Robustness and fairness are essential requirements in maintaining the integrity of the process. Only those candidates who meet the published criteria, with the required evidence in place, must be awarded the arrangement(s).
Reducing bureaucracy and burden
A key aim of the JCQ and its awarding body members is to reduce the administrative burden on schools and colleges. Over the past twelve years we have taken significant steps to reduce bureaucracy and burden.
Principally:
- by delegating nineteen access arrangements/reasonable adjustments to centres. Such arrangements do not require an online application or, in most cases, any evidence of need. The SENCo, or an equivalent member of staff, is empowered at a local level to determine the appropriateness and reasonableness of the arrangement;
- by introducing Access arrangements online the process of applying for access arrangements/reasonable adjustments has been streamlined. Around 90% of applications are automatically approved by the online system where the candidate meets the published criteria for the arrangement(s);
- where a candidate has a confirmed learning difficulty, with a fully completed Form 8 in place, and will continue to require 25% extra time and/or a scribe, the Form 8 may be rolled forward from one centre to another.
What checks need to be made when a Form 8 is received from another centre?
Where, for example, a college receives a fully completed Form 8 from a school, the following checks must be made by the Additional Needs/Learning Support Team:
- Has Part 1 of Form 8 been completed? Is there sufficient information within Part 1 showing the candidate’s picture of need and normal way of working?
- Has Part 2 of Form 8 been completed?
- Are the tests recorded within Part 2 of Form 8 current, age appropriate and nationally standardised?
- Was the candidate assessed no earlier than the start of Year 9?
- Has Part 2 of Form 8 been signed and dated by the assessor?
- • Has evidence been provided that the assessor holds, as a minimum, a post-graduate qualification in individual specialist assessment at or equivalent to Level 7, or is a specialist teacher assessor holding a current SpLD Assessment Practising Certificate, or is a psychologist holding HCPC registration?
- Has Part 3 of Form 8 been completed?
- Has Part 3 of Form 8 been signed and dated by the SENCo?
The above checks would similarly apply where a candidate transfers to a different school at the start of Year 12 or remains in the same school and moves from Year 11 to Year 12.
Should a pro-forma be produced by the SENCo, or an equivalent member of staff, to show that Parts 1, 2 and 3 of Form 8 have been checked?
The SENCo, or an equivalent member of staff, may produce a simple pro-forma which shows that Parts 1, 2 and 3 of Form 8 have been checked and the form is in order. However, a thorough visual check of Form 8 is perfectly acceptable.
What is the process for GCSE re-sits?
With the changes to the published criteria for 25% extra time from 1 September 2021, it is important that candidates with a previously approved online application for 25% extra time are not disadvantaged should they wish to improve upon a previously awarded GCSE result during the 2022/23 academic year.
Where a candidate wishes to be entered for GCSE examinations in the November 2022 or June 2023 examination series to improve upon a previous grade, the SENCo, or an equivalent member of staff, may roll forward the existing evidence, including Form 8. The candidate may continue to be awarded 25% extra time based on the previous criteria of at least one below average standardised score of 84 or less.
If the SENCo, or an equivalent member of staff, is satisfied that the need for the arrangement still exists, then the candidate does not have to be re-assessed. Form 8 may roll forward to support a new online application for 25% extra time and/or a scribe. The centre must however process a new online application using Access arrangements online and the candidate must sign a new candidate personal data consent form.
Samples of evidence (e.g. comments and observations from teaching staff, a sample of mock exam papers showing the application of extra time or an IEP) are not required for 25% extra time where a candidate has two below average standardised scores relating to two different areas of speed of working or one below average standardised score and one low average standardised score relating to two different areas of speed of working.
For a candidate requiring a computer reader/reader, a short concise file note relating to the new centre must be produced. The centre must process a new online application using Access arrangements online and the candidate must sign a new candidate personal data consent form.
What is the deadline for processing applications for GCSE November re-sits?
To further assist colleges, the deadline for processing access arrangements for the GCSE November series has been extended to 1 November. Late applications after 1 November may be made, where necessary, provided that the candidate meets the published criteria for the arrangement(s) and the required evidence is in place prior to processing an online application before the candidate’s first GCSE examination.
Is additional paperwork required when a candidate moves from GCSE to GCE A-level qualifications?
In addition to the fully completed Form 8, the SENCo, or an equivalent member of staff, must produce centre-based evidence. This must confirm that 25% extra time and/or a scribe continues to be the candidate’s normal way of working. Evidence will be sought from teaching staff that the candidate has persistent and significant difficulties, and that these substantially impact on teaching and learning.
Where a candidate is starting a one-year GCE AS course or a two-year GCE A-level course in September 2022, the SENCo, or an equivalent member of staff, must check that the candidate meets the current published criteria for 25% extra time, i.e. the 2022/23 JCQ regulations, before a new online application for 25% extra time is processed.
The candidate must sign a new candidate personal data consent form.
Are any other qualification types covered?
Where all the required checks listed on page 1 have taken place, a fully completed Form 8 may be used to process an online application for 25% extra time and/or a scribe for the following qualification types which are covered both by the JCQ regulations and Access arrangements online:
- AQA Applied General qualifications
- AQA Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Technical qualifications
- FSMQ
- OCR Cambridge Nationals
- OCR Cambridge Technicals
- OCR Level 3 Certificates
- WJEC Level 1 and Level 2 General qualifications
- WJEC Level 1 and Level 2 Vocational qualifications
- WJEC Level 3 Applied qualifications
For Level 3 qualifications, updated centre-based evidence must be produced, as above – see the JCQ publication Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments.
