[senco-forum] access arrangements

This is a growing problem in my school too.
Yes, what has tended to happen in the past is that I have had to take my TAs out of lessons but this is so unfair and as the numbers of pupils with access arrangements increased, I said I couldn't do it.
Last year we used outsiders (invigilators who are paid for by the school to release teachers from this duty) and cover supervisors as readers and scribes for those children who had broken wrists etc. We had no SEN pupils with readers or scribes last year.
One problem with outside invigilators is that they don't know the pupils and every time at least 2 have been refused their extra time despite notices everywhere etc,
Different this year - there are at least 3 who need readers/scribes - maybe more.
I will need a room with screens so that there will only be 1 invigilator but 3 readers and they won't be able to hear each other. Despite early requests I know this is going to cause problems.
You can't use sixth formers.
It is a growing problem Janice WraySecondary SENCO, Herts

> Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 18:43:15 +0100> From: amandavh at btinternet.com> To: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk> Subject: [senco-forum] access arrangements> > Hello everyone> What do you do to try to support pupils doing GCSE assessments? Do you leave others unsupported in classrooms to help those in exams? How many people do you use to read and scribe for GCSEs at any one time?> > I have a problem with my Year 10 group. About 15% of the group meet the criteria for a reader or a scribe or both. Now this is only about 18 pupils but where do I find the people to work with them?> Forget 'a reader may work with more than one pupil' because it just doesn't happen that kids ask for the occasional word to be read. Year 9 SATs tell us that.> What has made the problem more difficult is that the science syllabus has changed and, as well as the multiple choice modular exams, we now have written time-limited assessments on unseen questions at the end of each unit of work. Science want the kids to have readers and scribes if they are entitled to them. We have always provided readers for modular exams but the Head of Science has told me there could be as many a twelve written assessments in Year 10 alone.> If science have readers and scribes, then so do all the other subjects where pupils do written coursework. After all, the kids are entitled. So English, maths, history, grography, French, etc, etc are saying kids need support in their assessments too. The exam boards expect pupils to practice their access arrangements quite rightly.> I have between ten and fifteen people available at any one time to work with pupils. Almost all are 'tied' to pupils with Statement hours, of which only three are in Year 10 and they share 2.2 full time equivilant between them. Almost everyone else is in other year groups.> We thought of asking for volunteers from the community but every one would need to be CRB checked at a cost of £40 apiece and then re-checked if we needed to use them again in a few months.> What do you do? What do you think I should advise my Head?> > Thanks.> > > > Amanda> Secondary SENCO> Cornwall
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