My son was recently diagnosed with autism. He is 15 and will be starting his GCSEs very soon.
My wife and I contacted the school to arrange a meeting with the SENCO to find out what support can be arranged for his exams. They are refusing to talk about it until we have the official diagnosis report.
Are they being unreasonable? Aren't there things we could do before the report is available?
I think it might be a reasonable demand given that they will need to use that report for applying to exam arrangements. But if the wait is very long they shouldn't refuse to discuss the topic in general. They also should not be able to use it as a reason to refuse a meeting to discuss your son's progress, needs and provisions at school (i.e. not specifically exams). Basically you might ask for a meeting with broad agenda and touch on that.
Do you have a copy of the Code of Practice? Is your son on SEN register? Does he have an IEP or Provision Map? Does he have any support at school and is it documented by Senco?
The support for exams is covered by the JCQ regulation. It is very complex and only the school, precisely the senco can apply and basically manage this process. I don't pretend to understand it well. Arrangements have to be approved, there is a timetable with deadlines. To be approved, arrangements need to be applied for based on specific regulated evidence that the senco need to collect and submit in good time according to the timetable. It should be resulting from specific cognitive assessments, from recording and documenting his needs at school(the senco file for exam arrangements) and from his 'usual way of working'. All 3 are important and senco has the key driving role.
The support for GCSEs starts from documenting his needs/difficulties and the actual support in place to meet those needs. So he has to need some support with learning, in lessons on the regular basis in order to qualify for adjustments. If he has no problems, he doesn't need adjustments, it is not really linked to diagnosis, but to needs documented at school. This support represents his 'usual way of working'. So if usually in lessons for some months before the final submission he uses 25% extra time, prompts from a Teaching Assistant, rest breaks or refocus breaks, a laptop, a reader (the assistant or software that reads the exam paper to him) etc, it would be enough to include those things into the submission, which then is likely to be approved. The key thing is to progress with practice and documentation for the senco to put provisions in place for him in lessons.
In terms of 25%extra time, based on the needs as documented, including in diagnosis report, for example 'low processing speed', or 'inattention', or 'anxiety' and other 'emotional needs', or 'physical and sensory' needs, the school might request a cognitive assessment that would document exactly that 'processing speed' or extent of inattention etc that 'would put him at a substantial disadvantage' during exams. If it reaches certain threshold, he could be entitled to 25% of extra time. If they pass another more severe threshold, he may be given 50% extra time, but this is very rare and in complex cases. Basically, for extra time you need to have enough needs documented to trigger that assessment and for data from assessment to meet the threshold. You might want to check whether such assessment could be done privately, but I am not sure. It is very regulated.
According to the SEN Code of Practice they are under obligation to put provisions in place if you son has difficulties at school, regardless of the diagnosis. They cannot use the absence of diagnosis as the reason to not start supporting your son. But this only applies if there are difficulties at school and they are documented. According to the code of practice there is a graduated approach. When difficulties start to show, they need to introduce some support. If your son makes progress as result of the support, it's working. If the progress is insufficient in comparison with the expectations, the peer group, your son earlier rate of progress or his potential, then progress is 'inadequate' and more and different provisions need to be introduced. At this stage they should put him on SEN register and have Individual Educational Plan with provisions and SMART targets reviewed regularly, at least twice a year, I think. If progress on those targets insufficient, there may be a case of requesting a needs assessment under section of the education act for EHCP. If he qualifies for an EHCP, exam arrangements might be easier to document, basically automatic, provided usual way of working, like 25% extra time.
If you have a diagnosis but no documented needs and provisions at school, you need to seek advice as you are at the beginning of a journey, which is always arduous.
It is very helpful in all cases to talk to SOS!SEN about this. They are the best. NAS and IPSEA also might help.
I think it might be a reasonable demand given that they will need to use that report for applying to exam arrangements. But if the wait is very long they shouldn't refuse to discuss the topic in general. They also should not be able to use it as a reason to refuse a meeting to discuss your son's progress, needs and provisions at school (i.e. not specifically exams). Basically you might ask for a meeting with broad agenda and touch on that.
Do you have a copy of the Code of Practice? Is your son on SEN register? Does he have an IEP or Provision Map? Does he have any support at school and is it documented by Senco?
The support for exams is covered by the JCQ regulation. It is very complex and only the school, precisely the senco can apply and basically manage this process. I don't pretend to understand it well. Arrangements have to be approved, there is a timetable with deadlines. To be approved, arrangements need to be applied for based on specific regulated evidence that the senco need to collect and submit in good time according to the timetable. It should be resulting from specific cognitive assessments, from recording and documenting his needs at school(the senco file for exam arrangements) and from his 'usual way of working'. All 3 are important and senco has the key driving role.
The support for GCSEs starts from documenting his needs/difficulties and the actual support in place to meet those needs. So he has to need some support with learning, in lessons on the regular basis in order to qualify for adjustments. If he has no problems, he doesn't need adjustments, it is not really linked to diagnosis, but to needs documented at school. This support represents his 'usual way of working'. So if usually in lessons for some months before the final submission he uses 25% extra time, prompts from a Teaching Assistant, rest breaks or refocus breaks, a laptop, a reader (the assistant or software that reads the exam paper to him) etc, it would be enough to include those things into the submission, which then is likely to be approved. The key thing is to progress with practice and documentation for the senco to put provisions in place for him in lessons.
In terms of 25%extra time, based on the needs as documented, including in diagnosis report, for example 'low processing speed', or 'inattention', or 'anxiety' and other 'emotional needs', or 'physical and sensory' needs, the school might request a cognitive assessment that would document exactly that 'processing speed' or extent of inattention etc that 'would put him at a substantial disadvantage' during exams. If it reaches certain threshold, he could be entitled to 25% of extra time. If they pass another more severe threshold, he may be given 50% extra time, but this is very rare and in complex cases. Basically, for extra time you need to have enough needs documented to trigger that assessment and for data from assessment to meet the threshold. You might want to check whether such assessment could be done privately, but I am not sure. It is very regulated.
According to the SEN Code of Practice they are under obligation to put provisions in place if you son has difficulties at school, regardless of the diagnosis. They cannot use the absence of diagnosis as the reason to not start supporting your son. But this only applies if there are difficulties at school and they are documented. According to the code of practice there is a graduated approach. When difficulties start to show, they need to introduce some support. If your son makes progress as result of the support, it's working. If the progress is insufficient in comparison with the expectations, the peer group, your son earlier rate of progress or his potential, then progress is 'inadequate' and more and different provisions need to be introduced. At this stage they should put him on SEN register and have Individual Educational Plan with provisions and SMART targets reviewed regularly, at least twice a year, I think. If progress on those targets insufficient, there may be a case of requesting a needs assessment under section of the education act for EHCP. If he qualifies for an EHCP, exam arrangements might be easier to document, basically automatic, provided usual way of working, like 25% extra time.
If you have a diagnosis but no documented needs and provisions at school, you need to seek advice as you are at the beginning of a journey, which is always arduous.
It is very helpful in all cases to talk to SOS!SEN about this. They are the best. NAS and IPSEA also might help.
