[senco-forum] access arrangements you can't meet ????

We sometimes apply for an access arrangement and then decide not to use it
for one 
Reason or another ... mainly teenage pupils can be quite contrary and think
they don't need the access arrangement when it comes to sitting the final
exam ... but I work on the principal that its better to be prepared and have
an access arrangement in place and not use it than not have one in place and
have to tell the pupil they can't have any help what so ever. Especially
when you  have to make the application so early in the year so you can't
leave these things to chance .... this is usually the conversation I have
with the pupils as they are being tested for their access arrangement.

We have never in all the years I have been involved in planning for access
arrangements and that's at least the ten years been taken to task for not
using an access arrangement that has been granted ... and its never so far
had a knock on effect for the next batch of applications ... after saying
that its not very often that the pupils don't fully make use of their access
arrangement.

Staffing wise is a nightmare I regularly can be found at this time of the
year begging people to help us out with the exams and find bribery and
chocolate a great part of my exam kit. Rooms are also an issue and I try to
make the best of a bad job but you usually find us all over the building in
all sorts of strange places.

One of my jobs this weekend was to work out an exam timetable for the
G.C.S.E.s and in the middle of realized that the year 10's have a science
exam on the same day when some year 11's are already double booked for exams
.... oh what joys !

Lesley 

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of lucy grimme
Sent: 17 May 2007 17:34
To: WrayJanice Wray; senco forum
Subject: Re: [senco-forum] access arrangements you can't meet ????

don't know what would happen if you applied for and received 
permission for access arrangements and then didn't put them into 
place; I would imagine that would open you up to all sorts of 
liabilities.

I think many secondary schools are now in this position.  We hold 
regular training sessions for readers and scribes.  Training materials 
are available from Communicate-Ed.  We use all support staff who are 
not invigilating exams and a pool of outside people who only work as 
readers and scribes as well as being prompts, doing transcripts and 
acting as invigilators in SEN groups; ie they are not employed in any 
other capacity at school - they are paid an hourly rate the same as 
invigilators.  We do not use teachers; teachers cannot be asked to 
carry out this role during eg., their yr11 gained time or non contact 
time.  some staff quite rightly, raised points about students with SEN 
needing to feel relaxed with people they knew doing the job of reading 
to them but this is just not possible when we have 35 in the current 
year 10 who are entitled to access arrangements; 32 of them to either 
a reader, scribe or both.  We therefore have to train the children 
that they might expect somebody who doesn't know them.  Of course, we 
match up the very neediest children with the known LSA and the 
strongest with outside staff and do our best to cater accordingly. 
Accommodation is also an issue.  We carried out the SATs across three 
rooms, which of course, requires three invigilators. It's a major job 
which is  not easy but it's do-able.  It has to be.

I'd be interested in what other secondary schools with large numbers 
are doing.  Most of my advice came from Caroline Read of Communicate 
Ed.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "WrayJanice Wray" <jwwray14 at hotmail.com>
To: "senco forum" <senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 4:37 PM
Subject: [senco-forum] access arrangements you can't meet ????

We've been fully stretched this year - very small department - with 
SATS - GCSEs will be tricky too to find someone to scribe/read etc.
Now, I wonder what is the position if the access arrangement has been 
granted by the Exam Board but the school doesn't meet the need and the 
paper isn't read/scribed etc ?
Next year will be o.k. (probably) but the year after that and 
subsequent years I think there will be more and more students needing 
help and my department is down to me and a part time support teacher 
and two full time T.A.s plus another for just 6 hrs. That's due to the 
new funding arrangements in Hertfordshire.
Anyway, what would happen - anyone know ?
Janice
Oh and thanks for all the replies re: computers and epilepsy - I;ve 
passed the information on
GreatJanice Wray Secondary SENCO, Herts
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