COLLEGE POLICIES

EXAMINATION ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS

General Guidelines

Fine Arts College aims to ensure that all students have equal access to examinations and are neither advantaged, nor disadvantaged over their peers by any learning, medical or psychological difficulty they may experience.

We will do this by applying the rules for Access Arrangements (AA's) as set out in the most recent JCQ guidelines, whilst helping students make the best use of any arrangement they may be granted.

Identifying a student who may need an Access Arrangement

On enrolment day we ask that all students who have previous AA reports, or feel they need to have a report carried out to contact the office where we make the suitable arrangements and take copies of any reports they currently have.

Fine Arts College offers the opportunity for students to identify themselves for AA during the informal enrolment interview, within the application form and application process, during enrolment day, and by a consistent message from all staff to encourage self reporting by students.

Implementing Access Arrangements during the year as the a good way to work

Trained staff will have scheduled time with the students to build a history of how the particular student works well and any provisions needed

Students will use their AA each time they are given a test or exam in the college so the practice of using a laptop for example is given throughout the year.

Staff will also help build a history of needs by noting areas where students struggle to meet the assessment objectives because of learning difficulties.

The history of each student must be noted by each tutor, copied into the students file and kept in the central location of the exams office.

Professional Reports

Previous schools are requested to send any details of a student's history of need and provision when a request for a reference is sent.

The Special Need Coordinator and Examinations Officer will chase up professional reports for students who have an identified need, or arrange for the relevant assessments as necessary.

Educational psychologists are asked to gives scores and a recommendation for an adjustment, but not a specific recommendation as to what the AA should be.

Record Keeping

The history of each student must be noted by each tutor, copied into the students file and kept in the central location of the exams office.

Educational psychologists' reports to stay in the Examination Officers office in a separate file from the students. This to ensure that all reports are kept in one place, and they are kept in a locked, secure room.

Decision Making

All applications for AA need to be complete by the end of November to the Exams Officer. Then the Special Needs Coordinator will prove read all applications to confirm who is and isn't legible.

At this point the Special Needs Coordinator will arrange for any retesting that needs to be done. Once all candidates legible are approved then the Exams Officer will process the AA to the exam boards.

Any extra teaching or help would have been requested and arranged at the beginning of the term. The Examination Officer will also make sure that all subject and personal tutors are aware of a student's special needs and exam requirements.

Training Students

Any additional briefing sessions or exam assembly teaching will be given to each student in their personal tutor sessions.

This is as follows

• Explain their AA and how it was derived (i.e. the rules)
• Explain how to make best use of it.
• Explain expected conduct in exam room.
• Listen to any concerns they may have.
• Encourage them to use weekly tests/ mocks etc to practise these if necessary.
• Record this as part of the history and tracking.

The Committee

The committee will consist of the Examinations Officer, the Special Needs Coordinator, the Vice Principal, and the Principals.

Appeals

If you wish to appeal the College's decision about access arrangements then you should write to the Principal's PA within seven working days of the decision to request a hearing before the Appeals Panel. Please ensure that a copy of all relevant documents and your full contact details accompany you letter. Please state in your letter the outcome that you desire and all the ground of your complaint. Please also send the Principal's PA a list of the documents which you believe to be in the College's possession and wish the Panel to see. The outcome of the Panels meeting will be sent to you in writing with three weeks of the meeting.

This policy is reviewed annually and is available for inspection by staff or parents at any time on application to the Principal.