GCSE Special Consideration for Disadvantage candidate

[Strix]

Can anyone guide me on information for asking for special considerations on GCSE exam(s) this year? Is it different from normal years? The special consideration is for a candidate who was disadvantaged at the time of a written exam. The special consideration will, I expect, apply to two exams today and possibly also two exams tomorrow.

What is the reason behind it ? Have you spoken to head of pastoral or head of year ?

You need to speak to the head of year at the school.

Are they internal exams the school is using to help them give the child a grade? I thought GCSEs were cancelled?

www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/JCQ-Guidance-on-the-Determination-of-Grades-for-A-AS-Levels-and-GCSEs-Summer-2021.pdf has a section on this. I would have thought it cones under the remit of the Examinations Officer.

Thank you for the replies. I do think we have a case for special consideration. DS medication was not available today due to an administrative delay at the GP. This will surely affect his exam performance. I will put my case forward to the SENCO and Head of Year (Thanks for that suggestion, I hadn't thought of Head of Year), and probably his form tutor too.

Fortunately, today's exams are not his most important subjects. But then I suppose all subjects are important. And it's not his fault the NHS is crumbling. And we couldn't have foreseen this delay in the prescription.

The SENCo in conjunction with the exams officer, will be the people to contact, but it’s very late to do so. It might come under the same category as someone who is disadvantaged by breaking the hand they write with, for example. Of course it isn’t his fault the medication wasn’t available, unless there was a mistake in reordering, but the school will have to demonstrate how he will be disadvantaged and what special consideration you’re requesting. Is it rest breaks, extra time, a reader or scribe?

I think OP is asking for marking consideration, not access arrangements.

OP - did you tell the school before the exams were sat?

Definitely have an email trail. If it is e.g. meds for ADHD can see why that would impact performance.

Foxy, I think you are referring to access arrangements (e.g. extra time). As I understand it, special consideration is a slight bump to the final score to account for unforeseen circumstances that would disadvantage the candidate in the written exam. For example, if the fire alarm goes off after the exam has started a school might apply for special consideration for the whole class/school. This happened to my older child in her GCSE maths exam and the school emailed all of the parents within minutes to tell us what had happened and that they had applied for special considerations. I think it is fairly common.

It is worth contacting the school - exams officer/ head of year/ head of faculty as I believe they can apply special consideration to scores even this year, but I wouldn't get your hopes up too much. If allowed, it is likely to only add 1% to his overall achieved score- better than nothing though! I ha e always thought it scandalous that even death of a parent only warrants 5%.

Technically, there is no special consideration this year because there are no exams. This tells you what you need to know: www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Special-consideration-–-Summer-2021.pdf

You need to let the HOY, SENDCO, and exams officer know ASAP.

Thanks everyone. I put my case to the SENCO and HOY yesterday. I trust they will make the right decision.

It’s only 4%.