does this mean now for home educated children?

Unfortunately, some exam centres may well be put off dealing with Private Candidates who need AAs. Anecdotal evidence seems to be that this is already starting to happen. The time and effort involved for already over-burdened SENCOs may just be too much.

The possibility is that fewer centres will want to deal with PCs at all. After all, it would be awkward for some EOs to accept non-disabled/autistic/dyslexic candidates but say no to disabled ones. Some Heads of Centre will not want to be thought of as being discriminatory, so they may well simply close their doors to PCs altogether.

What can parents do to make things easier for themselves?

1. You must make plans well in advance. A year before the expected exam sitting date is not too early. Contact the exam centre and ask if they would be able to accommodate a candidate with the specific need and AA you want and think your child is entitled to.
2. If your child has a medical report and diagnosis, or has already had an assessment with a Specialist Assessor, this will be helpful, so inform the centre of that. Ask if those reports will be accepted by the centre.
3. If they don’t have an assessment, ask the centre if they have the name of a Specialist Assessor with whom they already work.
4. Ask how you can fulfil the centre’s requirement to provide a ‘history of need’.
5. Be prepared to do whatever you are asked to do to provide that.
6. Be prompt in replying to emails, sending in evidence etc.
7. Always be polite to the person from the centre you are dealing with. Remember that they are essentially doing you a favour and are under no obligation to provide such a service.
8. Finally - Don’t leave the exam entry to the last minute. PLAN AHEAD!

NB, Cambridge Examinations International (CIE) board is not governed by the JCQ, although all other exam boards are. They have equally strict procedures for AAs, but are different in key areas.

I will be writing more on this subject in coming months.