EXAMS

[openyoureyes]

Hi everyone

 

Not experiences this before but my 11yr old AS is about to have his 1st exams at the high school.

Should he automatically be given more time over the papers? or do I have to ask for it. Nothing

has been said at the school so I presume he is just going to have to sit with the others and have the same

amount of allocated time.

 

Any advice

[bid]

I think you need to see the SENCO.

 

He should be allowed 25% extra time, and the opportunity to sit the exams in a small room, rather than the main hall.

 

He may also be allowed a prompt, and depending on his difficulties the option of doing his exams straight onto a laptop, etc.

 

Good luck.

 

Bid

[openyoureyes]

HI Bid

thanks for that, my son has not got a statement but is on school action plus, so does this still apply?

[bid]

Yes, definitely the 25% extra time and a quiet room...schools can even allocate these for GCSEs/'A' levels at their own discretion.

 

For public exams the school has to apply to the examining boards for dispensations like using a laptop, etc, but not for their own internal exams. It can also be helpful to have set a precedent with this sort of help well before any external exams.

 

For external exams you will also need a letter from your child's consultant, detailing their need for a laptop, etc, so it can be a good idea to set this precedent now, too.

 

My son is at a special school, but he still had to complete an assessment to prove his handwriting difficulties) to allow him to do all his GCSEs straight onto a laptop. He also has a 'prompt', to help him stay on task, plus the extra time.

 

Bid

[openyoureyes]

thanks for that Bid, I will go and see his SENCO this week. Wish me luck

[nellie]

This website has an excellent information sheet on Examination Arrangements for Candidates with Special Educational Needs. I would advise giving this information to the SENCO.

 

http://www.oaasis.co.uk/

 

Look under information sheets (might need a double click) then look under education.

 

Nellie xx

[Tez]

The schools actually work to the regulations laid down by the Joint Council for Qualifications for all public examinations.

 

You can access the regulation document HERE

 

This document is my bible at the moment. Every time that A's home school says something can't be done, I use it to tell them why it can.

 

It's a lot of reading, but I would suggest that anyone with children coming up to GCSEs or A levels read it and familiarise themselves, particularly watch for deadlines for applications and whether it is advisable to ask for dispensation at the start of the course.

[nellie]

Thanks Tez,

 

That's useful information to have.

 

Nellie xx

[openyoureyes]

thanks guys for all your help, at least I know what I can fight for now

[mrs phasmid]

just a quick addition here phas jr had his french oral gcse today i phoned senco last thursday and explained that phas jr might need 1/2 hr after just to wind down before going onto next lesson to stop him going into shutdown, which he is always frightened of,(study leav starts next week whoopee!) she spoke to hofl who spoke to phas jr and arranged that he could take in his mp3 and have 1/2 hr in quiet room to chill if he needed it and then left it up to him to decide to do so or not. phas jr told us today that he hadnt used it but i think that just the thought of having that time helped him. he says he thinks he did really well in exam ( wait and see) he has german orals thurs and same applies. so sometimes it doesn't have to be formal just a chat can help. i would say tho that phas jr has been offered the extra 25% time for all exams but will not take it as HE feels he would be cheating and he "wants to do them on merit (all 22 papers over next 4 weeks) not because of any extra help" he can be so self rightous sometimes. wish me luck over next 4 weeks everyone, by the way youngest phaslet has yr6 SATs at same time HELP!!!!