1. Exam Support and Access Arrangements…

2.  During tutorial learners are asked to complete the BSKB initial screening/ assessment test to establish if they need any additional support by answering set questions linked to SpLD indicators. They are also asked if they have got any known Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD’s) or received any support previously at school.  This initial screener is very similar to the British Dyslexic Associations (BDA’s) initial screener test to establish if leaners have any traits of Dyslexia or other SpLD’s.  If students get a score of over 49, with four or more signifiers they are classed as ‘having learning issues which may relate to dyslexia’ and will be offered a review which may eventually lead onto a full assessment for SpLD’s if it is deemed appropriate.  For students who achieve a score under 49, with four or more signifiers they are classed as priority and high risk so these learners will be offered a review and probably a full assessment as a matter of urgency.  Students can then be loaded into a spreadsheet held by KBS to keep a track of who needs assessing, who has been assessed, priority of case and the dates that reviews and assessments took place and when documents were written and passed to the relevant people. Screener/ Initial Assessment…

3.  Some students come to college already being previously assessed either at school or privately.  We need evidence of these assessments asap when they start at the college.  We can use the reports/ evidence/ scores if it is less than 26 months old. Anything that has been done prior to this needs to be updated and the student will need to be reassessed to update their standard scores and make the assessments valid again.  These past reports and assessments can also be used to inform us of past support and concessions they have had previously. Past Assessments and Past Support…

4.  If you suspect any of your learners as being Dyslexic please refer them to Karen Bates and the Inclusive Learning Team. You can do this by putting a referral through on case under reason: student learning issues, action: referral for dyslexia/ learning support.  They will then be offered an initial interview where we will investigate their background and assess if we think we need to progress to a full assessment to establish Dyslexia or another SpLD.  This assessment will test the learners IQ, literacy, reading, writing, spelling, maths, phonological awareness, memory, ways of thinking, learning and problem solving techniques, as well as other things and will look at their individual profile of strengths and weaknesses to see if they are characteristic of Dyslexia or other possible SpLD’s. OSFC Referral Process???

5.  A comprehensive and confidential report of the results with recommendations is then sent to the parents and used to inform teaching in the Study Lab support sessions to develop an individual, structured program to help learners improve and develop in areas where they want to, using a multisensory approach. International research shows that specialist, structured, multi-sensory teaching methods, linking four of the senses - auditory, visual, oral and touch - not only helps to minimise the difficulties that people with Dyslexia experience but can also improve general literacy.  All support in college is tailored to each person’s individual needs using the strategies that specialist staff feel will be most helpful. Sometimes students may need 1:1 support from someone who understands their difficulties. Study Lab teachers provide tuition to help them overcome their specific difficulty and meet the demands of their coursework. Support is flexible and can be offered to suit their needs. OSFC Referral Process???

6.  Other support mechanisms that are available at the college to help students if they prove not to have Dyslexia or other SpLD’s or even if they do have Dyslexia and other SpLD’s are: -  Literacy and numeracy workshops.  Study Lab support workshops.  In class support.  Peer mentor by the student ambassadors.  College councillor.  College nurse.  Personal tutors.  Subject teachers.  SMT and SSM.  Connexions and careers services.  Outside agencies. Other Support…

7.  Reasonable adjustments that can be made in our classrooms to help these learners study better can include allowing the use of: -  Laptops, organisers, phones, IPADS, etc.  Dictaphones.  Spellcheckers.  Coloured overlays, coloured handouts, coloured backgrounds on boards and specific fonts on presentations (Ariel, Times New Roman, Calibri, Comic Sans). Reasonable Adjustments in Classrooms…

8.  We can also make concessions in exams through access arrangements which can include: -  Extra time (usually 25% extra time).  Readers.  Scribes.  Rest breaks.  Coloured overlays.  Separate/ smaller rooms.  The use of a word processor to complete their exam. Exam Access Arrangements…

9.  If learners reading, comprehension or reading speed is slow, they can have full readers that read the full paper out to them and stay with them throughout their whole exam, they can have a computer reader, use the reading pen or they can have a shared reader which is a person who just reads odd words and passages out to the them but is shared between a small room of students. They need to pick if they want a shared or a full reader and then practice these arrangements so they become part of their normal working arrangements.  Learners can have scribes or computer voice activated software (again we do have this (Dragon Speak). Students are entitled to a scribe if their spelling is below a certain standard and if their writing speed is slow or if they have extremely poor handwriting. Again they need to practice this provision to ensure it is their normal way of working. Readers and Scribes…

10.  If our students want to have rest breaks (previously arranged before their exam) we need to inform them that they need to ask the invigilator when they want to rest. For the next exam period, in all exams, there will be a piece of paper on all students desks telling them what to do when they want to take their break. Basically, hands up and inform the invigilator.  Can have coloured overlays in their examinations but it is the students responsibility to remember to take these into the exams. If they need a replacement or another overlay they must ask KBS or their Study Lab teachers in advance of their exams. Rest Breaks and Coloured Overlays…

11.  Learners can use word processors to type their exam rather than write if they are proficient at using a computer and keyboard and if they have really poor handwriting. And also if it is part of their normal way of working when completing exams.  In controlled assessments students are entitled to extra time, scribes, readers, rest breaks and coloured overlays providing it is part of their normal working way. Usually learners want these arrangements in English but not in art and IT or other subjects. Word Processors…

12.  With the year 12 students we are getting reviews and assessments completed with these asap to determine what support they are used to/ what access arrangements they had at school/ if they have any evidence of this and what access arrangements they will need here so that we can get the correct support that they need in place for them asap.  LDL will have details of all year 12 and 13 learners that need support and she will make a spreadsheet up of all these students as and when they have been reviewed/ assessed with their required arrangements. KBS and EHA will have a copy of this spreadsheet and will check learners agree with the arrangements, still want them and understand them.  LDL/ JBY will have appointments with these learners to discuss their requirements if necessary. This will ensure all students, as far as possible, are known about, catered for and have the required support/ access arrangements that they need. Yr 12 and Yr 13 Learners Needing Support…

13.  JCQ regulations have changed substantially over the last two years. We have to implement these and adhere to them strictly.  We now have to demonstrate that the access arrangements (25% extra time/ use of readers/ scribes) are the candidates normal way of working in classroom settings, mock exams and real exams.  We must provide appropriate support for learners and ensure they can demonstrate their knowledge, whilst maintaining fairness, a level playing field for all and ensuring no unfair advantage for any learner.  Under the Equality Act we must make reasonable adjustments without compromising the integrity of the qualifications that the learners are taking and remove the barriers/ substantial difficulties and disadvantages that some learners face.  If a candidate has never made use of the arrangements granted to him/ her, then it is not his/ her normal way of working. Therefore the arrangement should not be awarded for examinations. (So, basically If they don’t use extra time/ readers/ scribes in their lessons/ mock exams they will not have this provision in their actual exams). N.B.