[senco-forum] access arrangements

We are looking at Kursweill(?) this year -
Is this what you would consider a 'screen reader'?
Stuart

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk [mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of Susie Pinder
Sent: 17 October 2006 18:56
To: Amanda; senco-forum
Subject: RE: [senco-forum] access arrangements

I know just how you feel!

I have looked very carefully at who would benefit from a reader given the papers they are sitting and the level.  There are some who should not even be doing a GCSE, but as we can't possibly offer Certificate Level for just 3 or 4 students across the board they are in with the rest for now.  In small groups I will be doing some comprehension type work, based on questions and answers in exam type conditions and getting them to 'share a reader' and waiting if needed.

If technology/finance allows next year I will look at 'Screen readers' which looked a good way forward when I saw one in use last year.  5 children sitting in a room  headphones on, listening to the questions, typing their answers and only one person needed to watch over them

I am not going down the route of scribes unless no other choice, but will allow them to word process if it is faster than their writing or will transcribe.  It is only if they are physically unable that I might go for a scribe, but then Speaking software is available such as Dragon is permissible.

Whilst I want the children to do the best they can, it should not provide them with an advantage other other students who are not allowed to word process etc.

Susie  

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk [mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of Amanda
Sent: 17 October 2006 18:43
To: senco-forum
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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