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

In my last maintained school we had a whole tribe of external invigilators,
and people who could support those students with special arrangements.

Governors volunteered - and tended not to be paid.

Everyone else was paid basic wage rates.  I used to use dinner ladies -
known to my students - and all of the "granny age" - they had a mornings
training before SATS & GCSEs started regarding just what they could and
could not do.

GCSEs were done in the sports hall - whole year groups of nearly 300 - less
those with special arrangements - 3 - 4 teachers - more at the start and
finish of exams - plus 8 - 10 outsiders - and very good they all were too.

Recruited by word of mouth to those people we knew would be the right sort
of people for the job - started small - and grew.

I have never had students who had problems asking for help by the time it
came to the formal assessment situation - I think that you have to train
children that it is VERY OK to ask - and to clarify - it was a direct
departmental policy that whenever errors happened initially - we
investigated "had they asked?" - their teacher - LSAs - or even friends -
that asking is the sensible option if you were even the vaguest bit not sure
of what to do.  To encourage this we always asked - with a full class or
whatever "Hands up who knows what to do?" - and we would target the delayed
hands up to check that there was no problem.  I think that you have to be
proactive in this area in order to get over the hang-ups that some children
have.  Students who moved new into years 10 and 11 found this a new
experience - that we were not "telling people off for not listening" but
encouraging those who found a stream of instructions beyond their current
capabilities.

Using extra time is more difficult to target - it's another reason why I am
keen on the extra time people starting early - and then leaving with
everyone else.

Regards

Ruth

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of Stuart Lucas
Sent: 14 May 2007 09:24
To: WrayJanice Wray; senco forum
Subject: RE: [senco-forum] access arrangements you can't meet ????

Good point -
We may shortly be at this position -
Due to 
A - scribes / readers - including emergency ones
B - all teachers are invigilators
C - class cover 

Small school with small number of teachers -

Q - what innovative approaches are others using e.g.
Use of Governors ?
Use of Parents ?
Paid scribes / readers ?

Tks
Stuart

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of WrayJanice
Wray
Sent: 13 May 2007 16:38
To: senco forum
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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