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Assessment and Diagnosis:

Access arrangements are concessions made in external examinations which provide children with learning difficulties an opportunity to perform to the best of their ability. They include:
  • extra time
  • the use of a laptop
  • rest breaks

What is the criteria for applying for access arrangements for external examinations?

·         Students can apply for access arrangements irrespective of a diagnosis of specific learning difficulties or dyslexia

·         There must be evidence of need demonstrated

·         There must be under-developed functional skill which acts as a barrier to accessing the national examination

·         Students who have difficulty coping with examination conditions may also qualify for access arrangements and will require assessment

·         It is essential that there is a history of provision to support the assessment process

·         Diagnosis of specific learning difficulty and/or dyslexia DOES NOT automatically qualify a student for access arrangements. Thorough diagnostic assessment is required  to provide evidence of need which must identify barriers to accessing the exams

·         The needs must be SUBSTANTIAL –not minor or trivial

·         No allowances can be made for shortcomings in knowledge and skills

EVIDENCE OF NEED IS THE ESSENTIAL FEATURE OF THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS

A detailed overview of access arrangements can be found by clicking here.
Guidance for SATs is slightly different and can be viewed by clicking here.
Identification Checklists of dyslexia, dyspraxia, mathematical difficulties, speech, language and communication difficulties, disorders of attention, can be found following this link.
 
I have also developed a number of handouts to aid schools in their management of the assessment process. Click here for more information.
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What does the diagnostic assessment process involve?

·         Gathering information about the student to demonstrate a history of need and intervention

·         Evidence of need through observations, questionnaires, interviews and standardised assessments

o   Observation: of the child in a less for his/her engagement, level of concentration, interaction with peers, teachers and other staff, to determine any current support being provided

o   Questionnaires: to parents and teacher/SENCO to gain a  picture of the students background history, child development, educational attainment and any evidence of need or intervention which has been required in the past

o   Interviews: of child to find out his/her perspective, of parents to fill in any gaps in information which were highlighted through the questionnaire of teacher/SENCO to identify any strategies which are currently being employed by the school

o   Standardised assessments: based upon the responses from the questionnaires, careful assessments will be chosen which will home in on the specific areas of difficulty where support might be needed.

When do students need to be assessed for access arrangements for external exams?

Type A (Authorised by the Awarding Body) access arrangements must apply to coursework and exams. Assessment must take place within the 2 years preceding the final examination or during the teaching programme leading to the award of the specification.

Type C (Authorised by the Centre) access arrangements must be assessed during or following Y7.
A suggested timetable can be obtained by following the link here
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Access arrangements: Who is responsible for what?

The Centre is responsible deciding whether access arrangements are necessary and for applying for them by completing Form 8. It is the Head of Centre who is ultimately responsible for the final decisions, but usually delegates the decision-making process to the SENCO. The Head of Centre decides who is appointed to work as the Specialist Teacher.

The Specialist teacher is contracted by the Centre to undertake the diagnostic assessment and write the diagnostic report. This role can also be carried out by and Educational Psychologist. The specialist must be named by the Centre on Form 8A

The Awarding Body (or JCQ) authorises the Type A access arrangement. They moderate the examining process and audit the evidence held by Centre’s for the access arrangements being requested and implemented. 

The Exam Officer Is responsible for collating and submitting all the evidence to the Awarding Body and ensuring the appropriate access arrangements are in place.

The SENCO is responsible for identifying students in need of support and initiating the diagnostic process. They liaise with the Specialist teacher over the reporting process and submit the reports to the Exam Officer who subsequently passes the information forward to the Awarding Body.
 
An account of the standardised assessments which I use can be found by clicking here.
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The Diagnostic Assessment Process
STAGE ONE: INITIAL ENQUIRY
  • From Parent
  • From School
STAGE TWO: SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRES
  • To parents
  • To school teacher/SENCO
STAGE THREE: FOLLOW-UP CALL
  • To parents/School to arrange date to meet and further clarification
STAGE FOUR: INTERVIEWS AND ASSESSMENTS
  • Interviews with parent/s, child and school teacher/SENCO
  • Observation of child within class
     
  • Standardised Assessments of child
  • Ideally all interviewsm observations and assessments she be made on the same day and within the school setting.
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STAGE FIVE: REPORT
  • A full diagnostic report will be issued to the parent/s and school (where requested) within 28 days of the final assessment. For a full interpretation of the report click here.
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