Special Educational Needs (SEN) Policy

Author:	Caroline David
Date:	February 2024
To be reviewed:	February 2026

Principles

At Jersey College for Girls, we aim to provide a challenging, academic and broad curriculum delivered by expert staff, who have high expectations and who model excellence. All students are equally entitled to have their needs recognised, supported and stretched and this is the responsibility of all members of staff. We aim to reduce under-achievement and nurture and develop the academic and character strengths of all students.

We aim to promote best practice, not only within Jersey College for Girls but also in collaboration with CYPES. The College aims to provide equality of opportunity for all students to be inspired, motivated and enthused by an innovative curriculum. Students are encouraged to be both positive and proud of their abilities and to feel they belong. Jersey College for Girls aims to provide the opportunities and resources to ensure this occurs. Effectively meeting the individual needs of students will rely upon the College, the student and the parents working together.

Definitions

Special Educational Needs (SEND) – The term Special Educational Needs and Disability has a legal definition, referring to students who have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn or access education than most children of the same age.

Aims

To sustain a whole school ethos that accepts that everyone has the duty to provide for the needs of all students no matter what their talents, skills or abilities.
To ensure the correct provision is available for students with individual needs.
To create and maintain well-established partnerships with parents, the community, primary schools and outside agencies to ensure appropriate provision is made for all students with individual needs.
To ensure the individual needs of the students on the JCG Inclusion register are identified and provision made to meet those needs.
To follow the Jersey SEND Code of Practice (2017) on the Identification and Assessment and Transition of Special Educational Needs, including the Disability and Children’s Acts.
To aspire for all students to have access to all aspects of the curriculum.
To identify any difficulty as early and as thoroughly as possible.
To provide a positive and active approach to ensure all learners emotional and mental health and well-being is valued and addressed.

In order to meet these aims, the College will endeavour to:

Identify students with individual needs and provide support mechanisms for them.
Identify students who require an enhanced curriculum and provide individual support programmes and timetables to meet their needs.
Ensure good teaching practice (adaptive teaching) is shared to promote the personalisation of materials and tasks for students of all abilities.
Maximise the use of SIMS and Provision Map to increase the communication and understanding of student’s individual needs.
Ensure students are proud to discuss their achievements.
Celebrate achievements in assembly, during academic mentoring sessions, on the school website, in the local media and in school publications.
Identify students who are experiencing difficulties through assessment of written work and on-going classroom observation including the use of psychometric testing where appropriate.

Procedures - College Systems

Identifying Special Educational Needs

SEND students may be identified prior to admission during visits to primary schools, through references or via the Education Welfare Service. Further assessments may take place on entry to the school and during their time at Jersey College for Girls.
Any student with a borderline Year 5 mean CAT score may be assessed by the SENCO during the transition phase to ascertain any support required.
Baseline tests and periodic assessments Maths and English tests will be reviewed by the SENCO, during the autumn term of Year 7, in conjunction with subject leaders, the English and Maths Departments, to identify individual student needs.
The Head of Lower School will gather data on students’ skills and abilities from their primary school. Students from primary schools can be identified on transfer in relation to specific subject areas.
Heads of Faculties will be asked to share good practice with faculty members to promote personalised learning for all students.
The Head of School team will be formally invited to identify students who they believe have an individual need, based on evidence from tutors and or subject teachers.
Parents can identify that their child may have an individual need. This would be done through the student’s tutor, subject teacher or the SENCO.
A student’s individual needs may vary depending on the subject and may change throughout their time at JCG. Their needs will be monitored by tutors and subject teachers in conjunction with the SENCO.
Group screening tests are used to identify students at risk of specific learning difficulties for referral of more detailed assessment of their learning needs.
Assessment of specific learning needs will be carried out by a qualified member of the British Psychological Society (Certificate of Competence in Educational Testing).

The Curriculum

The school will aim to provide all students with full access to the Jersey Curriculum and, additionally, provide access to curriculum enhancement in other areas.
The school is structured to provide a personalised pathway to the curriculum e.g Foundation tier Maths and French and combined science.
Subject teachers will be made aware of students who have individual needs and should monitor progress against published attainment data and where appropriate Individual Learning Plans (ILPs).
In consultation with the SENCO, Heads of Faculty / Heads of Departments will advise colleagues within their subject area on strategies to challenge and support students with individual needs.
The College will utilise and continually update a range of strategies to improve the teaching and learning of all students with individual needs.
Students who are struggling with reading, spelling, mathematical language or gross/fine motor skills will, on occasions, be withdrawn from a timetabled session to be given individual or group tuition by the SENCO, another member of staff, a voluntary teaching assistant, or a Sixth Form student where appropriate.
Students may be offered 1:1 sessions, outside of lesson time, with a teaching assistant on a weekly basis where appropriate and when available.
Bespoke timetables or reduced subject options and exam entries can be implemented dependent on individual student needs. Any changes to a student’s timetable would be recommended by the SENCO following consultation with the Assistant Headteacher (Student Guidance) and are subject to approval by the Principal.
Specialist provision is available for other pervasive developmental conditions, e.g ASC, ADHD, or sensory disabilities. Support is provided through school SENCO/staff training and by relevant outside agencies, including ASCIT/SEMHIT/MIND/Educational Psychology, CAMHS, Speech and Language.

Provision and Resources

Teaching Assistants Team
Assistant SENCO
SENCO
SEN Hub
Library
School Counsellor
(Provision is informed by the SEND code of practice 2017)

Outside Agencies working with students with Individual Student Needs

Speech and Language Therapy Service
Occupational Therapy Service
Education Support Team
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
Children’s Services
Health Services
Other island secondary schools

The policy will be monitored and evaluated by the SENCO.

Procedures

Role and Responsibilities

Parents have responsibility for:

Note: Parents will be informed that their daughter has been identified as having an individual need. They will be given details of the school’s support and any individual programme on offer.

Encouraging their daughter to access support and co-curricular programmes on offer at school.
Contributing to a student’s ILP where appropriate through meetings with the SENCO.
Supporting their daughter and JCG through regular meetings and attendance at parent evenings to discuss the progress of their daughter.
Developing a partnership where professionals and parents work together in the best interests of the student.
Ensuring the SENCO is made aware of any individual needs that may become a barrier to a student’s learning.

Students should be encouraged to take responsibility for:

Their own learning and progress, seeking help and advice when needed. To provide annual updates and refresher courses for all staff.

Sixth Form Students, particularly those with leaderships roles, are encouraged to take responsibility for:

Working with younger students in younger years in all subjects where needed as directed by the SENCO. To go into classes and work on a 1:1 basis or to work with individuals who are withdrawn from lessons or have a reduced timetable.
Offering support to students during lunchtime and before and after school sessions in a variety of subjects.
Leading workshops / sessions to encourage and inform students about career opportunities and to pass on knowledge to other year groups.

Form Tutors have responsibility for:

Knowing the students in their Form well and advocating for their individual needs.
Monitoring achievement, attainment and co-curricular involvement of students identified as having individual student needs and recording these during Academic Mentoring as directed by Heads of School.
Liasing with the Head of School and all relevant subject teachers in order to make them aware of a student’s ability and any concerns which may be preventing a student from reaching their full potential.
Liasing with the SENCO to discuss tutees who have Individual Learning Plans.
Contributing, in conjunction with the SENCO in the review of any tutee’s ILPs and input any information gained from the student’s subject teachers.
Celebrating work of all students in their tutor group. This can be done in tutor groups, in assembly, in House or any relevant forum.
Informing the Head of School and SENCO of a tutee’s individual student need that has not previously been identified and of which they have become aware.
Encouraging student participation in all appropriate activities on offer and all extra support classes.
Being aware of all tutees that are on the JCG Inclusion register and of their level of need.
Completing interim reports on students, as requested by the SENCO.
Monitoring progress of students with individual needs using summative and formative assessment and own observations, contacting the tutor initially when issues arise.
Raising any concerns about possible individual needs to the SENCO, using an Initial Concerns Form.
Knowing which students in the class have an Individual Learning Plan and assisting them in meeting the specified targets relevant to their subjects.
Providing regular feed back to the SENCO regularly (upon request) on how the student with an ILP is progressing and whether they have met any of their targets.
Completing interim reports on students, as requested by the SENCO.
Setting new targets for students with individual needs when requested by the tutor or SENCO.

Teaching Assistants/ELSAs Have Responsibility for:

Working with students on a 1:1 or small group basis to assist them with their learning.
Supporting students with Emotional Literacy through the ELSA programme .
Maintaining progress data on work completed with students during intervention sessions.
Working with whole classes or sets to support students with individual needs where appropriate.

Heads of Department/Faculty have responsibility for:

Maintaining an awareness of the characteristics of SEND students in order to aid identification of possible difficulties within their subject area.
Monitoring the progress of students with individual needs using summative and formative assessment and own observations, contacting the tutor initially when issues arise.
Modelling, promoting and supporting the practice of adaptive teaching in their curriculum area.
Supporting teachers in their Department/Faculty in providing for students’ individual needs in their classes.
Ensuring schemes of learning include scope for personalised curriculum pathways.

Heads of School, supported by their Assistants, have responsibility for:

Monitoring the progress and welfare of students with individual needs identified in their year group.
Tracking students with individual student needs within their year groups, using the data provided by subject staff (including through periodics and reports) and SENCO, giving feedback to the SENCO where appropriate.
Ensuring SEND items are discussed at Tutor meetings when appropriate.
Liasing with the SENCO about students who have not previously been identified, or who have significant barriers to their learning which are preventing them from reaching their full potential.
Supporting Form tutors in monitoring of students with individual needs.

The Assistant SENCO has responsibility for:

Liaising with the SENCO and other appropriate parties to identify students who need to be tested for access arrangements.
Carrying out tests and writing up reports following testing in order to make recommendations for any access arrangements.
Completing all the administrative requirements needed for access arrangements of students tested.

The SENCO has reponsibility for:

Co-ordinating the identification and provision of support for students with individual needs in accordance with the Jersey Code of Practice where applicable. This will include assessing and raising awareness of the needs of individual students, to enable all teachers to differentiate class work and homework as necessary.
Maintaining and updating the JCG Inclusion register.
Maintaining and updating the access arrangements register in collaboration with the Exams Officer. Arranging, in conjunction with the Exams Officer and outside agencies, the access arrangement provision for all students who meet the various criteria.
Collating and retaining all evidence needed to support individual student needs.
Producing, sharing, reviewing and updating ILPs for students who have individual needs, where appropriate by liaising with students, parents, Heads of School, form tutors and subject teachers, in order to support students with individual needs.
Monitoring the implementation and review of these plans in order to support student learning and to review and work to update the ILPs annually in conjunction with the subject teachers, tutor, Head of School, parents and students.
Ensuring all subject staff have access to an up-to-date copy of a student’s ILP and gathering feedback from subject staff on how the student is progressing with her targets, including through learning walks and lesson observations.
Liaising with external agencies where appropriate.
Monitoring the identification of students with individual student needs.
Leading induction sessions on SEN for new staff to explain JCG policies and procedures.
Closely monitoring students who have a borderline CAT score or other possible indicator of requiring additional support.
Contacting parents of students who have an identified SEN following assessments.
Leading the team of Teaching Assistants and to meet with them regularly to discuss the progress that individual students are making.
Leading the provision of support in the SEN Hub and managing the appropriate use of this space.
Leading the work of the Assistant SENCO.
Working as a member of the Student Guidance Team to support the progress and welfare of all students.
Liasing with Primary teachers and SENCOs to facilitate the transition of students with previously identified individual needs and co-ordinating the support offered between Year 6 teachers and Year 7 tutors during the autumn term of Year 7.
To work closely with JCP colleagues, including the SENCO from Year 4 upwards to support with monitoring and identifying needs and transition.
To provide annual updates and professional learning for all staff.

The Assistant Headteacher (Student Guidance) has responsibility for:

Supporting the SENCO in implementing and updating this policy.
Meeting regularly (usually weekly) with the SENCO to discuss individual student needs.
Reporting on SEN data to the Wellbeing Sub-Committee of the Governing Body.

The Principal has responsibility for:

Supporting the SENCO and Assistant Headteacher (Student Guidance) to fulfil the roles outlined in this policy.
To oversee the implementation of this policy across the College.

Links to other policy/statutory documents:

Education (Jersey) Law 1999 Revised Edition (1 January 2017)
Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (under review in 2024)
Children and Young People (Jersey) Law 2022

Appendix 1

Jersey College for Girls models its approach on the guidelines given in the SEND Code of Practice (2017). This is a graduated approach in the secondary phase.

Special educational provision in schools

4.36 Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff.
4.37  Quality first teaching, using adaptive strategies for all pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have SEN. Additional intervention and support cannot compensate for a lack of good quality teaching. Schools should regularly and carefully review the quality of teaching for all pupils, including those at risk of underachievement. This includes reviewing, monitoring and evaluating and, where necessary, improving teachers’ understanding of strategies to identify and support vulnerable pupils and their knowledge of the SEN most frequently encountered. Training should take place at least annually. Class teachers should use the provision mapping process developed by their schools to use the identified strategies and approaches for each child/young people.
4.38  In deciding whether to make special educational provision, the teacher and SENCo should consider all of the information gathered from within the school about the pupil’s progress, alongside national data and expectations of progress. This should include high quality and accurate formative assessment, using effective tools and early assessment materials. For higher levels of need, schools should have arrangements in place to draw on more specialised assessments from external agencies and professionals.
4.39  This information gathering should include an early discussion with the pupil and their parents/carers. These early discussions with parents/carers should be structured in such a way that they develop a good understanding of the pupil’s areas of strength and difficulty, the parents’/carers’ concerns, the agreed outcomes sought for the child/young person and the next steps. A short report with agreed actions for the school and parents/carers of these early discussions should be added to the pupil’s record on the school information system and a copy given to the parents/carers. Schools should also advise children/young people and their parents/carers about available information on additional school support, additional agencies and support groups.
4.40  Consideration of whether special educational provision is required should start with the desired outcomes, including the progress and attainment and the views and wishes of the pupil and their parents/carers. This should then help determine the support that is needed and whether it can be provided by adapting the school’s core offer or whether something different or additional is required.
4.41  More detailed information on what constitutes good outcome setting is given in Chapter 7, Exceptional Action assessments (paragraphs 7.64 to 7.69). These principles should be applied to planning for all children/young people with SEN. From Year 9 onwards, the nature of the outcomes will reflect the need to ensure young people are preparing for adulthood.
4.42  The outcomes considered should include those needed to make successful transitions between each year group, phases of education and to prepare for adult life. Schools should make provision for class teachers to liaise and engage with secondary schools or the further education provider as necessary to help plan for these transitions. The agreed actions may also include those taken to make sure the school meets its responsibility to ensure that pupils with SEN engage in school activities together with those who do not have SEN.
4.43 However support is provided, a clear date for reviewing progress should be agreed and the parent/carer, pupil and teaching staff should each be clear about how they will help the pupil reach the expected outcomes. The overriding purpose of this early action is to help the pupil achieve the identified outcomes and remove any barriers to learning. Where it is decided that a pupil does have SEN, the decision should be recorded in the school records and the pupil’s parents/carers must be formally informed that special educational provision is being made. Arrangements for appropriate support should be made through the school’s approach to SEN support.

Special educational need support in schools

4.44 Where a pupil is identified as having SEN, schools should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place. This SEN support should take the form of a four-part cycle through which earlier decisions and actions are revisited, refined and revised with a growing understanding of the pupil’s needs and of what supports the pupil in making good progress and securing good outcomes. This is known as the graduated approach. It draws on more detailed approaches, more frequent reviews and more specialist expertise in successive cycles in order to match interventions to the SEN of children/young people in a more tightly structured way. There is no longer a requirement to register at School Action and School Action Plus as these will be collapsed under SEN support with appropriate information about additional support (see the Reference chapter for useful links).

Assess

4.45  In identifying a child/young person as needing SEN support, the class or subject teacher, working with the SENCo, should carry out a clear analysis of the pupil’s needs. This should draw on the teacher’s assessment and experience of the pupil, their previous progress and attainment, as well as information from the school’s core approach to pupil progress, attainment, and behaviour. It should also draw on other subject teachers’ assessments and accredited assessments where relevant, the individual’s development in comparison to their peers, island and national data, the views and experience of parents/carers, the pupil’s own views and, if relevant, advice from external support services. Schools should take seriously any concerns raised by a parent/carer. These should be recorded and compared to the setting’s own assessment and information on how the pupil is developing.
4.46  This assessment should be reviewed regularly, at least half-termly if not more frequently. This will help ensure that support and intervention are matched to need, barriers to learning are identified and overcome, and that a clear picture of the interventions put in place and their effect is developed. For some types of SEN, the way in which a pupil responds to an intervention can be the most reliable method of developing a more accurate picture of need.
4.47  In some cases, outside professionals from Health and Social Services may already be involved with the child/young person. These professionals should liaise with the school to help inform the assessments. Where professionals are not already working with school staff, the SENCo should contact them if the parents/carers agree.

Plan

4.48  Where it is decided to provide a pupil with SEN support, the parents/carers must be formally notified, although parents/carers should have already been involved in forming the assessment of needs as outlined above. The teacher and the SENCo should agree in consultation with the parent/carer and the pupil the adjustments, interventions and support to be put in place, as well as the expected impact on progress, development or behaviour, along with a clear date for review.
4.49  All teachers and support staff who work with the pupil should be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required. This should also be recorded on the school’s information system. Such support must be monitored and evaluated as to its effectiveness and value for money.
4.50  The support and intervention provided should be selected to meet the outcomes identified for the pupil, based on reliable evidence of effectiveness, and should be provided by staff with sufficient skills and knowledge.
4.51  Parents/carers should be fully aware of the planned support and interventions and, where appropriate, plans should seek parental/carer involvement to reinforce or contribute to progress at home. The information set out in chapter 6.39 should be readily available and discussed with the pupil’s parents/carers.

4.52 The class or subject teacher should remain responsible for working with the child/young person on a daily basis. Where the interventions involve group or one-to-one teaching away from the main class or subject teacher, they should still retain responsibility for the pupil. They should work closely with any teaching assistants or specialist staff involved, to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and how they can be linked to classroom teaching. The SENCo should support the class or subject teacher in the further assessment of the child/young person’s particular strengths and weaknesses, in problem solving and advising on the effective implementation of support.

Review

4.53  The effectiveness of the support and interventions and their impact on the pupil’s progress should be reviewed in line with the agreed date.
4.54  The impact and quality of the support and interventions should be evaluated, along with the views of the pupil and their parents/carers. This should feed back into the analysis of the pupil’s needs. The class or subject teacher, working with the SENCo, should revise the support in light of the pupil’s progress and development, deciding on any changes to the support and outcomes in consultation with the parent/carer and the pupil.
4.55  Parents/carers should have clear information about the impact of the support and interventions provided, enabling them to be involved in planning next steps.
4.56  Where a pupil has a RoN, the Education Department must review that plan, as a minimum, every 12 months. Schools must co-operate with the Education Department in the review process and, as part of the review, the Education Department requires schools to convene and hold annual review meetings on its behalf. Further information about RoN annual reviews is given in Chapter 7.

Appendix 2 - Access Arrangements

Rationale

The Examination Access Arrangements Appendix explains the actions taken to ensure inclusion throughout the college for all students with SEN, including those with formally diagnosed Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND). The appendix forms an integral part of our teaching and learning philosophy, which seeks to create a learning environment whereby every individual student may fulfil her full potential.

Definitions

The term Individual Student Need is used as an umbrella term to incorporate ALL students known to be receiving intervention, learning support provision and access arrangements including those pupils identified as having SEND.

Education Law

The Education (Jersey) Law 1999, reviewed 2017,(as amended, referred to as “The Law") is the primary legislation governing the legal requirements and duties for all areas of Jersey education, including Special Educational Needs (SEN). Part 1, Article 4 of the Law defines the term “special educational needs” in Jersey, as well as the defined meaning of “learning difficulty”, “special educational provision” and “special school”. Part 5 of the Law, Articles 28 to 32 precisely define the duty of the Education Minister in relation to a child/young person with SEN; the power of the Education Minister to require assessment; parental/carer’s rights in relation to SEN, and other powers. In addition, children/young people with SEN have rights defined in other parts of the Law, for example, in accessing the Jersey Curriculum (Article 16).

What are Access Arrangements?

Access arrangements are agreed before an assessment/exam. They allow students to demonstrate their skills, knowledge and understanding without changing the demands of the assessment. The intention behind access arrangements is to meet the particular needs of a candidate without affecting the integrity of the assessment. Access arrangements are the principal way in which awarding bodies comply with the duty under the Equality Act 2010 (UK) to make ‘reasonable adjustments.’

Reasonable Adjustments

The Discrimination Law states that we must make reasonable adjustments where a disabled person would be at a substantial disadvantage in undertaking an assessment. A reasonable adjustment for a particular person may be unique to that individual and may not be included in the list of available Access Arrangements. How reasonable the adjustment is will depend on a number of factors including the needs of the disabled candidate/learner. An adjustment may not be considered reasonable if it involves unreasonable costs, timeframes or affects the security or integrity of the assessment. There is no duty on the Awarding Bodies to make any adjustment to the assessment objectives being tested in an assessment.

Special Consideration

Special Consideration is a post examination adjustment to a candidate's mark or grade to reflect temporary injury, illness or other indisposition at the time of the examination/assessment.

Access Arrangements at Jersey College for Girls

Jersey College for Girls aims to ensure that all students have equal access to examinations and are neither advantaged nor disadvantaged over their peers by any long term, substantial SEND/or ISN which fall into the following four categories:

Communication and interaction.
Cognition and learning.
Social, emotional and mental health.
Sensory and/ or physical needs.

We will do this by applying the rules for Access Arrangements as set out in the most recent Joint Council for Qualifications. We believe it is important to abide by the JCQ regulations, so that there is parity in how access arrangements are awarded throughout a student’s secondary schooling. We will use every opportunity to identify students’ needs from their first contact with the school. Professional reports are requested that demonstrate a SEND/ISN and a recommendation for a reasonable adjustment to be made to meet the student’s needs and the type of access arrangements that are appropriate. Access arrangements reflect the support that is usually given to the student in the classroom, internal exams and mock examinations. This is commonly referred to as ‘normal way of working.’

Deadlines for referrals for access arrangements

As a College, we have set a deadline of early February 2024 for any student in Year 11 or Year 13 to be referred to our SENCO to test for access arrangements. We believe this deadline is appropriate, given both our monitoring of students throughout their time in College and the time this allows to identify any needs arising from the mock exams in January. Furthermore, it is important for students to practise using any access arrangements prior to the summer exam season, to ensure that arrangements are in place and properly processed with exam boards and, as an examination centre, we are expected to collate evidence of a student’s needs and work using a given arrangement.  For students in other year groups, we will not process referrals and tests during the first half of the summer term in order to minimise disruption to students in their preparation for our internal exam week (the week before May half-term). 

When might students need to be given Exam Access Arrangements?

An Exam Access Arrangement (EAA) is a provision or type of support given to a student (subject to exam board approval) in an exam, where a particular need has been identified (through psychometric testing by a competent test user by the British Psychological Society (BPS) Verified Assessor or other psychologist reports) and is provided so that the student has appropriate access to the exam.

Access Arrangements	What is it?	Criteria
Scribe	A trained adult writes for the student. The student would dictate their answers. The scribe would write exactly what they say.	A student has a physical disability; where her writing is illegible and may hamper her ability to be understood; writing speed is too slow to be able to complete the exam in the allotted time. In MFL, the student must dictate every word in the target language and must do so letter by letter.
Reader	A trained adult who would read the question and any relevant text (with the exception of Section A of an English GCSE Exam) for the student. The student would then write the answer/s themselves.	A student has a standardised score of 69 or below in both a reading comprehension and reading speed test.
	A reader can read instructions and questions to the student, read the whole paper if necessary or the student may prefer to just ask for some specific words to be read to them.
Prompter	A trained adult can prompt student with a few permitted phrases to refocus, move the student on to the next question or indicate how much time is left.	A student who persistently loses concentration/focus, and is not aware of time and this can also be put in place for students who are affected by OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Students with OCD often focus on one question in particular rather than moving on to look at other questions in the exam paper.
Transcript	An exact copy of a student’s exam script made after the exam without the participation of the student.	Only to be used where a student’s handwriting or spelling is difficult to decipher for those not familiar with it. This can also be put in place for students with a temporary injury where the use of a laptop is not appropriate.
Read Aloud	Where a candidate is reading difficult text she may work more effectively if she can hear herself read.	A student who persistently struggles to understand what they have read, but who does not qualify for a reader, to read aloud.
	The arrangement must reflect the candidate’s normal way of working in internal school tests and mock examinations. A candidate who reads aloud to herself must be accommodated separately within the centre.
Separate Room	A student with a medical condition such as epilepsy/diabetes where it isn’t appropriate for them to sit an exam in the main exam hall. Students who are agoraphobic/have a psychological condition may also need to sit an exam in a separate room. Medical evidence must be provided in advance to support this arrangement and then be approved by the SENCO.
Modified Papers	Individually prepared papers for candidates. The modification of papers involves additional resources. Therefore centres are required to provide the awarding bodies with early notification that a candidate will require a modified paper	Students for whom other access arrangements are unsuitable, for example, large print
	Modified papers must be ordered in advance of a specific examination series. Centres must not order papers for candidates unless they intend to enter them for the relevant examination series. Access arrangements online allows centres to place orders for GCSE and GCE modified papers.
Laptop	Access to a laptop for an exam (if appropriate – not for subjects such as Maths) so the student would word process their answers. Spelling and grammar checks would be disabled and a special exam account would be used with no internet access.	The provision to use a laptop is put in place to address an underlying difficulty such as: speed of handwriting; medical condition; physical disability; sensory impairment; planning and organisational difficulties or poor legibility.
	The use of a laptop in exams reflects the student’s normal way of working at the school and has been agreed as appropriate to the student’s needs. The use of a laptop cannot be granted to a student simply because this is their preferred way of working. Centres are allowed to provide a word processor with the spelling and grammar check facility/predictive text disabled (switched off) to a candidate where it is their normal way of working within the centre and is appropriate to their needs. For example, the quality of language significantly improves as a result of using a word processor due to problems with planning and organisation when writing by hand. (This also extends to the use of electronic braillers and tablets.)
Rest Breaks	Students are permitted to stop for short break/s during the exam and the time stopped is added to the finish time, with the effect of elongating the exam but not actually using any extra time. Students are not permitted to have exam materials with them during rest breaks.	A student has a physical disability which prevents them from concentrating for long periods of time.
	This is now the recommended option from the exam boards before considering extra time. Rest breaks are not included in any Extra Time allowance that the student may have. The amount of time awarded is granted at the discretion of the SENCO.
Extra Time	Students may be entitled to an allowance of 25% depending on the history of evidence of need and the recommendation of the Designated Specialist Teacher and 2 standardised scores of 84 or below from Psychometric Testing are evident. Extra time between 25 and 50% can be granted in extraordinary circumstances where two scores are 69 or below.	Students will have an assessment to determine their speed of processing. A standardised score of 84 or below (100 being average) can qualify for extra time. In exceptional circumstances, a candidate may require more than 50% extra time in order to manage a very substantial impairment.
	There are cases where students get a score of more than 84. In these cases more evidence is needed to prove that a student should receive extra time. This could be in the form of an extensive history of need, formal diagnosis of a significant learning difficulty, or evidence of a substantial long term adverse effect on the performance of a child’s speed of a working. The amount of time that students should receive is decided by the Specialist Tester and based upon their processing speeds
Live Speaker	A live speaker for pre-recorded examination components, e.g. MFL listening examinations, to a candidate where it is their normal way of working within the centre. The live speaker will speak or read aloud the contents of the CD or tape in a Listening examination.	Students who have persistent and significant difficulties in following speech at normal speed.
Oral Language Modifier	A responsible adult who may clarify the carrier language used in the examination paper when requested to do so by a candidate. The Oral Language Modifier must not explain technical terms or subject specific terms. The ability to understand these terms is part of the assessment. If such terms are explained to the candidate then the demands of the question will have been compromised and may constitute malpractice.	Students whose disability has a very substantial and long term adverse effect resulting in very persistent and significant difficulties in accessing and processing information.
	An Oral Language Modifier must be seen as a rare and exceptional arrangement. An Oral Language Modifier is an adjustment of last resort so an application must only be made once all other relevant access arrangements have been considered and found to be unsuitable or unworkable. There must be a very strong justification as to why an Oral Language Modifier is required. An Oral Language Modifier may also act as a reader. An Oral Language Modifier will not be allowed to read questions or text in a paper (or a section of a paper) testing reading. A candidate who would normally be eligible for an Oral Language Modifier, but is not permitted this arrangement in a paper (or a section of a paper) testing reading may be granted up to a maximum of 50% extra time. An approved application for an Oral Language Modifier will allow the centre to grant the candidate up to a maximum of 50% extra time in a paper (or a section of a paper) testing reading.
Bilingual translation dictionaries (with up to a maximum of 25% extra time)	Only to be used by student’s whose first language is not English. The bilingual dictionary must be held in the centre to ensure no unauthorised information e.g. notes/revision is enclosed or written inside.	Should reflect the student’s normal way of working.
	Such dictionaries must not be used in English Language, Irish Language or Welsh Language examinations or Modern Foreign Language examinations testing one of the languages of the dictionary or a similar language, for example, a Portuguese dictionary in a Spanish examination. Exceptions to these rules are: The Writing Test in GCSE Arabic, GCSE Bengali, GCSE Dutch, GCSE Greek, GCSE Gujarati, GCSE Japanese, GCSE Modern Hebrew, GCSE Panjabi, GCSE Persian, GCSE Polish, GCSE Portuguese, GCSE Russian and GCSE Turkish where the specification states that all candidates must have access to a bilingual dictionary. Candidates who are permitted to use bilingual translation dictionaries may also be allowed up to a maximum of 25% extra time, depending on need, if they have been resident in the UK for less than three years at the time of the examination, the candidate still has a very limited knowledge of the English language, extra time reflects the candidates normal way of working.
Aural Tests	For aural tests, clear amplification may be necessary to improve the candidate’s ability to hear, or a transcript of a listening test may be read to enable the candidate to also lip/speech-read. The centre must consult a specialist teacher, i.e. a qualified Teacher of the Deaf, to identify the most appropriate arrangement for a candidate with hearing loss. The live speaker will speak or read aloud the contents of the CD or tape in a Listening examination. Extra time of 25% should always be considered on account of the additional repetition which may be required. Additionally, 25% extra time may also be required in light of the candidate’s persistent and significant difficulties in following speech at normal speed. In very rare and exceptional circumstances the candidate may require up to 50% extra time.
Sign language interpreter	A trained adult who presents the questions in a different language without: changing the meaning; providing any additional information; or providing an explanation as to what the question requires of the candidate.	Students whose ‘normal way of working’ requires sign language interpretation.
	A Sign Language Interpreter is not a reader. However, the same person may act as a reader and a Sign Language Interpreter. Permission must have been given for the use of a reader and a Sign Language Interpreter. The Sign Language Interpreter can sign the instructions and questions to candidates taking written papers except in Modern Foreign Languages or English examinations. The Sign Language Interpreter may repeat the translation if requested to do so by the candidate. An alternative translation of the carrier language may be provided. However, under no circumstances may an explanation of the question or clarification of the carrier language be given. These actions would be deemed as giving the candidate an unfair advantage and may constitute malpractice. Candidates may only sign their answers in question papers or in controlled assessment/coursework where it is possible to finger spell the answers or where the answers involve single words. Sign Language interpretation is done ‘live’ in the presence of the candidate during the examination in order to allow for the candidate’s regional variations in BSL/ISL signs. Consequently, sign language interpretation cannot be checked by the awarding body for accuracy. Great care must be taken not to disadvantage or advantage the candidate. Candidates requiring the use of a Sign Language Interpreter may need to be accommodated separately in which case a separate invigilator will be required.
Alternative site	The candidate will be sitting his/her examination(s) at a residential address or at a hospital which is a non-registered centre due to, for example: - a medical condition which prevents the candidate from taking examinations in the centre; or - Social, Mental and Emotional Needs.	The candidate has: - an impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect giving rise to persistent and significant difficulties; or - a temporary illness or injury at the time of the examination(s).
	The centre must be satisfied that the candidate is able to take examinations. The SENCO, or a senior member of staff with pastoral responsibilities, must produce written evidence confirming the need for an alternative site arrangement to a JCQ Centre Inspector upon request.
Practical Assistant	Practical assistants must perform practical tasks according to the candidate’s instructions, unless the skill to be performed is the focus of the assessment. Is not a reader or a scribe. The same person may act as a practical assistant, a reader and/or a scribe as long as permission has been given for these arrangements. The regulations for the use of each arrangement must be strictly adhered to.	Students with: poor motor co-ordination or/and severe vision impairment.
	A practical assistant must not be allowed to carry out physical tasks or demonstrate physical abilities where they form part of the assessment objectives. A practical assistant will not normally be permitted in subjects such as Art & Design, Design & Technology and Music. Candidates using a practical assistant in externally set practical or written examinations may need to be accommodated separately, in which case a separate invigilator will be required. The invigilator must be made aware, prior to the examination, of the particular task(s) the practical assistant will be performing.
Other Arrangements	- Amplification equipment - Braillers - Closed circuit television (CCTV) - Colour naming by the invigilator for candidates who are Colour Blind ] - Coloured Overlays (this would also include reading rulers, virtual overlays and virtual x reading rulers) - Low vision aid/magnifier - Optical Character Reader (OCR) scanners - Separate invigilation within the centre	Centres must note that candidates are only entitled to arrangements if they are disabled within the meaning of the Equality Act. The candidate is at a substantial disadvantage when compared with other non-disabled candidates undertaking the assessment and it would be reasonable in all the circumstances to provide the arrangement.
	In the case of separate invigilation, the candidate’s difficulties are established within the centre and known to a Form Tutor, a Head of Year, the SENCO or a senior member of staff with pastoral responsibilities. Separate invigilation reflects the candidate’s normal way of working in internal school tests and mock examinations as a consequence of a long term medical condition or long term social, mental or emotional needs.
Exemptions	An exemption is an agreement reached by an awarding body, before the examination, for a disabled candidate to miss a component or components. An indication will be placed on the candidate’s certificate to show that not all of the assessment objectives were accessible. An exemption will not be granted if an alternative and accessible route through a qualification is available to the candidate.
	The centre in the first instance should select ‘Other’. This will result in an automatic rejection. The centre must then make a referral to the relevant awarding body. The centre must indicate the candidate’s disability in order that an awarding body has the necessary information to hand when considering an application for an exemption. The awarding body must be assured that the exemption is an arrangement of the last resort. In Functional Skills English where barriers to access remain, candidates can be exempted from up to two of the three assessed components. Such an arrangement does not apply to Functional Skills ICT and Mathematics qualifications, as these qualifications consist of only one component.
Examination Reading Pen	A candidate may work more effectively if they can hear themselves read. JCQ approved.

What evidence is needed to apply for EAA?

There are a number of pieces of evidence that can be used to apply for EAA to Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ):

Form 8 report from Specialist Teacher or Specialist Teaching Assistant
Previous EAA from Primary Schools/ other Education Providers
Subject teachers – examples of work as appropriate
Results of baseline tests e.g. reading/comprehension age, writing tests

Private Educational Psychologists Reports

A growing number of parents are having their children assessed by private educational psychologists and submitting the reports to the SENCO as evidence that their child should be awarded extra time, or EAA. Private educational psychologist’s reports cost a significant amount of money. This therefore means that parents who are unable to obtain a private report through their financial circumstances are put at a disadvantage. As an exam centre we must be consistent in our decisions and ensure that no student is either given an unfair advantage or disadvantaged by any arrangements put in place. Often private educational psychologists, recommend that children should receive EAA which may be in conflict with what the centre tester (Specialist Teacher) recommends. Testing will be undertaken by the centre and we will also look for evidence of a history of need before any access arrangement is applied for.

KS2 SAT EAA

Students who have EAA at KS2 are screened for EAA at KS3 and KS4. Although they may have received EAA at KS2, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they automatically receive it at KS3 or KS4 because their needs may have changed. For example, a student who had a Reader for KS2 may not qualify for a Reader at KS4 because their reading has improved to the extent it does not meet the exam board criteria.

Baseline Testing in Year 7

All students in Year 7 are tested on the CATs Days in September. We use the Cognitive Ability Tests (CATs), Reading and Comprehension, and a spelling test. These tests can help identify learning difficulties such as dyslexia. The ENCo will contact parents where this is the case, do further testing, and if necessary put an appropriate intervention into place.

Parent Referral

Parents can contact the school to ask for advice about testing if they have concerns with the progress and learning of their child. Once contact has been made with the parent, the SENCO will investigate their concerns by sending a “round robin” to the child’s teachers to gain information. Following this, a decision will be made as to whether it is appropriate to test a student.

Teacher Referral

As with Parent Referrals, teachers can refer a student to the ENCo where they have concerns about the learning and progress of a student in their class. All of the students current teachers will be asked to give feedback to gain information, and following this a decision will be made as to whether to test a student for EAA. Where a teacher thinks that a student requires extra time, they are asked to get the student to change the colour of the pen that they are using once the allotted time is up, and continue writing until they are finished. This is then used as proof to JCQ and the exam boards of a history of need. Teachers are asked to refer students to the SENCO initially if they feel that a child may be dyslexic rather than contacting parents about their concerns. The SENCO will then contact the parents if the concerns are founded.

How do staff and parents know whether a student has Exam Access Arrangements?

Teaching and support staff can access the list on Staff Shared Area. It is updated on a monthly basis or whenever students become entitled to it. The information about results of assessments for EAA are kept confidentially in line with school policy and shared on a need to know basis.
Staff will be informed of any changes to the EAA list via email.
Parents will be informed of any tests results via a letter home which states what they are entitled to, why and when.

How are Exam Access Arrangements applied for?

Students need to be tested at each Key Stage for EAA. Just because they were entitled to EAA at KS2 does not automatically entitle them to it at KS3 or KS4. Therefore the Specialist Teacher tests students who are referred to us, or who have had EAA in earlier Key Stages.

The Specialist Teacher will assess students using a variety of nationally recognised tests such as:

Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (DASH)
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT II)
Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing 2 (CTOPP)
LUCID Exact – A comprehensive assessment of literacy from age 11-24 years and 11 months
SPaRCs – Spelling, processing speed and reading comprehension speed.13-18 years

The tests that the Specialist Tester uses are replaced/upgraded periodically in line with current practice. The test that the Specialist Tester uses depends very much upon the type of barrier to learning that the student may have. Should the student need further testing to assess for other learning issues or further EAA, the Specialist Tester will arrange this. Following a report produced by the Specialist Tester an application is made to the Exam Boards for permission to implement the specified arrangement/s. Students are tested formally in April/May of Year 9 in order to comply with the 26 month rule; so that any permitted exam access arrangements are in place for the full GCSE period of both Year 10 and 11.

What support is given to students with EAA?

Students with EAA take part in small group sessions to show them how to effectively use EAA. In addition, students with EAA are encouraged to use their EAA during internal assessments and exams so that they gain practice at using it effectively.

Students who have access to a reader or scribe are shown how to use them appropriately in exam situations, and it is explained to them what they can and can’t do with the reader/scribe during the exam, and how much support the adult is allowed to give. Students with extra time are given sessions with a teaching assistant on how to use the additional time allowance effectively. They then need to apply the techniques and strategies given to them in internal exams and assessments.

All teachers are given access to the list of students with EAA monthly, and they are asked to give the SENCO at least two weeks’ notice before they assess students so that support can be provided for students who require it during the tests/exams. Students who have a reader can be supported by the Teaching Assistant supervising the test. The SENCO Exams Officer can provide a separate room, access to ICT and a scribe with the required amount of notice. The SENCO require two weeks’ notice so that teaching assistants can be redeployed if necessary to other students.

Students with EAA are monitored regularly through the use of ‘The Watch List’/link teacher. In the event that a student does not wish to make use of their EAA in any given exam, they will be required to sign a form to indicate that they were aware that EAA was available to them, but it was their choice not to use them. However, where a student is deemed under the Mental Health Act (Code of Practice 2017 - Jersey) to be unable to make this decision the use of EAA will actively be encouraged.

What are the procedures for processing an application?

Once the tests have been conducted and there is a recommendation from the tester for EAA, the SENCO or Exams officer then applies to the exam boards. The feedback is instant and at this point the EAA is added to the list of students and the parents are informed of the EAA by letter.

The application will require evidence of need, and the centre needs to hold evidence in its files that can be inspected at short notice. This can include:

Recommendations by teachers
Educational psychologist reports
Letters from outside agencies such as CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services), hospitals or doctors
Information from Speech and Language Team
Statement of Educational Need (Record of Need) or Education, health & Care Plans (EHCP) Permission from the exam boards for the arrangement/s
A signed copy of the Form 8 report by the designated tester
A data protection form signed by the student
For Extra Time – history of evidence of need in the form of copies of work where a student has regularly used more than the allotted time.

Deadlines for submitting applications for access arrangements and modified papers on-line for GCSE and GCE qualification

Access arrangements may cover the entire course and for GCSE and GCE qualifications must be processed using access arrangements online as early as possible.

Arrangements must be processed and approved before an examination or controlled assessment/coursework as per JCQ deadlines (to be calendarised annually by the SENCO and Examinations Officer).

The dates are set by the JCQ and we will endeavour to test students after the dates above but they will not receive dispensation for that period. This is due to allocation of time to test late entries.

The deadline set by the JCQ is final, late entries will incur further inspections by the JCQ.

The decision to apply for access arrangements is based on evidence of a history of need, history of provision and a specialist teacher access arrangements report.