Dd will be allowed 25% extra time in Her GCSEs

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

Because of dyslexia. She's been assessed now to see how much time she's entitled to. Does that generally ,mearn her dyslexia is quite bad or is that standard?

Also how will it work on the day? Will she be in a room on her own rather than a big exam hall so she's not disturbed by people leaving? If not will she need to remind someone every exam that she gets extra time or would they know?

[honeysucklejasmine]

She will not need to remind them. It's likely she will not take her exam in the hall - a classroom is more likely. Plenty of students have extra time for various reasons so she won't be alone.

It's really good she's got it. Very proactive!

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

Thanks. I think it will make a big difference to her.

[WishITookLifeSeriously]

For our students with 25% extra time, they are given a separate room and a ta/ invigilator to keep time. Some also have readers or scribes so it might be worth investigating whether your dd will be entitled to either of those too.

[Wolfiefan]

The extra time is great. Ensure she knows how best to use it. Eg planning time, proof reading or more time to read questions and underline etc text.

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

I actually think she will be better without a reader or a scribe. She reads quite well so won't get muddled. Her writing is more noticeably slower than you'd expect but she works in her own bubble/head very well if that makes sense. I think a scribe might kill her flow/train of thought.

[Themodernuriahheep]

It's worth reminding her teachers around mocks and also reminding you and her in classroom tests.

I know of some who get about 15% but DS gets 25%. And a laptop. And is eligible for disability grant for tape recorder etc.

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

Should she get 25% in classroom tests from now on then?

[clary]

She should get extra time for any controlled assessments. Make sure all teaching staff know as CAs are policed by the class teacher as a rule.

[ladygracie]

It is the standard time that kids with extra time get. School will know or, as at a school I worked at, the head announced that anyone without extra time should stop & all others had another 20 mins. He assured me that they all knew who they were even if we didn't!
My daughter is doing mocks now & she has hers in a different room from others but I'm not sure if that's because she has a laptop or the extra time or both.

[Kez100]

My DS received this. He had a separate room where everyone one the extra time (exc readers and scribes) were. He also received extra time in controlled assessment but that did sometimes mean missing a break or whatever due to the way they were timetabled.

[noblegiraffe]

She should be allowed 25% extra time in classroom tests if she needs it from now on (e.g. coming back at lunchtime to finish). She should do any work in extra time in a different colour and tests should be marked without extra time, then with extra time to provide evidence that she needs it to the exam board.

[happygardening]

DS1 got 25% extra time "moderate dyslexia" but he found for classroom tests etc generally he didn't. The staff either forgot, couldn't be bothered, blamed it on time tabling or said it didn't matter if it is a classroom test and then moaned he didn't finish it. Also in his experience it's hard to come back in your lunch break and add another 10 mins to a classroom test, he found it took 2-3 mins to work out where you left off etc, many dyslexics, who have to work doubly hard to achieve even average work, very much need their lunch breaks.

[noblegiraffe]

It might be a pain to come back at lunch but the extra time application needs evidence that they need it and that it's their usual way of working. Without that evidence they might not be allowed the extra time in their exams, so it's worth doing.

[Lozza1990]

From what I remember at school (not too long ago), we got up quietly to leave while the kids needing more time stay for extra time. You either get extra time or you don't - it's not a measure of her dyslexia or anything. It's the same with mocks but informal classroom tests I wouldn't think she'd have anything different, although I'm sure she could ask

[HSMMaCM]

I would recommend checking / reminding staff at the beginning of every test. I heard of too many people not getting their extra time for GCSEs because the invigilator hadn't been told.

[TeenAndTween]

Maki When my DD2 did y2 SATs she didn't even know she was doing them. I think they had as long as they needed anyway. They just were doing some 'special work' in booklets.
And I don't think you can 'pull her out of sitting them' as they can be done at more or less any point in the school year (at least that's how it has been, don't know if it has changed for new NC).

Suggest anyway you post your own thread in Primary, as this is Secondary and (said in the nicest possible way) extra time for GCSEs is a much more important issue than tests for 7yos.

[GinandJag]

Extra time is 25% (in rare situations 50%, but not for just dyslexia).

She's only be in a room of her own if she needed a reader/scribe or if she needed to read aloud). In the exam hall, they should put all the extra time people together and try to minimise distractions.

It will be on her exam card and on every piece of paper the exam officer produces.

I am a little curious as to why this is all news. The underlying principle of extra time is that it is her normal way of working. She should be used to getting extra time in class tests and internal exams, and providing evidence (such as changing pen colour at the end of regular time). If this evidence doesn't exist, she could have her access arrangements withdrawn. It's one of the things the JCQ inspector looks for.

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

Well the school have totally ignored the fact that I to,d them she was diagnosed dyslexic when she started in year 7.

I asked the senco in year 7 as to whether she should be getting help or not and senco looked at me like I was nuts and said they could take her out of lessons and put her in the remedial classes if I wanted (she is in top sets).

I never brought it up again. Just decided the school was totally shit (which it is).

Then a few weeks ago (year ten now) the senco came and found dd and said as she's dyslxic they need to assess her.

[TeenAndTween]

DD was assessed as dyspraxic Dec y11

School applied for and got extra time permission in Feb y11

This was after mocks.

It wasn't her usual way of working, but it should have been, had she been assessed earlier.

[popuptent]

Might be because access arrangements now need to be in place for Year 11. If they assess in Yr 7 then they will run out by Yr 11. At least they are on the ball and doing it in time for GCSEs. She might also qualify for a scribe which means that she could use a laptop with spellcheck turned on instead. She would need to get a standardised score of 84 or below. The longer they wait before testing, the more likely she might be to score below 84 as it's age related so it's better to wait till Yr 10 or later.

[RalphSteadmansEye]

We're a bit worried that under the new rules, ds will lose his extra time. He's had it since yr 2 Sats and for every test and end of yr exam (now yr 10) for his ASD, anxiety, poor working memory and slow writing speed. But apparently evidence of need for 8 years will not guarantee he gets it any more as his writing speed has improved and is now just above 8th centile (working memory needs retesting). Waiting to hear more at his statement annual review.

[popuptent]

Just did a google - a standardised score of 84 appears to be on the 14th percentile so "just above 8th centile" would still qualify. He could possibly qualify on either poor working memory or slow writing speed but I'm not an expert. If he is in Year 10 then they should be re-testing for GCSEs I would think.

[manicinsomniac]

Where I work it seems to be 10% extra time if the child needs extra time but doesn't have an ed psych report and 25% extra time if they have an ed psych report, whether they need the time or not. Considering the ed psychs cost £500 I find it a slightly annoying system as there are children who are visibly struggling much more than some of the 25%ers but whose parents don't have a spare £500.

So I don't think it's necessarily about severity of the dyslexia.