SEN

Eleven Plus (11+) in Gloucestershire (Glos)

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spottycat
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Jun 27, 2009 10:06 am

SEN

Post by spottycat »

Does anyone know whether special arrangements can be made for children with special educational needs when sitting the 11+ exam?? In particular I am thinking about a child who has Asperger's who is bright/academically very able (99th percentile). I know that at GCSE, for example, students with dyslexia get 25% extra time in exams. I'd be grateful for any information/advice anyone can offer. Thanks
mitasol
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Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:59 am

Re: SEN

Post by mitasol »

They are required to make reasonable adjustments. The admissions booklet states "All grammar schools in Gloucestershire follow an agreed procedure for dealing with children with special educational needs or disabilities." It doesn't actually detail the procedure but the LEA will be able to provide the information.

http://www.nfer.ac.uk/nfer/research/ass ... en-plus/#9" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
stevew61
Posts: 1786
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:54 pm
Location: caversham

Re: SEN

Post by stevew61 »

In our area (not Glos.) it involves firstly proving SEN, an NHS diagnosis is best and secondly proving that adjustments are usually made at school so a letter from existing school.
capers123
Posts: 1865
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: SEN

Post by capers123 »

Hi,
spottycat wrote:Does anyone know whether special arrangements can be made for children with special educational needs when sitting the 11+ exam?? In particular I am thinking about a child who has Asperger's who is bright/academically very able (99th percentile). I know that at GCSE, for example, students with dyslexia get 25% extra time in exams. I'd be grateful for any information/advice anyone can offer. Thanks
Other examples are some children being given coloured gel to put over the question paper so they can read it better, large print question & answer papers, a wheelchair accessible desk.

With Aspergers, it could be that your child does not need any extra time. You could ask the school for - say - your child to take the test in a room on their own if they're freaked out by large crowds. Certainly, a SEN statement would help.

I think that by the nature of Asperger's, grammars are probably well versed in handling such conditions (I hesitate to call it a disability - I tend to think of it as 'a different view of the world'). I remember children at school who I'm very sure had Asperger's - we were not told that they had it, and they just seemed mildly eccentric - like many of the children at my school (I make no comment about myself).

Finally, if the school did prove unhelpful, and your child didn't pass, then an appeal panel may well be sympathetic (we like documented evidence / mitigating circumstances, and you'll probably have loads of that!). Chances are, though, that being in the top 99% range, he or she would pass even without any extra considerations.
Capers
spottycat
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Jun 27, 2009 10:06 am

Re: SEN

Post by spottycat »

Thank you for this valuable advice. I think the room on his own would be one thing which would help so will follow this up. The grammar school environment would be really beneficial for him - it's just unfortunate that the entry requirements of sitting still in an exam for 50 minutes add extra challenges for a child with Asperger's. A good lesson does not require children to sit in silence for an hour but comprises varied tasks and different learning and teaching styles so there is absolutely no doubt that he would flourish academically at a grammar school. I'm sure you're right that there are plenty of children with Asperger's (both diagnosed and not) at grammar schools but for some children with Asperger's the nature of the exam is a bit of a hurdle to get over. The questions in the exam are not the problem as he finds these easy. He does get extra support at primary school due to his statement.
capers123
Posts: 1865
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: SEN

Post by capers123 »

spottycat wrote: I'm sure you're right that there are plenty of children with Asperger's (both diagnosed and not) at grammar schools but for some children with Asperger's the nature of the exam is a bit of a hurdle to get over. The questions in the exam are not the problem as he finds these easy. He does get extra support at primary school due to his statement.
That's partly why there are appeals. The 11+ is a black & white test, with no flexibility really.

You already have reports showing him to be in the top 99% of academic ability, but of course, that can't be taken into account by the Admissions Authority (be it the school or Glos CC) when marking the test. However, the appeals panel can take that into account - and the fact that the docs pre-date the exam is also good (it shows that you're not rummaging around trying to find excuses for why he didn't pass :-) ).

Finally, I would suspect that even if he was given no special facilities by the school, he might well pass anyway!
Capers
spottycat
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Jun 27, 2009 10:06 am

Re: SEN

Post by spottycat »

Thank you Capers - your reply is reassuring - the appeals process does actually add some flexibility to the system - also there is also the possibility that he might be able to finish the paper much more quickly than the time required so that would help. This definitely helps us to think of a way forward.
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