GCSES - Extra time for anxiety?

Dd says one of students in a previous exam sitting had a panic card and could use that to flag that they needed a break, so time would be paused.

I think that just means they are offering a screening programme for adjustments based on processing issues for example, which may have been overlooked. Medical based access arrangements would be separate.

Where there is medical evidence of a disability which substantially impacts on processing speed form 8 should not be completed and there is no need to assess.
The SENCO prepares a file note which documents the student's difficulties and when applying online indicates that the student has medical difficulties < or an EHCP>. The file note is kept on file alongside the medical evidence and/or the EHCP and evidence of usual way of working.

They still need to demonstrate that it makes a difference, using teacher statements and for example a score with and without extra time (eg mark the point they were at at the end of "normal" time and compare it with what the teacher knows about the young person and their capabilities etc). 25 percent extra is considered a reasonable adjustment but you can't just make a statement like this for 50 percent extra or whatever.

Yes! But many sencos don't know this.
It's because the exam boards could face disability discrimination claims if they don't make adjustments for candidates with a "covered" disability. Learning difficulties is not a covered disability so the adjustments for that group are discretionary by the exam board and the school needs the data from a recent assessment, submitted on form 8, to justify it.

My post was based on anxiety alone as per the title of the OPs post.
The fact that your dd has a diagnosis of ASD is probably more significant.

Floating I mean I imagine you are right and DD"s school were wrong. Bit tired here so hope I'm making sense

Floating I suspect DD's school messed up and didn't apply for extra time in time but were able to arrange rest breaks for anxiety and ADHD. It was a horrible time and the rest breaks only happened after I asked for appeals process to examinations council.

I hate threatening to complain but it was all a bit rubbish really. Gpod job DD has found the ADHD diagnosis really validating.

Good luck Leverett

Leverett - ds walked out of a couple of his year 10 exams. Desperately hoping he can get his anxiety under control for next year.

Weirdly, whilst all sencos I work with are aware of form 8 and the need to evidence slow processing, many many sencos seem not to know that you don't need the same evidence if you have a recognised disability, in my experience.

Sorry, cross posted.

Yes, I have re read it. If you have a condition as outlined at the top of page 26 you don't follow the learning difficulties evidence pathway which is outlined on the previous few pages and form 8 must not be submitted. Evidence is held at the school for inspection.

i agree it could be open to interpretation but assume that most good SENDCos would have had conversations with the exam boards/JCQ in advance.

As I understand it, page 26 is the one for students with recognised disabilities covered by Equality Act and the info on that page overrides the info on pp 22-25 etc. That is what we worked out on multiple readings....

www.jcq.org.uk/Download/exams-office/access-arrangements-and-special-consideration/regulations-and-guidance/access-arrangements-and-reasonable-adjustments-booklet

Pages 22,23, 26-27 & the case studies are the most relevant pages.

It says for the qualifications listed on page 2 (gcse’s Alevels, cambridgenationals etc) an application for 25 per cent extra time must be processed using Access Arrangments Online.

Floating at the moment he is awaiting a specialist speech and language assessment as he is on the autism diagnosis pathway. We and the school are pretty sure he will get a diagnosis but he is on a very long NHS waiting list. Not ideal when he starts year 11 in September. I do hope a diagnosis brings a little more support as I feel I've been battling with the school for a long time.

It's interesting to hear something different than what the Senco is telling us. The OT assessment has ended up being really useful and she has been great help to Ds, so it was worth the referral to her. I'm pretty sure Ds will not need or qualify for extra time but things have deteriorated substantially over the last year so it is interesting to read the information on this thread.

comeaway does it have to be submitted? It says there must be a senco letter available for inspection, on headed paper, and with evidence as you state. In my DS case the evidence was statements from several teachers and evidence of substantial mark improvement with extra time during their "assessment" phase that led to this becoming the usual way of working (along with laptop, smaller room and now prompter, this last was only recommended a couple of weeks ago by his tutor).

It’s not quite as simple as having an EHCP or diagnoses. Substantial evidence of a long term adverse effect on the candidates speed of working & detailing a whole load of other detailed criteria specified by JCQ needs to be done & submitted for a decision to be made.

Wheras for supervised rest breaks although evidence has to be produced to a JCQ inspector on request, an application does not have to be made. Furthermore a SENCO is obliged to consider supervised rest breaks before extra time.

punx - I refer your senco to the extract from the QCA. She's not fully correct IF your child has a diagnosis protected by the equality act. The evidence is much more a statement of disadvantage and that this is usual way of working. Many, many sencos don't seem to realise this.

Ds's school seem to be really strict with any kind of adjustment. They have not allowed him to use a laptop in lessons until he had a report from an OT recommending it. The Senco has stated many times that they cannot authorise anything including the laptop without a professional recommending it. They have said they need the reports for their evidence.

@Comefromaway I’m coming from an FE perspective where there are some exam boards that do not have to adhere to JCQ regulations but choose to publish their own guidance. By and large they follow the JCQ regulations but there can be some subtle differences.

OP there are centre delegated arrangements where evidence of ‘normal way of working’ is sufficient to grant arrangements, and arrangements where the school has to apply for prior approval. Extra time is one of the latter under JCQ regulations. But in addition to the core evidence (EHCP in this case) there should also be supporting evidence of ‘normal way of working’ as other posters have stated. JCQ are particularly keen on this additional evidence for extra time.

JCQ access arrangements and reasonable adjustments regulations are readily available via a quick internet search, so if you can find out which exam boards the school are using you could have a look at the guidance before any future meetings so you are forearmed with all the information you might need