SEN / Disability: Adjustment under Equality Act & Extra Time

Advice on Special Needs and the 11 Plus Exams

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PlaceQuest
Posts: 33
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2018 4:36 pm

Re: SEN / Disability: Adjustment under Equality Act & Extra

Post by PlaceQuest »

exam2019 wrote: Our local grammar automatically offers 25% extra time in the exam to those with an EHCP - whether it is needed or not. I don't think that DS needs that extra time. A keyboard would probably be more useful.... but it would probably be tricky to get because not many schools seem to be able to offer it to more than a couple of pupils.
It depends on what 11+ exam your DS will take? If it's a CEM multiple choice one, I can't see a keyboard being much use.
exam2019 wrote: Overall extra time can be a bit of a curse. It would turn a 2 hour exam into a 2.5 hour exam
I never heard of a 2 hour 11+ exam, don't they have breaks? Maybe it might be worth pushing for breaks if you're getting extra time? Depending on the exact SEN issue.
exam2019 wrote: What has been happening with you?
Not very much to be honest. There is a complete impasse if we want a proper diagnosis and we can't afford to do any more on a private basis.
exam2019
Posts: 227
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2017 3:14 pm

Re: SEN / Disability: Adjustment under Equality Act & Extra

Post by exam2019 »

DC17C wrote:I would go and speak to the SENCO at any school you may be interested in, to actually test out how supportive they are and what is likely to be provided.
Thanks! That's my job for the autumn I think!
exam2019
Posts: 227
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2017 3:14 pm

Re: SEN / Disability: Adjustment under Equality Act & Extra

Post by exam2019 »

PlaceQuest wrote:There is a complete impasse if we want a proper diagnosis and we can't afford to do any more on a private basis.
It depends on what diagnosis you are seeking, but neuro pathway / CAMHS diagnoses usually takes at least 2 years as far as I can tell - longer in many cases. It's not an impasse (although it feels like that much of the time) - more excruciatingly slow progress which is unlikely to be concluded in time for your current 11+ troubles.

An alternative route would be to apply for an EHCP if your DC's difficulties are significant (no diagnosis required for this, but plenty of evidence of need is). Then seek to have the school named on the EHCP based on the strength of your academic evidence. Although that's also not an easy route....
DC17C
Posts: 1197
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:34 pm

Re: SEN / Disability: Adjustment under Equality Act & Extra

Post by DC17C »

exam2019 wrote:
DC17C wrote:I would go and speak to the SENCO at any school you may be interested in, to actually test out how supportive they are and what is likely to be provided.
Thanks! That's my job for the autumn I think!
We ended up buying a laptop for my son. The school we appealed to actually had a laptop scheme and expected all the children to use laptops for yrs 7-9 so it was really not an issue for him to make this his normal way of working. He had extra support with handwriting and assessments of his keyboarding skills.

Moving up to sixth form he is being re assessed at the Dyscovery Centre in South Wales. A post 16 assessment is necessary for getting support at college or university.
exam2019
Posts: 227
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2017 3:14 pm

Re: SEN / Disability: Adjustment under Equality Act & Extra

Post by exam2019 »

DC17C wrote:We ended up buying a laptop for my son
The lengths we have to go to eh?! I can see this being a possibility for us even tho DS gets £££ top up funding (of which we see only a small fraction)....
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: SEN / Disability: Adjustment under Equality Act & Extra

Post by mystery »

Guest55 wrote:No, sorry you are wrong, that's not how it works - to get additional time in the KS2 tests it has to be part of normal classroom practice ie in place long before that.

Many children have additional time in KS1 or as it becomes obvious that their SEN demands it. No school will wait until Year 6 - that's FAR too late.
Sorry Placequest as this is distracting from your original question, but how does the above work in reality G55? Let's say a child's need for "extra time" was not identified by KS1 - perfectly possible as a lot of children are only learning to read and write reasonably confidently in late year 1/2 and KS1 testing has also changed significantly over the years as the teacher assessment has become far more important. How would it be picked up in all cases in KS2? And, how would it become "normal classroom practice" in KS2 as they're not sitting tests under timed conditions until they get to KS2 tests?

All feels a bit Catch 22 to me. There are even children at superselective grammar who are still being identified for needing extra time for GCSE.

So what is the parent to do whose child has "slipped through the net" and does not get extra time as part of normal classroom practice in the years before the 11 plus and KS2 test? And, is it right or fair that extra time should be based on teacher judgements in this way?
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: SEN / Disability: Adjustment under Equality Act & Extra

Post by Guest55 »

They do timed work in KS2 - many SEN issues emerge in Years 3 and 4.

In Bucks, applications for access arrangements for the Transfer Test are requested towards the end of Year 5.
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: SEN / Disability: Adjustment under Equality Act & Extra

Post by mystery »

That's a very non-scientific approach isn't it. Unless children are being given a standardised task and properly timed while they are "on-task" no teacher of 30 can be expected to decide which children really do and really do not need extra time in KS2.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: SEN / Disability: Adjustment under Equality Act & Extra

Post by Guest55 »

There are standardised tasks ....
yoyo123
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Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: SEN / Disability: Adjustment under Equality Act & Extra

Post by yoyo123 »

The ‘normal classroom practice’ doesn’t refer to tests. So, if a child uses a laptop or a scribe etc usually, then that can be done in Sats.
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